Since the pandemic began and the world “ended” almost a year ago, most companies, organizations and schools have transitioned to a remote method of business. Many people don’t have a “home office” and are confined to a small desk in the corner of their bedroom. Working from home makes it harder and harder to escape the demands of work or school (or both!) and it is incredibly hard to find the perfect work-life balance. Despite what some may think, finding a solid work-life balance is incredibly important when it comes to self-care and being successful and happy with your life. As someone who is one of those people with a small desk in the corner of their room and has worked a remote job for the last seven or eight months, I have really struggled finding a balance. But my New Year’s resolution for 2021 has involved these tips to help me create a comfortable work-life balance!
1. At the end of the workday, you need to fight the urge to keep your laptop open and keep working.
This is much easier said than done, but if your work uses a messaging board like Microsoft Teams or Slack, turn off your notifications at the end of the day to avoid hearing the “ding” of a new message or task. When 6 o’clock rolls around, silence those notifications and understand that anything you do past a certain time of night can be done in the morning. Let yourself relax after a long day of working and enjoy a good book or movie to wind down. Sometimes it’s more than just turning off your notifications and you just need to close your laptop entirely to prevent yourself from doing more work and losing out on your “me-time.”
2. Separate your workspace from your relaxation space or change up your work environment every now and then, if possible.
Like I said, my workspace is a desk in the corner of my bedroom. I have to constantly fight the urge to unplug my laptop from its charger and hop into my bed and do my work from there. I’ve definitely given in on more than one occasion, I won’t lie. What has helped me stop doing this is move to a different spot in my house to work every now and then – whether it be at my dining table, in the living room on the couch, or sitting at the kitchen island. Being able to switch it up helps me appreciate my personal space more and help be more productive.
3. Learn to say no and communicate your boundaries with your coworkers and supervisors.
Your coworkers and supervisors need to understand that, as much as you love your job, you have a life outside of work! It is important that you communicate your “working hours” or time that you will be online doing work with them in order to set boundaries. It is okay to say “I will do this tomorrow” or “I am not available to work on this right now” or “Is this urgent and needs to be done right now?” Creating these boundaries will benefit you and your personal life to make sure that you are reserving time for you.
At the end of the day, it is important that you aren’t letting your personal life or self-care get muddled by the hustle-and-bustle of work. Make yourself a priority!