Why It’s Important To Strike a Balance Between Work and Home Life
Published on May 31, 2022
Recent changes to the way we work have highlighted the importance of a work/life balance. A work-life balance is essential for every aspect of your life, from mental and physical health to productivity and energy levels. We all know how stress from work can impact our relationships and the quality of our leisure time, whether we've experienced it first-hand or had a friend or family member who was struggling to juggle what was expected of them. Even those who love our jobs will know that there can sometimes be stresses and strains, but it is imperative to compartmentalise those feelings when you are outside of your working hours.
There have been a lot of recent changes to the way we have all worked. During the start of the 2020s, there was a shift to remote working if you weren't classed as a key worker. As the years progress, the responses to the pandemic are changing. We may still be working from home for a percentage of the month and office-bound for the rest. Your company may have encouraged everyone to return to the office, especially if the type of work you do requires a more hands-on approach and experiences difficulties that can't be overcome when people are working remotely. You may continue to be fully remote, in which case you need to make sure your home environment is easy to separate from your workspace. Each way of working contains its pros and cons, but finding ways to highlight the positives, set your boundaries, and communicate your needs with your employer is key to making any situation work.
Working from home
When working from home, you need to set yourself a routine as you would when going to a physical location. A consistent waking time is beneficial across all days and can help your sleep health, so try to find something that works for you. We all need different amounts of sleep, which may vary throughout different times of the year. Make sure you listen to your body and find your perfect sleep pattern. Having a healthy breakfast and some time for light exercise is a great way to start the day and provide you with vast amounts of energy throughout the morning and afternoon. If you're not a morning person, the idea of waking up early to go for a walk or do a quick yoga video might not fill you with joy, but your body and mind will thank you for it. If you really can't adjust to a morning routine, see if you can fit some exercise in throughout your day. You may have a call scheduled that only needs verbal input; if so, make the most of the company's cloud phone system and take a quick walk while you talk, as long as your management is comfortable with that. Many companies now have a greater understanding of new ways of working. As long as you are present and working well, there should always be room for discussion about what you can and can’t do.
Make sure your workstation at home is somewhere you can dissociate from in your leisure time. Even if you are using your kitchen table rather than having a dedicated office room, you can find a way to clear your table within five minutes of finishing work to signify that your day is over. If you have an office, clear your desk, close the door, and forget about your work until the morning.
Back to the office
If you have been asked to return to your shared office, you may have had mixed feelings about this at the start. We are not all social creatures, but the lack of physical presence of others can be detrimental to some people. If that applies to you, you need to make sure that you are socialising outside of your colleagues. While colleagues can make great friends as we have so much shared knowledge and experiences with them, having friends who don't know the ins and outs of every work situation is a great way to not focus on those topics in your leisure time. If you do have a colleague that is a close friend, make a pact to discuss work quickly for 10 minutes and then talk about everything else that interests you.
Working in a shared office can be a great way to switch your mind from work to home mode as you are going through the motions of leaving the office behind, unlike working remotely. Try to be mindful of this and picture any stress, strain, or nagging thoughts being left behind as you drive away from the office.