As many of us find ourselves working from home, it may feel like our work and home worlds are colliding. If you had been previously dreaming about working from home while you were in the office, you might be finding the reality is much more complicated than the fantasy.
While many people are reporting increased productivity at home, they are also finding the experience challenging and stressful. If you are trying to manage the merging of work and home, here are a few tips for reducing stress and maintaining a healthy work-life balance:
Create boundaries
Develop a schedule that makes sense and creates boundaries. Sharing your schedule with others can help you stick to it and set expectations for your colleagues and family. Optimizing your productivity during your “work time” will help you relax and enjoy the switch to “home time”. This will help you be present for your family and reliable for your employer.
Be task-oriented
Studies show that we are most effective on tasks with a duration of 90-120 minutes, after which our ability to problem solve and retain information begins to decrease. Try breaking up large projects into shorter intervals and alternate tasks to maintain momentum and improve concentration.
Take advantage of the situation
To have the best of both worlds, build in some flexibility that allows you to enjoy the perks of working from home. It is ok to schedule breaks that allow you to cuddle a child or do some yoga. The number of people working from home is unprecedented and both employees and employers are feeling their way along. Talk to your boss or supervisor and collaborate on ways to optimize the situation for both of you.
Let go of “perfection”
You cannot always give 100 percent at work and to yourself or your family. Some days you may fall short, so don’t strive for perfection; strive to be realistic. Balance is attained over time, and not necessarily each day.
Recognize your stressors
Identifying your stress triggers can help you to either avoid, resolve, anticipate, or manage them. Some stressors cannot be changed, but feeling that you have a plan to cope with them can help you feel more in control of your world.
Studies show that mastering work-life balance will significantly enhance your individual wellbeing, improving health, family, and overall satisfaction. These skills seem especially important now, but they will continue to benefit you long after life normalizes.
We all feel stressed from time to time, and now more than ever. Stress is one of the most insidious things working against us living our “best life.” Unfortunately, you can’t completely avoid stress, so the key is knowing how to manage it.
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