Working from home? Here's How to Have Job-Life Boundaries During the Pandemic
September 18, 2020 |
COVID-19 has forced me to work remotely, for the first time ever. Moreover, despite all the fantasies, that working from home is a breeze compared to going into an office, I have found it can be the opposite. The last four months of working remotely have forced me to learn how I can disconnect and have more of a work-life balance when working from home. While it may be difficult to adjust my actual workload, I have done a few things to make this mentally easier.
Schedule in breaks
In pre-COVID life, I followed a very strict routine lifestyle and that schedule no longer works for me. Therefore, I figured out a new schedule for me to take family, food, and mental health breaks during my workday, and have been trying to stick to those scheduled breaks, which includes going outside to take in the sunshine and fresh air.
Create boundaries, and stick to them
Allowing your work hours to be any time, you are technically always on the clock. I have set strong boundaries between work and home life, and it is not the same thing working from home as I would when I leave the house to work. I want to be more aware of my work schedule so that I do not check my email all the time. I have even set my phone alarm to go off at the end of my scheduled workday, and, if I have leftover work to tackle at that point, I set aside time to get it done the next day, so at least I know it is not going to build up.
Make time for non-work activities
When work is done, I like to do something completely non-work-related—exercise, relax, watch a movie, housework. The point is...no work.
Try not to overdo it
The high unemployment rate is scary and real, and many people who are employed are aware that many others are not so lucky. Add working from home to the mix, and it is easy to log more hours than normal. I constantly remind myself that I’m doing my best and to be kind to myself and others and be patient with myself.
The content of this post is the opinion of the author and does not reflect the views of TAJ Technologies, Inc.
Content contributed by Luxman Parameswaran, Sales/Account Executive, and Edited by Sonia Sukumar