Lockdown has meant most of the nation are now having to work from home (where possible). Whilst businesses all over the world are feeling the pressure, employees will need to be even more efficient to try and keep things ticking over. This is challenging for most due to a range of factors. For example, not being able to have f2f meetings, having to adapt to new technologies and having family responsibilities. Whilst these factors exist and we remain in our homes working, it is very easy to overwork and feel “burned out”, which will no doubt affect our mental and physical health.
What can we do to ensure we maintain a healthy work life balance?
1.Set boundaries
-Dedicate an area of your house specifically for work.
-Clearly communicate the start and finish times of your working hours with the people you live with.
-If you have children, can you prearrange with others in your household who keeps an eye on them and when?
2.Prioritise
-What are the key focuses for the day? Ensure they are realistic and focus on achieving them.
-Ticks things off as you go as this will give you a greater sense of achievement at the end of the day.
-By focusing on your most important tasks, you are more likely to log off at a reasonable time.
3.Keep energy levels high
-Don’t forget to eat during lunch and have regular snack breaks.
-Avoid eating at your desk and go out for a walk if possible. This will make you feel energised and help you focus better.
-Exercise regularly – home workout videos are great!
4.Work phone – switch it off
-Once you’ve logged of, either turn off your work phone or put it on silent. This will prevent you from being glued to you phone.
-The length of time we spend on our phones during the evening can also impact our sleep.
5.Me time
Do you have anything you’ve been meaning to complete? For most of us, we now have more time to ourselves than ever before (no commute into work). What are your interests? Have you ever wanted to pick up a new skill (cooking, musical instrument, a new language, programming skills etc)? – there are tons of resources online and things are still being delivered to our doors!
-Do something you enjoy and ideally in a different room (away from your work space).
-Do some exercise outside/in the living room, facetime your friends/family, cook something you’ve never made before.
-Plan this beforehand so you have something to look forward to in the evening! It will also motivate you to complete your high priority tasks as quickly as possible.
6.Socialise
-Stay in touch with colleagues throughout the day and share your challenges and successes.
-Make time for family and catch up with friend. Organise a quiz, bingo, poker etc.
Adapt, experiment and most importantly, stay positive. For those with children, I’ve used this an opportunity to potty train my 2-year-old. Use this time to tick of those keys tasks that you have been prolonging. This is a testing time for us and the above points should help you structure your day better and hopefully give you some more free time in the evening.
If you have any further ideas on this topic or would like to have a general chat about the current market, please get in touch – ac@arthur.co.uk or 
02035877419
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