Working from home? Get that work life balance right

It’s sometimes difficult to find a healthy balance between work and home life. Throwing working from home into the mix can make it even harder. Take a moment to re-evaluate and try to harmonise your work and home life for a happier and healthier you.

Work hard play hard – if only it was so easy!

Of course, we all like to think we work hard, but when is working hard too much? Doing too much overtime, being contactable on your days off and answering emails at 3am is not sustainable for most people. It’s important to create sensible boundaries between working and personal time. The same goes for when you’re working from home. When you implement an effective work-life balance into your everyday life you’ll avoid burning out, feel less stressed and be a lot more productive. Here’s some ways to keep your work and personal life balanced.

Set your working hours 

Having a clear working day, e.g. 8 hours, is important to ensure you’re not over-doing it. Now that’s not to say you can’t be flexible with this. If one day you need to work a little later to get something done – go for it. It can be all-too easy to get sucked into working too much when you’re working from home. You need to make sure you stick to set working hours to avoid getting burned out.

Make time for me-time

At least once during the day give yourself a break to relax and do something you enjoy, whether that's going for a walk or preparing something tasty at lunchtime. Save your evenings for the things that help you relax and shake off the stresses of the day like online workout videos (we recommend yoga!), catching that film you’ve wanted to watch for ages or getting in the bath with a good book.

Focus on what’s important

Prioritising tasks while you’re working and in your free time allows you to make the most of your time. Whether your main goal is a new product launch or a 10k run, you need to make sure you allocate enough time to achieve it. One way you can make sure you stay on track to reach your main goals is by starting each week making a prioritised to-do list. Determine how time-sensitive your goals are, too, so you can plan accordingly e.g. signing off artwork in time for the new product launch marketing campaign or running at least 2 times a week to prepare for your race.

Learn how to say no

It’s so easy to accidentally overwork yourself by saying yes to every task thrown your way. Just remember - you don’t have to do everything. It doesn’t make you bad at your job or a selfish person to say no to tasks that you simply don’t have time to do or are frankly not in your remit. By all means be as helpful as you can be to your colleagues, just assess your own workload, time and energy first to see if you can be of use.

Have passions outside of work

Whether you feel indifferent about your job or absolutely love it, it’s healthy to have passions and interests outside of your work. Having hobbies like painting, walking, music, or anything you fancy can be a great way to relax and fulfil goals outside work. In turn, this will help you do better at your job, be happier at work and able to achieve those work objectives easier.

Monitor your mental health

Working at home, especially when it’s not elective like with the outbreak of COVID-19, can be a real shock to the system. Going from the office buzz to being alone at home can be hard, especially if you need to self-isolate or maintain social distancing. Loneliness can be risky for any of us, especially when it is chronic and you are normally quite social. Stay connected to your colleagues and make sure you phone or video call your friends and family (outside work hours!) if you start to feel isolated – its surprising how good reaching out can feel. Work and life balance aside, please spare a thought for elderly or vulnerable people who will be spending a lot of time alone. You can help each other feel better during these uncertain times. Last updated: 02 November 2020