Regaining Work-Life Balance Post-COVID
Some still have difficulty adapting to this change, but rather than fighting these changes, it can be helpful to learn how to live with them.
What does work-life balance mean?
Work-life balance describes how a person attempts to meet the demands of their personal life and work responsibilities. Ideally, when someone has a positive work-life balance, they have time for work as well as the personal aspects of their life. Those with an unfulfilling work-life balance may neglect their personal time and devote most of their energy to work.
Work-life balance and mental health
The pandemic affected the mental health of many people in significant ways. Some of the changes that went into effect during the pandemic have become the "new normal," making it necessary for many to learn to implement those changes permanently into their lives.
This includes a new workplace model that melds our working and personal lives in a way that we may have never experienced otherwise. For some, striking a work-life balance has been a process marked by relationship difficulties, feelings of isolation, stress, work problems, overwhelm, and more.
Maintaining a positive balance between life and work after the pandemic may help to reduce stress, maintain boundaries, and prevent burnout. Whether you've been experiencing challenges with this for a while or have just realized that your work-life balance is not fulfilling, there are steps you can take to improve.
Talk to those you live with
Working at home with family or housemates can be distracting. If you don't set boundaries related to your time working at home, it can lead to conflict over those distractions. You might consider having a conversation about your workspace and your needs.
You might discuss your working hours to establish when you need to focus, when you’ll be on calls, etc.
Unplug
Many people are more distracted by technology now than ever before. While you may need to stay connected during working hours, it may help to unplug whenever possible. To do this, you might set screen time limits and consider turning off your devices after a workday. This may help you pay attention to your loved ones and your responsibilities at home. Plus, it can benefit your mental health.
Plan ahead
Regardless of whether you have a remote job, you can plan your day around what's most important. If you want to make time for friends, for example, you might try to wake up earlier and meet deadlines so that you have extra time to see your friends. The social interaction you'll receive may benefit your mental health.
Structure your workday
To organize your time, you might decide what time you want to begin and end work each day, and then try to stick to it. This might help you remain productive during work hours so that you can be fully present at home afterward.
Prioritize tasks
Before each workday, consider writing down which tasks are most important to complete and then prioritize the most pressing ones. You might consider delegating tasks whenever you can. Also, it may help to determine when you can multitask and when there are tasks that require your undivided attention.
Take time off
Everyone needs a break from work sometimes. If you have paid time off (PTO) available, consider using it whenever you're feeling overwhelmed. Taking extended time to step away from your desk can go a long way toward cultivating good mental health and possibly even better work performance.
Maintaining your mental health
Looking after your mental health can improve several aspects of life, whether at home, in the office, or with friends. Below are a few ways you can work to improve or maintain your mental health:
- Cultivate a healthy lifestyle: The mind and body are thought to be intimately connected. For one to flourish, the other needs to as well. To take optimal care of your body, you might try to remain hydrated, eat nutritious foods, exercise regularly, and get enough sleep at night. Also, consider limiting your time sitting in front of a screen to cultivate good physical and mental health.
- Practice self-care: Self-care is considered an integral part of good mental health. It may include healthy habits or any hobby or activity that you find fun or relaxing. You might take a bath, read a book, or meet a friend for coffee.
- Find a support group: Support groups exist for all concerns and problems. Whether you're experiencing burnout from work, coping with an addiction, or simply wanting to connect with people who listen and relate, you can normally find a group that can help.
- Spend time with loved ones: Research shows that humans need other humans to survive and flourish. If you're experiencing difficult feelings about work or home life, consider reaching out to a friend or family. They may be able to offer you advice or be there to listen without judgment. You may find that they sometimes experience similar challenges.
Maintaining healthy relationships and work-life balance may not always come easily, but you don't have to try to do it alone. With mental health problems on the rise after the pandemic, more people are turning to therapy to get help. Growing most quickly in popularity is online therapy, which allows you to get care from the comfort of your home or anywhere with an internet connection. BetterHelp is an online therapy platform that can connect you with a therapist at your convenience via audio or video chat.
Several studies have found internet-based cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) to be effective in treating a variety of mental health conditions, and it may also be used to help people who simply want to improve their work-life balance.
Takeaway
What is having a work-life balance?
Work-life balance is a concept that looks different for everyone. In a general way, a good work-life balance means that a person is not focusing all of their waking hours working and/or thinking about work. If an employees work-life balance is healthy, they are also spending time completing personal tasks, enjoying personal activities, and maintaining personal relationships.
What is the benefit of work-life balance in the workplace?
Healthy work-life balance is thought to be a way to avoid burnout. For those with unhealthy work habits, there is often a negative impact on overall well-being, including an increase in stress. In fact, a recent study by the World Health Organization found that those who worked more than 55 hours per week increased their risk of both heart attack and stroke when compared to those with a 35-40 work week.
Why is work-life balance important to time management?
Time management and work-life balance have a symbiotic relationship—they support each other. A focus on time management can be a huge help in creating a better balance in your workday. Time management skills can make it possible to get more work done in the same amount of hours, and freeing up time. With the decreased stress of improved work-life balance, it becomes easier to implement and follow through on time-management principles. Time management can seem too hard to practice when you feel overwhelmed.
How can I improve my work-life balance?
There are several tips you can use to help improve work-life balance. Some of these include:
- Disconnect communication when you are home. No work emails, texts, or calls.
- If you work from home, carve out time to transition between work and home. For example, take a brisk walk, take a shower and dress for work, or complete a ritual that helps you.
- Another strategy for those who work from home, have a dedicated “workspace”. This can be a separate room, a tabletop, or even a countertop that is used for nothing but work.
- Use time management to make work more efficient. Don’t attempt to multi-task, but create specific times to complete tasks throughout the day.
- Make self-care a priority. Block out spaces in your day to take walks (even 5 minutes!), do breathwork, plan meals with friends and family, and participate in hobbies or activities you enjoy.
- Use your vacation days—even if they are only used for a staycation.
What is the effect of work-life balance and employee performance?
Studies have shown that when an employee has a healthier work-life balance, they tend to do better work. A stressed employee can often be overwhelmed by even small decisions and tasks, and take longer to complete their work. The quality of the work can suffer, too.
Should work-life balance be a goal?
Work-life balance can be an excellent goal to strive toward, especially if you find that your work-life has become excessively stressful. Some signs that you may need to talk a look at work-life balance include:
- You notice a change in mental health—mood swings, feelings of dread or hopelessness, panic attacks, or restlessness
- You stop caring about your work
- There are no clear boundaries between your work life and your home life
- You have feelings of incompetence, are constantly worried about the quality of your work, and feel like there is never sufficient time to complete tasks
- Your relationships are negatively impacted by your career
Is work-life balance considered motivation?
Work-life balance is considered less a motivation, and more as a goal to be motivated toward. It does, however, take motivation to reach work-life balance.
What are the challenges of work-life balance?
There can be a number of challenges that get in the way of achieving work-life balance. Some of these include:
- The societal effects (in the US) of a Puritan, capitalist work ethic (aka grind culture)
- Socioeconomic disparity, some people require multiple jobs to cover basic needs
- Some people find it difficult not to work, due to personality factors
- Certain work cultures promote over-work, expecting work to be taken home, long hours in the office, or for the employee to be reachable at all times
Why is it hard to maintain a work-life balance?
It can be easy for many people to become hyper-focused on work tasks, or to feel as though they aren’t meeting expectations. This can be especially difficult to deal with in certain work cultures, or in situations where a person has to work more than one job.
Some employers have embraced the research that exposes the negative consequences of poor work-life balance, and are responding with things like flexible hours, a hybrid office model, and focusing on job satisfaction for their employees.
What is an important component of work-life balance?
A key component of work-life balance is self-management. This requires an individual to not only recognize the importance of getting appropriate amounts of exercise, sleep, and nutrition, but also to take actionable steps to achieve these goals. None of us get more hours in the day, but understanding that self-care is an important priority is the first step in moving toward work-life balance. Time management is another important component, but until a person prioritizes their own well-being, time management principles don’t have the same weight.
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