What was thought to be a temporary solution to increasing the remote work environment during the initial stages of the COVID pandemic, has quickly turned into a new way of work life. Surveys among top businesses have shown that roughly 30% of the workforce will continue to be fully remote through 2021.
With that notion, this tech corner is centered around finding a way to balance your remote work life for a better overall experience and personal well-being.
Here are some Tips for Maintaining a Remote Work-Life Balance:
- Set yourself up for success
- Once you start working remote, this will make more sense, but set yourself up for success. Create a morning routine and stick to it. Get up early, get dressed as if you are going to the office, make your morning coffee, have breakfast, all the things you would do if you were planning to go into the office.
- Use your calendar, set Reminders.
- Don’t forget to use your calendar. This work from home has blended lines of personal and work life. Use your calendar to setup your work week, create reminders for yourself, and stay on task.
- Design a proper home office space
- Set yourself up for success. Create a home-office area that allows you to focus, yet separates you from your normal “home life” so that you don’t always feel like you are literally in the office.
- Create a start and end time to your work schedule
- Just as you would have a start and end while in the office, create one for your remote work life. Working from home often creates a blurry line between home and work balance, set a hard stop to your work day and avoid that mental drain and burnout.
- Take a lunch break
- Often forgotten as working remote typically yields you thinking that if you aren’t in front of that computer 24/7, you are not being productive. When you were in the office, how many times would you stand up to walk around, grab something to drink, have a snack, go out for lunch? Keep the same routine while working from home, your brain and well-being needs the rest.
- Continue to network and collaborate with your peers
Working remote and off-site can often have someone feeling pretty down and alone. While in the office, you are surrounded by your peers and having opportunities to chit-chat, share stories, discuss upcoming events, etc. There are numerous collaboration tools for chatting with your peers, having video chats, sending direct messages, etc. Find what works for you and make a habit of reaching out and staying “connected”.
