Is your work-life balance out of sync?
Working remotely or hybrid has become a part of our lives in the recent times. It has become equally important to cater to this working style as more and more organizations are adopting to this work-style. But, it is not easy for everyone to maintain a perfect balance between work and private life and work-life eventually takes a toll on your personal life. Look out for the signs that show up when your work-life goes out of sync!
Reality Check!
Take a breath and recognize the truth about the situation instead of denying the reality of what is happening. It might be something like you are working at odd hours, facing issues while switching from work to family time and vice-versa or not being able to sleep properly due to work-pressure or completing household chores? Analyse the current situation and work towards the realistic solutions ONLY. You can start small by keeping note of your daily activities for some time and then do an analysis of where things are going wrong.
ONE thing at a time
Do not try to make amends which are not possible in a long run. Start small and with just one thing at a time. Make sure your goals are achievable whether they are short term, mid-term or long-term. A goal could be as simple as spending half an hour on cooking today or writing a technical article by the end of every week.
Define Boundaries
Construct clear boundaries between your work and personal life is really essential. Define your effective work hours and try to stick to them as much as possible everyday. Switch of your work notifications for emails, messages after work hours have ended. I understand that you might be a workaholic but giving quality time to your family or even to yourself is equally important. Go for an evening walk, morning gym exercise or may be on a date!
Setup priorities
Prioritizing tasks will set you up on the right path. I learned it the hard way. Whether it is work or household chores; setting up priorities will help you cater to the most important things in your day. You may carry over the less important things to the next day. For eg. a critical bug just before release date cannot wait and needs to be fixed. On the other hand, your child’s first race or a fancy dress competition where they need your presence is equally important. They might dress up as a tree again multiple times but there will not be a FIRST TIME again. Do not miss that! Remember, not everything that demands your attention is important, and not everything important demands your attention immediately.
Delegation is important
Delegation is an art hard to master and even harder to get rid of once mastered. I may have learned it the hard way. If you’re occupied with number of tasks; be it work or at home, try to ask others for help. This not only takes the burden of your shoulders but also builds a trust for future delegation with even more responsibilities. You need not mow the backyard every weekend and not every team meeting needs you to be there. Let go of the control and believe in the fact that someone else might be able to do it better than you.
Communication is the key
It is crucial to communicate your work and living style to your colleagues as well to your close ones so that everyone respects your time and availability. Let them know when you are and aren’t available for whatsoever reason. This will make them value your time and try to get the work done within the timelines defined so that you can go back and spend quality time. I could not emphasize on this point more than this.
Take a break!
Finally, make sure you take time to recharge. Your body and brain need to relax and this break could be as short as just 5 mins. Taking regular breaks from work is not a should but a MUST; it’s a necessity for maintaining physical, mental and emotional health. By recharging regularly, you will become efficiently active and bring in more productivity. Emphasize more on self-care and family time away from issues at work place.
