Maintaining a Work-Life Balance While Working Remotely
By: Sanjith Venkatesh, Associate Software Engineer
With the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, I, along with many recent college graduates, have had to start my career working remotely rather than in the office. While this has come with a slew of advantages such as spending more time with my family and not having to commute, there have been a lot of challenges in maintaining a proper work-life balance since the two have become so intertwined. Rather than facing the issue of decreased productivity, it has become quite easy for me to work extra hours since no barriers are separating these two worlds. To mitigate this issue, here are some practices that I have adopted to maintain the balance between my work and personal life.
Create a Separate Space for Working
One of the first things that I did when I started working was to create a dedicated space for working in my room. Maintaining this space is important for me as I find myself to be more productive if I can sit down and be solely focused on the task at hand; keeping this space clean is also a part of that process. Having a proper monitor and keyboard setup also helps to imitate an office environment as well as preventing myself from wanting to sit on the bed or couch all day. Being able to close the door while in meetings is also a major perk.
Develop a Morning Routine
When I first started my role as an associate it was quite easy to start working as soon as I woke up as I would keep my laptop right next to my bed. As I slowly got used to the day-to-day life of working, however, I realized that it’s important to treat my mornings in the same manner as if I was going to the office. This includes making my bed, taking a shower, having a healthy breakfast, and stretching. While it may not seem like much, warming up the body and mind is a great way to become more productive throughout the day.
Use different tools for work and play
After finishing my work for the day, I like to shut down my work laptop completely and use my personal laptop for any non-work-related tasks whether that be working on personal projects or just simply relaxing. This sends both a physical and mental signal that the workday has come to an end and that I should take my focus off work. This also works vice versa. When I turn on my work laptop in the morning, I am slowly getting my mind ready for work and I start to recollect all of the tasks that I have to do.
Take Frequent Breaks Throughout the Day
One of the good things about working at home is the ease of being able to get up from my desk and walk to the kitchen to grab a snack or just stretch my legs. It feels good to stand up once in a while to clear my mind and spend a few minutes just stretching and giving my mind a break. Usually, I like to take a 10-minute break every couple of hours or so — apart from my lunch break — to ensure that my mind is focused throughout the day.
Exercise Every Evening
I try to get my body moving every evening to make sure that my body doesn’t start to wear down. Sitting at the desk all day isn’t good for long-term health, so I go for a run or walk every day to keep my physical health in top condition. Especially in the midst of the pandemic, just getting outside and going for a walk helps my mental health and keeps me thinking positively.
These are some of the tips that I have developed over the past few months since starting my career with Veeva. Though it’s impossible to develop a perfect balance between work and life, implementing certain habits can help all of us in ensuring that we carve out ample time for ourselves during these difficult times.
