Work-Life Balance during COVID 19
Work-life balance is the lack of opposition between work and other life
roles. It is the state of equilibrium in which demands of personal life,
professional life, and family life are equal. Work-life balance consists of,
but it is not limited to, flexible work arrangements that allow employees to
carry out other life programs and practices. Spending long hours at work
due to "inflexibility, shifting in work requirements, overtime or evening
work duties" could lead to an imbalance between work and family duties.
Lacking time for personal works leads to pressure, which is experienced
differently based on the individual's age, the age and number of children in
the household, marital status, the profession and level of employment, and the
income level. Today work-life balance ranks as one of the most important
workplace attributes - second only to compensation, and workers who feel they
have a better work-life balance tend to work 21% harder than employees who feel
overworked.
Effects of Work from
Home: Technology has also provided the opportunity to work from home rather
than from the company's physical office. Working from home is an initiative
that arose from the efforts of improving the work-life balance. In 2017, it was
reported that 8 million people in the US are working from home that is 5%
of the entire US workforce. Another recent research on the effects of COVID 19
on Work from Home shows that 50% reported feeling stressed whereas only 8%
reported feeling relieved working from home. Therefore, it has become
significantly clear that the Work from Home situation has deeply affected the
Work-life balance of the employees.
Tips to maintain Work
Life Balance with Work from Home situation:
·
Track Your Time- Keep a time log of
everything you do for one week, including work-related and personal activities.
· Determine your priorities- Spend some time
reflecting on what is most important to you, and make a list of your top
priorities at work and at home.
·
Set Specific Goals- Take your list of priorities
and turn them into concrete and measurable goals. Block time into your schedule
for activities.
·
Schedule Scrupulously- Set aside 10 to 20 minutes
at the beginning of each day (or the night before) to plan your tasks and
activities for the day and evening ahead.
·
Establish Boundaries- Set fair and realistic
limits on what you will and will not do both at work ad at home. Clearly
communicate these boundaries to your supervisor, coworkers, partner and family.
·
Take Care of your Health- Take care of yourself by
eating healthy meals, exercise at least three times per week and sleep a
minimum of seven hours per night.
·
Nurture Your Family/ Relationships- Relationships
with family, friends, and loved ones are, by far, the greatest source of inner
satisfaction. By making your personal relationships a priority, your
productivity and effectiveness on the job will increase.
·
Make Time for You- Take at least 30 minutes of
uninterrupted "you time."
·
Work Smarter not Harder- Adopting the right
combination of time-management practices can cut stress and save you up to an
hour a day.
·
Ask for Help- If you are overwhelmed by work, and
it is causing undue stress don't suffer in silence.
Dr Sangeetha Madhu , a clinical psychologist and Leadership expert & Shivani RK presenting articles related to well being, leadership/personal development, cognitive mastery, positive emotions, building resilience and relationships.
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