Work life Integration: The New Normal - Dr Sangeetha Madhu and Eliza Abraham

COVID-19 has introduced the concept of working from home (WFH) to people of all ages and from all areas of life. We are not used to this way of functioning and it is difficult to maintain a good work-life balance during this pandemic. Lack of structure in work timings, taking on multiple roles & responsibilities, guiding children with schoolwork, technology issues, low work productivity, lack of social connections, increased stress & anxiety, diminished boundaries between work & personal life, lack of free time to relax makes it exhausting and demanding for all of us. It’s been approximately 4-5 months since and it is important to learn work-life balance even during work from home.

To-Do List to improve the quality of WFH

·         Design/ Allocate a particular area at home as the workspace: personalize workspace, use a comfortable chair, be assertive & set boundaries while working.

·         Maintain healthy systematic routines: work timings, breaks, sleep, appetite, physical exercise.

·         Secure Work Environment: Keep laptop/computer in a safe place to avoid loss of sensitive confidential information.

·         Increase productivity & reduce procrastination: Set clear deadlines for the day, set healthy work timings to avoid burnout.

·         Stay Focused: Control social media use, interruptions / distractions, utilize your time effectively during the day, with discipline

·         Plan Out: Set clear short term &long-term career goals with your team, work towards achieving them, prioritize & break down (To-Do-List) your workload to avoid stress. This will help you be more focused & motivated to complete the work.

·         Celebrating Success &Achievement: Reinforce yourself with small treats when you complete a difficult task, maintain a record of your achievements as this helps with increasing satisfaction. Celebrate success with family and team members over a video call, acknowledge people who helped you.

·         Quality Time &Relationship: allocate time to spend quality time with your family or reach out through social media/video calls.  Have informal team calls to catch up with colleagues and managers.

Following these tips could improve your work from home experience and maintain a good work-life balance. Although this is a very difficult situation and might go on for an undetermined amount of time, it is a season of life and it will pass and we will return to feeling healthy, safe, productive, and connected (“Working from home”, 2020).

References

(2020). Working from Home. MindTools. Retrieved from https://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/working-from-home.htm