Our days since the pandemic took hold have been filled with social distancing concerns, mask-wearing, remote working, zooming all hours of the workday, and too many emails and slack messages to keep track of, much less respond to. How are we supposed to balance our WFH with our IRL?
But I’m So Tired
If you are feeling like the longer you work at home the more hours you are putting in at work, you are not alone. Recent research shows that the average workday has lengthened by 48.5 minutes in the weeks following stay-at-home orders and lockdowns, and the number of meetings increased by 13 percent.
Create Boundaries
We’ve talked previously about setting boundaries with email responders or scheduling time on your calendar for focused work, but what about your home life? Setting up time for being away from work - when work hasn’t just followed you home, it’s living in your house(!) - is key. Establish a start and end time with your coworkers and stick to it. Be consistent: only work within those hours and if you find that you need more time, adjust accordingly.
Get "away from the keyboard,” aka AFK
Too tired to come up with ideas for activities that can help you achive a bit more balance in your life? No problem - we asked around and created a list of our own to share:
We’d love to hear from you about your favorite ways to maintain your work / life balance when working from home. Share in the comments or on social media.