REMOTE WORKING AS WAY OF PROMOTING WORK LIFE BALANCE

 

REMOTE WORKING AS WAY OF PROMOTING WORK LIFE BALANCE

Remote working can literally be defined as the practice of employees doing their jobs from any other location other than a main office of the employer.

Work life balance should involve both the work and the family because not one party is to lack the attention of the individual.

Let us dive deeper by looking at some of the ways remote working can improve work – life balance

1.     Set a schedule, and try to stick to it.

When you have the flexibility to work from anywhere, it can sometimes feel like you need to be available and online anytime, too. And if you're working on a different schedule than the rest of your team, this flexibility can sometimes lend itself to a lack of work-life balance.

If you're working remotely, try setting a schedule and sticking to it. This will be helpful for your team and for your sense of work-life balance: That way, your team will know exactly when they can and cannot reach you, and you'll be able to plan personal activities during your day outside of work, wake up and go to bed at the same time every day, and work a manageable number of hours.

 

2.     Use communication tools to indicate your online and offline hours

Once you've determined a daily schedule that makes sense for you and your team, use different tools to publicize that schedule so your team members in different locations and time zones are mindful and respectful of that time. In order to help your work-life balance, working from home can include setting your Slack availability so you don't receive notifications before or after a certain time of day, and you can indicate your working hours on Google Calendar so you automatically decline events taking place outside of your daily schedule. And by publicizing your hours, your coworkers will be more mindful of your personal time, and might send you an email or schedule a meeting with you instead of sending you a barrage of Slacks early in the morning or in the middle of the night where you're working.

3.     Get ready for work the same way you do when you're going to the office.

When you work from home, you don't have to rush around in the morning the same way you do when you go to work in the office. But instead of dedicating the time you normally spend commuting to an extra half hour of snoozing your alarm, get ready for the day the way you normally do. Take a shower, make coffee and breakfast, and get dressed. That way, you'll wake yourself up and mentally prepare for being productive and working hard even though you aren't at your usual desk, and you'll be less tempted to take it easy by hanging out on the couch or feeling sleepy halfway through the day.

4.     Eat a proper lunch.

When I first started working from home, I took full advantage of working steps away from my fridge and would spend those days grazing on snacks. And as delicious as this was, it wasn't always great for my productivity or my sense of work-life balance.

In an office, you might feel more compelled to take a proper lunch break in the middle of the day for 30 minutes or an hour, but when you work from home, there are no coworkers or cafeterias to remind you to do so. By setting aside lunchtime for yourself, whether you work from the office or from home, you'll be able to take a proper break from work to nourish yourself and recharge for the rest of the afternoon.

5.     Taking a walk

Getting up and head outside, even if it's just for five minutes. You can stand up, stretch, and get a quick dose of Vitamin D. Walk your dog, take a stroll around the block, or visit your favorite park during your lunch break. No matter which you choose you'll be energized and ready to tackle the rest of your to-do list when you return to your desk.

We hope these tips help you maintain a sense of work-life balance, no matter where you're working remotely. To learn more, read our list of remote work subreddits next.

 

REFERENCE

1.     https://resources.owllabs.com/blog/remote-work-life-balance

2. https://www.flexjobs.com/blog/post/work-life-balance-work-from-home-remotely/

3. International Labor Organization An Employers’ Guide on Working from Home in Response to the Outbreak of COVID-19. [(accessed on 15 June 2021)];2020 Available online: https://www.ilo.org/wcmsp5/groups/public/---ed_dialogue/---act_emp/documents/publication/wcms_745024.pdf