With working from home becoming the norm nowadays the corporate culture all across the world is undergoing a huge transformation. While the general feeling among people is that there is now a major saving on travel time which is being put to better use by completing office work earlier and thereby spending more quality time with family, there are still some teething issues due to which it has not been easy to capitalise on this time saving.
The common issues being faced are again in relation to time management. Since people have started working from home they find themselves working longer hours and unable to clearly define the boundary between work and personal life, due to which the two have become inseparable. There are numerous reasons for working longer hours like:
- With the whole family working or studying from home, varying timings make the working day seem interminable.
- For those unused to working with new technology, figuring out technical aspects consumes a lot of time
- Managing toddlers and pre-schoolers creates a lot of interruptions during work time thereby reducing productivity.
- Since everyone in the organisation is working from home, the boundaries are blurred and work related calls/emails continue well past the office working hours.
Due to these and various other reasons the work day tends to extend way beyond the official office hours, thereby negating the time saved on travel. The work day consumes so much of people’s time that family time, exercise, hobbies, relaxation etc all take a backseat. However in order to live a fulfilling lifestyle it is essential to take charge of and maintain a fine balance between all these areas of life which together constitute a person’s lifestyle. Here we take a look at four of the major classifications of these areas namely work, self-care, family time and community connections.
Work
The key to having a well balanced life starts with ensuring work doesn’t consume the better part of the day. When working from home it becomes difficult to disconnect from work, which many a time continues even late into the night. While this may initially allow for more work to be completed, in the long run it turns counterproductive, with lack of adequate sleep affecting every aspect of life including work productivity.
So it is recommended that a specific timeline be set to completely switch off from office work. It could be the usual office time or earlier (since the time saved on commuting has been utilised). Once the time has been decided, it is essential to adhere to it strictly and not give into the temptation to continue working.
Self-Care
‘Self-care is giving the world the best of you, instead of what’s left of you’ – Katie Reed
As the quote mentions it is important to focus on oneself and this is the reason self-care finds mention even before the time dedicated to family and the world at large. For it is through the process of reinvesting in oneself through a self-care process encompassing sleep, exercise, eating habits, hobbies and other aspects that a person can give the very best of themselves to their loved ones. Looking at these aspects of self-care:
- Sleep and Exercise – As seen above the lack of adequate sleep affects every area of life and getting it is what will make all the difference on the time and energy a person is able to spend on each of these important areas of their life. In relation to health, setting aside a dedicated time for any form of exercise (walking, yoga etc) will definitely help in maintaining fitness and health.
- Eating Right – The fact that people are eating more home cooked food nowadays is definitely a major step in the direction of adopting a healthier and nutrient-rich diet plan. Eating healthy and more importantly eating on time, in combination with exercise helps keep energy levels high.
- Hobbies and Relaxation – Skills like gardening, painting, baking etc which have long been a part of a wish list, the wistful look at the well played guitar packed away and relegated to a corner? Well, this is definitely the perfect time to get back to those loved hobbies and also learn new skills from the wish list. Also just relaxing, either by listening to one’s favourite music, by reading a book, by being in the midst of nature or even meditating is highly recommended.
Family Time
As equal stakeholders in the family unit, it is recommended that the entire family sit together and figure out a way to maximise family time taking into consideration each member’s work or study schedules. Family time can then be totally dedicated to being with loved ones uninterrupted by work based calls or messages.
Community Connections
With apps like Google Talk, WeChat, Skype, Franz etc catching up with extended family or friends has never been easier or more fun. Now with baby showers, birthdays etc being celebrated with loved ones via these apps, even those situated halfway across the globe get to be a part of any family/friends’ group celebrations. Also when it comes to social causes close to one’s heart there is no time like now to get involved.
In this way by going ahead and taking charge of all these areas of life it will definitely be possible to achieve the desired lifestyle change.
