Most of us have been working from home for a few weeks now due to the changing work-life climate caused by COVID-19. Our technical glitches are worked out and our Zoom meetings are in full steam. However, working from home can cause new challenges, including balancing work and personal life.
TMC has always been a remote group of collaborators. We’d like to share four tips for achieving work-life balance while working at home.
1. Take mental breaks.
If you are homeschooling during this pandemic you are probably starting and stopping your workday all day. Setting a hard-stop time at the end of the day is probably not realistic but giving yourself a mental break is. Blocking time on your calendar for breaks such as taking a walk or scheduling a 10-minute coffee chat with a colleague.
2. Be transparent with your manager and colleagues.
We are all living in a new situation and are learning together. Open communication and discussion about expectations, deadlines, and abilities is more important now than ever.
3. Prioritize and audit your to-do list.
For those of us who are fortunate enough to still be working the workload can feel a little daunting. Prioritization tactics and auditing your to-do list throughout the day helps ensure that you get the most important tasks done first.
4. Physically separate work from your personal life.
If you haven’t already, you should create a designated workspace for yourself. Working from the kitchen table with your kids on your lap probably isn’t cutting it in week four of COVID-19.
Try to find a space where you can not only work effectively, but you can leave your work in the evening to physically distance yourself from your job.
Good luck out there. You can do this!
