The nature of work has changed enormously in the past decade. We are moving away from the traditional nine-to-five structure and embracing something much more flexible and fluid. Online communication technology allows employees to work from home, a coffee shop, or even a remote beach in Thailand. People are using their personal devices for work, and working flexible hours to fit in around other life commitments.
All this flexibility can be fantastic for your quality of life. It allows you to prioritize important things like family, travel, and hobbies, without being restricted by your work schedule. If done right, it can be hugely beneficial for your happiness, health, and productivity.
But one significant drawback is that it is harder to draw the line between your professional and personal life. When you work from home, it’s easy to keep working late into the evening or on the weekend. And using your own phone for professional use means you’ll be checking your work emails on a Sunday afternoon.
Downtime is incredibly important for your mental health. When you’ve been working hard all week, your mind needs to take a break. You have to wind down from the stresses and deadlines of work and recharge your brain so it’s bright and fresh again on Monday morning. You should be spending your leisure time playing with your kids, exercising, and having fun – not worrying about finishing your sales report.
If you struggle to maintain these essential boundaries, here are three great ways to improve your work-life balance.
Follow a schedule
One of the great things about flexible work is that you can adjust your hours as you need to. But a little routine in life is important, otherwise, you won’t know where work ends and home begins. Try to create a weekly and daily schedule that will outline when you will start and finish work each day. Once you reach clocking out time, shut your laptop, switch your phone on silent and enjoy some much-needed you-time.
Create a workspace
If you work from home, it can be tempting to work from bed with your laptop on your knees or set up on the sofa in front of the TV. But this makes it a lot harder to get into work mode, and you’ll inevitably take longer to get things done. Get yourself in the right frame of mind by creating your own home office. It doesn’t matter if this is a separate room or a corner of your dining table; you can make it your own. Keep it organized and minimize distractions and you’ll be better equipped for productivity.
Reduce your workload
If you feel you are spinning too many plates at once, don’t be a martyr. There’s no need to suffer if you think you’ve been given more than you can handle. Talk to your boss about how you’re feeling and see if there is anything they can do to reduce your workload or share it with others. If you feel you are being exploited at work or given tasks that are outside of your job description, it might be a good idea to consult with a law firm such as Boulder Legal Group.