Depending on when your organization issued a mandatory stay at home order for non-essential personnel, you may have been working at home during a lockdown or quarantine period.
Quite a number of employees are finding themselves working longer hours than they normally would have been if they were in the office. What is the reason for this recent phenomenon? Well, we can attribute COVID19 as the cause of this.
With absolutely no commute time to and from work, or other responsibilities, such as Dr’s appointments, school functions, etc., it’s easier to tack on additional hours to the workday or feel like you need to be “on” to ensure work gets done prior to you logging off. That’s not healthy at all.
Keep in mind that although you are working from home, the same principles of well-being should apply as if you were in the office. You must take care of yourself and in order to do that, it is necessary to balance yourself, work and family. How do you do that during this difficult time? By giving much attention to each one without having to sacrifice the other.
Ask yourself, is it reasonable that after I have worked 12 hours, I can now give that same energy to my family or take time to decompress? The answer is probably not.
Establishing a Work Life Balance While Working Remotely
Working long hours can be taxing on the mind and on the body. The longer you work, the less energy you have to give to other areas in your life. If you find yourself overwhelmed due to the new normal of working remotely from home.
Here are a few tips to help you focus and maintain well-being:
- Create a schedule and stick to it.
- Put lunch breaks on your calendar and
- Take lunch breaks away from your computer.
- Find ways to decompress such as meditating or exercising.
- Log off for the day and don’t look at any emails until the next day.
- Give yourself at least 15 to 30 minutes to shift your mind away from work, allowing you to be fully present.
- Take advantage of your Paid Time Off (PTO)
- Utilize your Employee Assistance Program (EAP)
Be Mindful of Your Mental Health When Work Conditions Change
Mental health is a critical component of well-being. Working long hours, overworking yourself for an extended period of time and not getting adequate rest can impact the body’s ability to function properly. Not only can your immune system become compromised due to lack of rest but, a lack of rest can cause a host of other issues such as anxiety, irritability, and stress.
These issues can then manifest into weight gain, heart disease and other ailments that can be detrimental to the body. While it is understood that you need your job in order to sustain a living, you won’t be able to work if you are not physically and mentally healthy.
Take care of yourself; utilize your paid time off to re-energize and re-balance your mind and body. So you can be the best version of yourself at work, to your family and of course, for you.
