How to maintain a good work-life balance
As more people are working from home, including a part of the Enteractive team, many companies saw an increase in productivity and are shifting their work activities slowly remote working. However, maintaining a good work-life balance can be a challenge for many remote workers. Here are 5 ways to stay balanced when working from home.
#1 Have a dedicated space for your work activities
Our remote working team mentioned this as the number one priority for working from home. Even though a lot of people might not have the luxury of a home office, it’s still important to make sure you’re set up in a setting which triggers your productivity. We know, it can be very tempting to make your couch your working space. However, this is probably not the best way to get your work done, nor is it good for the posture of your body with body pains as a result. Nevertheless, there’s no need for a desk with a luxurious office chair. A kitchen table with a chair at the right height will suffice to maintain a good posture during your working day.
#2 Take regular breaks
Logging off from work might be harder once you work from home. A good way to avoid overworking is to keep the same amount of breaks as you would do in the office. Our employees working from home still stick to the same schedule, just like a regular day in the office. This will help you to maintain a routine and to stay focussed throughout the day.
Taking time during your breaks to get up and move is very important, since your body can get stiff from sitting for many hours. Going for a walk outside whenever you can is always a good idea to refresh your mind, but when you’re having a smaller break doing some chores around the house can be a good way to move your body and clean up the space that you’re working in. This will definitely clear your mind as well. Eating healthy snacks in between, having a cup of coffee, or simply just cuddling with your pet are great things to do when you need to recharge yourself.
#3 Stay in touch with your colleagues
Communication with your colleagues is very important, especially when you’re working from home. This will not only prevent uncertainties regarding your tasks, but also helps you to set boundaries like taking regular breaks and logging off from work when you’re supposed to. But how do you do this when you don’t see your colleagues face to face? Within our organisation, we use Slack as our main communication channel. This is the place where we update each other on what is happening. It’s a fast and easy way to communicate, and it will enable you to discuss any work-related matters, but it’s also your social time with your co-workers. On top of that, regular Zoom meetings can give you a feeling of involvement and is good to include from time to time.
#4 Have some music in the background
This will help you minimise any distractions from outside. When you’re also based in Malta, just like our team, you probably know how much construction and traffic noise you can get during the day. Music can help you to block out this noise and focus better on your work. Obviously, music doesn’t work for everyone and can be even more distracting for some people. In that case you can find loads of videos on Youtube which contain hours of office noises or library sounds to make you feel like you’re in another place, rather than in your own home. Try out what works best for you.
#5 Eat healthy
Keeping a healthy diet is essential for staying focussed. A lunch full of nutrients will avoid the midday slump and will keep you energised to tackle the rest of your day. The Enteractive chefs are certainly missed by the people working from home, as they always provide a healthy lunch for our staff every day. Nonetheless, preparing a healthy lunch doesn’t need to take up a lot of your time. Many fast and easy recipes can be found on the internet or you could prepare your meal the day before!
When asking our team if working from home increased their productivity, opinions varied. This indicates once again that things work differently for everyone, although, on the whole, many find working from home can be both productive and rewarding. Maintaining a healthy routine, minimising distractions and setting up a comfortable work area at your home will definitely set you up for success.
Have you seen our office? Take a look at where we normally work together: A place to call home.
