In the best of times, Americans struggle to live balanced
lives as our society encourages us to experience and to know more. There never
seem to be enough hours in the day to accomplish everything we want and many of
us struggle with burnout because of that. The Covid-19 pandemic has changed
basically everything about our lives, and more people than ever are working
from home. That presents a unique set of challenges in the best of times. If
you need help balancing your life, check out these 7 tips.
1. Designate a Workspace
Whether you work from home or you have hobbies that
require space, it is important to designate a workspace that contains all the
materials you need. You don’t need a separate room, but it is a good idea to
have a clean, well-lighted space that is free from the clutter of your daily
life. If you are working from home, this will give you a sense of distance
between your work and personal lives, and it will signal to others around you
that you are working.
2. Keep a Schedule
Working from home can easily turn into working 24/7 and
completely swallow your personal life, so it is important to create a work
routine and then follow it. Though your job might allow you to have flexible
hours, it is easy to lose whole days of work to be flexible for yourself and
others, which will cause you more stress in the long run. In addition to
prioritizing work during your designated work time, it also means shutting off
work when work is done for the day or for the week and actually taking off the time you are due, including when you are sick.
3. Get Ready for Work
Though it might seem like one of the perks of working
from home is to stay in your pajamas all day, some of the most successful remote
workers dress for work when they are working and dress for leisure when they
are not. That does not mean that you have to put on a suit to sit at your
computer, but it can help you feel more productive if you follow a pre-work routine such as showering, eating breakfast, and dressing in something more
formal than loungewear.
4. Pay Attention to your Health
Working from home can
easily morph into a sedentary life for people in most professions. Though it
seems everyone is telling us to prioritize self-care, what does that mean? Of
course, it can mean exercising, meditating, going to a spa, or taking time for entertainment,
but it should also include taking time to schedule yearly physicals, dental
checkups, and eye-exams. Sitting in a chair all day in front of a computer can
lead to a variety of issues that your doctor can help you cure or prevent.
5. Make Time to Connect with People
Even before the pandemic, some people who worked from
home reported feeling isolated. Find a community of people, whether they work
in the same office or same field as you or simply have common interests. Make
time to connect with other people regularly so that your emotions are not
negatively impacted by working at home.
6. Set Goals
Set specific goals, whether they are for work
accomplishments, personal achievements, or spending time with your children.
Rather than telling yourself that you want to learn more about your field,
identify a topic and a means to gain that knowledge. Instead of saying you want
to spend more time with your family, designate a specific time each week to set
aside time for each of your children and your spouse or partner. If we set more
specific goals, we are more likely to follow through with them because it’s
easy to determine whether or not we are meeting them.
7. Prioritize Activities that are Important
Prioritizing activities that are important to you is
beneficial whether you work from home or not. Most people want to say yes to
every fun opportunity that comes along, but even though participation will be
fun, that does not mean it’s always the best choice for how we spend our time. When
we learn how to trim away the excess activity from our lives and focus on meaningful activities and achieving proper rest, we are following the path to a
more balanced life.
Remember that no matter which approaches to balance you take, you will benefit from a balanced diet full of superfoods that will help you mitigate stress on your organs and help you feel better. Superberries Aronia berries are full of vitamins and minerals we need to be healthy and stress-free for a long time. Incorporate them into your meals, desserts, or beverages to give your immune system the boost it needs to help you live a healthy, balanced life.