The current pandemic is forcing us to relook at how we balance our work and family. With schools closed and many of us engaged in full-time jobs we also are simultaneously home-schooling our children and attending to elders with their needs. There also is a percentage of people who are away from their home, isolated with no family or friends around, bachelors living together, or all by themselves. This is a lot to handle for many.
In such circumstances, a good work-life balance is even more important to maintain. Let us look at a few ways on how we can.
a. Setting a log-in and log-out time: Try to work like you work at your office and this does not necessarily mean 9–5, Monday to Friday. Be kinder to yourself when setting your hours as now along with work you have childcare and other commitments.
b. Set a routine: Although it is really tempting to stay in pyjamas all day long, it is a good morning ritual to start your day with dressing up like you would for work. You could follow a normal workday routine like having coffee at a particular time of the day or review the previous day’s work over breakfast and doing morning check-ins with the team.
c. Parenting routine: Create a schedule for you and your child. For example; mealtime at a specific hour, playtime, school time, homework, etc. The more you standardize your day the easier it would be to keep the children safe and happy. You can find activities to do together on weekends or post-work, like: a movie or Lego night, Cooking or baking together.
d. Remember to exercise and get fresh air: Michelle Obama once said, “We need to do a better job of putting ourselves higher on our own ‘to do’ list”.
It is important to take up some form of exercise depending on your current fitness levels. Step onto the balconies and get some fresh air. If you do not have one available, use the building terrace space for some fresh air and sunlight.
e. Manage Stress levels: Even a 15 minutes meditation ritual can do wonders for your skin, body and mental health. You can also opt for Yoga classes on YouTube which helps one focus on work better and manage stress and anxiety. Get the elders of your home to do this along with you, it not only will help their wellbeing but also will give you some time to spend with them.
e. Surge in use of online gaming platforms:With people at home and practising social distancing, there is a reported increase in mobile game downloads in the last month. Gaming has become a virtual hangout for people. Many forms of gaming, especially the multiple player games, have an increased sense of social presence. According to reports by App Annie, daily time spent on apps via Android devices increased 20% year-over-year in Q1 2020. That does not come as a surprise with all of us locked in our homes and looking for means to stay connected with the outside world. However, make sure that you are doing it at a time stipulated for this or else, it will become an easy distraction from work schedule.
f. Usage of apps like House Party is on the rise:These social networking service apps enable group video chatting through mobile and desktop apps. Along with video experience, these apps also offer in-app games like trivia, watch TV programmes together, etc. A lot of other social media apps have seen increased usage. A report from Facebook at the end of March stated that in the most pandemic affected countries like the USA, Italy & Spain saw a surge of more than 50% in total messaging
Looking at how we are trying in the best way possible to deal with this work-life balance, looking at the ways in which we are stretching ourselves and dealing with this work-life balance, it may be difficult to see the light at the end of the tunnel right now. But once we emerge from this crisis, we can no longer pretend that our families are invisible to our working lives. This moment has forced us to acknowledge that we are not just employees but our whole selves.
How are you dealing with this new age work-life balance? Tweet to us at dextrusofficial.
