Now Find Your Balance

By Katie Hansen, Account Supervisor 

There used to be a concept of space––a commute to get from school or work back to your home where you knew you could relax. You understood when work ended and when you could have a life after work. It was clear. 

Yeah… that changed overnight, didn’t it? 

Now, our bedrooms and our main offices are the same things. Our kitchens also serve as conference rooms, and our basements are now classrooms. The defining line between work and life is now so smudged, it looks like our keyboards after all of the recent Zoom calls. 

Balancing work and life has always been somewhat of a challenge, but most of us at least had that commute home to indicate “Work is over, now it’s time for my life.” Amid the COVID-19 pandemic, it is more crucial than ever to make an effort to find and maintain that work-life balance. It’s obviously not going to be easy, given that we all have work and class schedules to maintain, are running high on emotions, battling over wifi, debating on whether we should write that paper or watch Netflix in bed, and from someone coming from a family of four, we’re all together… all the time. However, the benefits that arise from maintaining a work-life balance are plentiful and will be extremely helpful during this period of time where so much is unknown.  

Below are three reasons why finding and maintaining a work-life balance during this social distancing period will aid in creating an overall increasingly positive demeanor as well as some tips on how to find that balance during the quarantine. 

Why It Helps:

  1. Managing Stress
    1. Stress is one of the most common difficulties in school, the workplace, and even the current climate. If not addressed properly, it has the ability to lead to physical consequences, such as heart problems, as well as a negative impact on one’s mental health. By creating a balance of work and personal life for oneself, it is understood that there is a reward at the end of the work and once they reach that, they can shift to the “life” part and enjoy themselves. 
  2. Success
    1. By creating this balance, you have the opportunity to give your full attention to both your work and your life. With your focus on work, you are more likely to succeed and put forth better outcomes. Concurrently, knowing when the work should be over, especially when every day feels like the one before, gives your brain and body a chance to relax and process so that you will be rejuvenated when it comes time for work to begin again. If the work never stops, you will most likely burn out more quickly.   
  3. It Allows You To Have Both
    1. As a woman, would I like a career? Absolutely. Would I like a family? Definitely! Now while this may not be for everyone, finding that work-life balance with your organization allows you to have both and allows you to make the best of these situations. By finding that balance, you now have the ability to be a fully-present parent and a successful businesswoman/man, especially now that people are around their families a lot more.  

Tips To Find That Balance During Quarantine: 

  1. Work
    1. Create a flexible schedule
    2. Set manageable goals 
    3. Take a break every once in a while
  2. Life
    1. Unplug devices, or set screen-time limits 
    2. Stay active
    3. Make plans with friends or family if you feel up to it 

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