Unless you are working in a profession that is deemed to be ‘essential’, then the likelihood is that you are working from home. For some people, working from home is the norm, but for the majority, it is an alien concept that is usually only reserved for one-off days or short periods of time, and so months of remote working can present some challenges.
Maintaining a healthy work-life balance is crucial at the best of times, but managing that balance whilst working from a place usually separated from work can be very difficult. In this article, Nu Vending are going to provide some helpful tips on how to look after your work-life balance when working from home.
Boundaries
When you’re working at the office, the day is separated into clear sections; clock in, lunch, clock out. When working from home, though, it can be easy to work through lunch and past the usual clock-out time as we’re already at home. Even though this might lead to you getting more work done, it’s important that you don’t fall into this pattern – set yourself clear lunch times and finishing times.
If you’re supposed to finish at 5pm and you’re still working away at 6pm, something has gone wrong. You should stop working at the same time every day – only work your contracted hours and don’t feel that you should work for longer because you’re not commuting. Your home is a place of leisure and relaxation, not deadlines and databases.
Dress Code
For many, one of the benefits of working from home is that you don’t need to wear smart clothing every day; you can work in comfy clothes. However, working in your joggers and a hoody might be comfortable, but it doesn’t help separate your work time from your free time. While you shouldn’t wear a suit when working from your spare room, it can help to dress in clothes that you might wear to the office – this means that you can change into joggers when you clock off, providing important separation between work and leisure.
Put simply; if you wear the clothes you’d usually wear for a lazy day on the sofa when you’re working at home, those clothes can soon lose their ‘luxury’ association.
Online & Offline Hours
As mentioned earlier in the article, it can be easy to work through lunch or past your usual finishing time simply because you’re already at home. It’s important, though, to not let this become the norm. Use browser attachments or status updates in messaging software to inform your colleagues of your working hours – this will prevent you being invited to meetings or asked to do something when you should be enjoying your own time.
Get Outside
Whether it’s a pre-work walk, a lunchtime jog or simply spending time in the garden after work if you have one, getting fresh air is crucial to our moods and our mental health as one of the multiple working-from-home factors affecting your well-being is air quality.
Spending all day at home is a departure from the norm for so many people, and even though we need to exercise caution at the moment, walking outside either by yourself or with members of your household can be very beneficial. Fresh air improves our mood, reduces stress, rejuvenates us and it’s just generally nice (as long as it isn’t raining!)
Eat Well
As tempting as it is to nip to the kitchen and get a snack from the fridge or the cupboard, this can be detrimental to the work-life balance, as well as our health. Try to stick to the same meal patterns as you would if you were at work – breakfast, a mid-morning snack, lunch, and then dinner when you’ve finished working.
Take Breaks
Regular breaks are important to avoid becoming overloaded. When you complete a task, take a break from your home office and sit on the sofa for five minutes, or nip outside for a breath of fresh air. Continuous working with no breaks until lunch is not healthy, and with more options for recreation around you at home, it’s important that you take advantage of them to ensure you minimise stress and maximise your mood.
These are just a few helpful tips for maintaining a healthy work-life balance when working remotely. Whatever your situation is, it’s important that you look after yourself and your state of mind during these deeply unusual circumstances.
Nutrition is a key part of staying happy and healthy at work, whether we’re working remotely or on-site. At Nu Vending, we’re proud to provide a range of state-of-the-art vending machines to provide staff and visitors with the fuel they need to enjoy the day. From coffee machines to healthy snack vendors and even mini-marts, we’ve got the solution for all your vending needs. For advice on healthy eating whilst working from home or more information on our products and services, including how we’re keeping ourselves and our customers safe during the COVID-19 pandemic, simply contact us today and we’ll be happy to help.
