While the concept of a work-life balance has been around since the early 1930s, its meaning has evolved over the years. As the world comes to grips with remote work, it appears we're moving away from “hustle culture” and towards establishing a healthy work-life balance in our lives.
But what is work-life balance and why is it so important? To us, having a work-life balance means establishing a healthy division of time (and energy) between work and leisure activities. That balance looks different for everyone. There are a few common steps you can follow to establish a balance that works for you. A healthy work-life balance protects you from chronic stress and burnout and ensures sustainable growth in the workplace.
If your daily routine was previously constructed around listening to your audiobook on your commute, your post-work pilates session, and a dinner with friends, finding a similar balance while working from home (WFH) might be challenging. We've put together these 5 tips on how you can create a healthy work-life balance while WFH during your full-time job or internship.
1. Set boundaries to achieve a healthy work-life balance
The greatest struggle faced by new remote workers around the world is setting boundaries at work. For many, the golden rule for a healthy work-life balance is to leave their work at the office and unplug at home. Create a similar structure while working remotely. We recommend blocking notifications on Slack or other team messaging systems once you've finished your allotted working hours for the day. If you have the Slack app on your cellphone, you might like to delete it while working from home. You will likely be surrounded by all of your technological devices. You do not need to be reminded of work-related tasks while having your breakfast.
While you might feel pressure from your colleagues to be online at all times, you could be responsible for creating those expectations yourself. Try setting boundaries with yourself first, and the rest will likely fall into place.
2. Take advantage of the flexibility of working from home
See your transition to remote work as an opportunity to give yourself more space and time. The benefits of working from home can be summarized in one word: flexibility. While your previous work-life balance might have consisted of finding time for leisure outside of your nine-to-five job, that is no longer the case. Depending on your company’s policy, you could wake up early and get a head start on the day or indulge in a slow morning and work later into the night.
Create a work-life balance that works well for your body and your productivity. Just because some start their day at 6:30 AM, it doesn’t mean you should too.
3. Maintain structure
Nevertheless, don’t allow your newfound freedom to mess with your productivity. Often, having too much flexibility can lead to hours of procrastination – because you can always do it later! The truth is that you still have to complete the same number of tasks. If we were all highly motivated, auto-disciplined machines we could still clock in the same number of hours at different times of the day. For many of us, that is not the reality.
Know yourself before you experiment too much with the flexibility of remote work. Then, settle on an organized chaos that you can realistically sustain. Remember there is no point in creating elaborate schedules if you cannot consistently and successfully follow them.
4. Accept the circumstances (and adapt)
Exercise, fresh air, and recreational activities are the core of a healthy work-life balance. Exercise is not only important for our physical health but can also help release stress after a long day of work. The sooner we adapt to exercising and staying fit in small spaces, the better. It's especially helpful for people who don't live near a park or gym.
YouTube is filled with fun (and free) fitness videos catering to every taste. We encourage you to carve out a time in the day to be active. If you want to avoid jumping in your apartment, this 20 minute full body HIIT Workout, and this 15 minute HIIT session are great alternatives. Reducing stress with morning or evening yoga is another great way to enhance your work-life balance. Finding exercise you enjoy and look forward to can help you break your day up.
5. Be kind to yourself
Finally, accept that you cannot be perfect all the time. Be honest with yourself about your emotional state and your productivity, and accept that getting used to new situations takes time. On some days you won't find the motivation to move beyond your bed and will complete your work from under the covers. If that is what you need to do, then grant yourself those privileges. However, you should ensure that a lack of movement and low motivation don’t become long-term habits.
Living the remote lifestyle
If, over recent years during your studies, you've decided that the remote lifestyle works best for you and your productivity, and you've nailed that work-life balance, then perhaps this is what you want to do full-time. If so, then choosing to do a Virtual Internship might just be the perfect way to maintain that lifestyle whilst boosting your career. But if you want to work remotely whilst exploring and living in a new country, then our Digital Nomad program will be just what you're looking for! These internships will ensure you're getting the work from home lifestyle you thrive in whilst boosting your career opportunities for the future.
