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Having just been lucky enough to return to work from a 2-week holiday, which wasn’t in the UK is a strange experience after nearly 3 years of staying put. The sheer joy of the flight taking off and thoughts of “It’s really happening this time” consumed everyone on the flight.
What was unfamiliar and took time to get used to, was the not having to cook, clean or switch on my work laptop. Like many, hybrid working is the new normal and despite technically not working at home, the draw of the laptop was always there if I was waiting to receive something important or check the results of my latest campaign.
Whilst away, it made me realise one thing that had changed because of the pandemic is a much better work-life balance. Many lessons learnt, moments of self-reflection taken (we had time during lockdown!) and for many the result is we have adjusted how we work and how we live for the better.
Here are my top seven things to remember when trying to gain a work-life balance:
- Plan your working week
It sounds easy to say, but really think about your working week and what you want to do out of working hours. Schedule in your start and end time, we all know things come up but planning your week should help you identify potential surprises.
2. Make the most of a day in the office
If you know you need to be in the office, try and make the most of it by booking meetings with colleagues you are working with on shared projects, booking your desk and your equipment.
3. Include time for you
We’ve all learnt more than ever about the importance of our own mental, physical and emotional health. Include time in your week for you, to do whatever it is that you want to, to bring you happiness. It might be reading a book, exercising, baking, whatever it is, is up to you.
4. Embrace technology
Organisations have invested in new software to support hybrid working, ensure you are familiar with all the software on offer and take time to see how it can help you in your daily role. From intranets to desk booking and video calling, all are there to support you.
5. Talk to your Line Manager
Be open and transparent with your Line Manager about what your own work/life balance needs are. If you have not spoken with them, how are they supposed to know or be able to help you find a solution?
6. Actively take part in organisation or team activities
You might not be in the office as much, so what were once nice to have company drinks or team days, have now taken on a new level of importance to help you reconnect and maintain your in-person relationships with your colleagues. There are just some things you can’t do over zoom or Teams!
7. Get planning your holidays!
For many, we carry holiday over, never planning an adventure because work comes first. Work isn’t going anywhere. The fear of something happening whilst we are away, is delaying your chance to totally switch off and recharge your batteries and sometimes the best ideas or solutions to a challenging work problem, come when doing something different.
I hope you agree with some or all of these and may have more of your own. If you are looking to gain more of a balance, then take some time to think about how you can begin to do this. If you are an employer looking at ways to support your team, Juggl Desks offers a simple desk booking solution to help remove the anxiety surrounding booking a day in the office.
