After given the task of researching balance in our brains, lives, and professional lives, a problem faced by many of us began to appear. The difficulty of creating a boundary between our work and life has been difficult in the past, however it is even harder to do now that a majority of people are working online due to the coronavirus pandemic. Trying to tell the difference between work and personal lives when everyone spends most of their days online and at home can be misleading. For many of us, the entire spring and autumn have been consumed by the concept of remote learning or working, and it has become irritating, which then leads us naturally to find a source of freedom and relaxation from the day already spent at home. However, that is where the boundary needs to be set in place.
Right after a long day of work on the computer, some of us may go to our couches and watch some Netflix or play some computer games, but is that really relaxing? Think about it, all day you have been staring at a screen and going back and forth between checking your phone, and then focusing on real work again. One suggestion to create a stricter boundary would be to work for a few hours productively, and reward yourself with time to relax and unwind. This could be going for a walk, checking social media, cooking, or any other hobby. This allows our brains to take a step back from focusing on work. No one can work the entire day productively. It is physically and mentally impossible. Everyone needs some breaks here and then to calm down and then return to work once relaxed and focused again.
Another way of creating those boundaries is to create a working space at home that reminds you of work as much as possible. Creating the productive environment at home can stimulate the brain into thinking you are physically at work, and need to focus, even though the commute was a 30 second walk from the other side of your house. Differentiating the rest of your home, usually associated with being a work-free zone, from your workspace will help tremendously. Sometimes even dressing up in normal work attire, and getting ready for the day as normally as possible can create the feeling of being ready for the day. Continuing the previous habits that your body and mind are used to can feel productive and then lead to more efficient work from home. Using routines throughout your day will also help you get used to the newer working environment, and eventually have you working like normal from your home office.
Instead of relaxing by checking your phone and all of the social media updates or watching Netflix, try doing something different. Associating your free time with being productive in a different way can implement healthier habits and differentiate the work time from the free time. Perhaps go for a walk, do some cleaning, reorganize, cook, bake, exercise, start a new hobby, or anything else that interest you. These tasks are usually linked to one’s free time like on the weekend, but if you start implementing them into your normal weekdays, it can create an even bigger boundary between the work and personal life. Obviously be Corona conscious, and try to stay away from public spaces and groups of people, but exploring new habits on your own or with your family can be one simple way to get started.
The pandemic has taken a toll on everyone’s motivation, and it has been a new experience for all of us. But trying to stay positive in the darkness can also create an internal motivation and an optimistic outlook on life, which when applied to work life, can have pleasant outcomes. Try and focus on yourself for a change, especially now when there is a lot of time spent alone. Start some new hobbies, focus on self-improvement, and have the goal of becoming the best possible version of yourself. You’d be surprised at how your motivation can increase when instead of laying around in your bed all day, you do something productive little by little. Start small when it comes to boundaries, there is no need to start with a big step and scare away the future possibility of those boundaries.
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