18 / WORKING REMOTELY
Balancing work and life
Setting boundaries
Working more intensely over busy
periods is fine, but don’t let work
stress take over. When you’re working
remotely, you often feel obliged to do
more, especially if you’re at home.
Set boundaries and share them with
your colleagues. Some examples:
Working remotely brings many benefits for work-life balance. But it
can also erode boundaries between your job and your personal time,
compelling you to put in more hours and be on call around the clock.
Be firm with yourself and others about maintaining a healthy equilibrium.
FIND YOUR POWER HOUR
Figure out when you’re at your
best during the workday and
schedule your trickier tasks
for that period. You will find
you move through your to-do
list much more eciently,
making it more likely you
wrap up on time at the end
of each day.
Tip
•
Don’t check work messages
after hours.
•
Respect your own and others’
flexible working arrangements.
•
Take time o when you need it and
encourage others to do the same.
•
Put away your work things at
the end of the day.
•
Move away from your work area
when you make personal calls or
catch up with a family member.
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BALANCING WORK AND LIFE / 19
CHECKLIST...
YES NO
Achieving balance in your life
1 Do I often have time for my hobbies outside of work? ..................
2 Do I have a regular exercise routine? .............................................
3 Do I usually get a good night’s sleep? .............................................
4 Do I have enough energy to get me through the day? ...................
5 Do I express my feelings? ................................................................
6 Do I have a clear sense of purpose in both
my personal and work life? ..............................................................
7 Do I make a real contribution at work? ...........................................
8 Do I know who I am and am I happy with that? ..............................
9 Do I have the chance to relax properly after work? ......................
Case study
MAKING BALANCE
A PRIORITY
In 2020, Nationwide Building Society
brought in a series of new measures
to help its remote sta find a
healthy work-life balance. The
society encouraged employees to
use their calendars to recreate
some of the structure they had lost
after switching from oce life to
working from home. It suggested
blocking out virtual commuting
time, organizing daily team
calls for social catch-ups, and
instituted a no-meetings rule
during the lunch hour. It also
encouraged employees to be
more proactive about looking after
themselves by providing free
company-wide access to Unmind,
a mental health platform full of
practical information designed to
help people monitor and improve
their well-being.
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