This year’s quarantine has put us all in a unique situation. We have kindergarteners going to school for the first time over a computer screen, doctors practicing medicine online, and most employees, whether they have digitally-focused jobs or not, are all working from home. It’s safe to say that no matter what age or stage of life you are in, your routine has been turned upside down during COVID-19.
Routine is so important to our daily lives, so when it’s abruptly taken away from us, it’s easy to feel shocked and confused. This is especially important when it comes to work-life balance, as doing everything from your home 24/7 can easily throw you for a loop. Especially when your “office” is the same place you eat or sleep, it’s easy for boundaries to become blurred — and this can be terrible for our collective mental health.
Luckily, there are some doable ways you can manage your work-life balance during quarantine, and here’s how.
1. Plan your routine ahead of time
Working from home requires planning, planning, and even more planning. It is all too easy to find yourself stuck in bed without any motivation, and before you know it, half the day has gone by and you haven’t accomplished a thing. The organization is key here, so make a habit out of planning your weekly routine every Sunday before the workweek starts. Take a look at your schedule, see what times you have meetings and/or assignments due, and mark specific times to wake up and go into focus mode. Then meal plan and prep, and get your clothes ready for the week ahead.
2. Get outside
Your physical health is just as important as your mental and emotional health during the quarantine. Developing healthy habits is key to managing a great work-life balance. Not only is it a good idea to take periodic breaks for physical activity, but you can also even include your coworkers and team as well! With help from Wellable, you can complete health and wellness challenges with colleagues. Create a fun sense of competition while keeping everyone’s health in mind — you can also use this as a way to promote team bonding. There are plenty of different “healthy challenges” to choose from with rewards programs, as well as access to promotional materials and apps to get and keep everyone educated and motivated.
3. Disconnect from everything
One of the biggest challenges when it comes to working from home is that you physically cannot leave your workday behind at an office. This leads to us feeling like we have to be connected at all times, which can wreak havoc on our mental health. In order to bypass this, it is important to intentionally disconnect from all your mobile devices. Put your phone, computer, and tablet on airplane mode for at least a half an hour after your workday is done in order to help you decompress and disconnect from the stresses of the workday. Use this time to meditate, read, or watch a TV show. Your brain deserves a break!
4. Treat yourself
After the day is over, don’t forget to pamper yourself with a spa service or a mani-pedi. Heading to a nail salon for a bit of a happy time is an easy way to feel like yourself again. You don’t have to do this often, but a few times a month will mean the world to you when you are stressed and overworked. All you have to do is simply search “nail salon near me” in your local search engine to find nail services closest to where you live.
5. Don’t forget to laugh
Everyone is stressed nowadays, so make it a point to get out and laugh once in a while! Turn on a great podcast, watch a comedy, or invite some friends over for a socially distant picnic. Laughing will release serotonin (the feel-good hormone that will make you feel like you’re on cloud nine) in your brain, making your troubles a thing of the past.
With these five tips in mind, your work-life balance will soon sort itself out and you’ll be feeling better in no time at all.
Le Rêve Salon de Paris location and contact information:
18000 Chatsworth St, Granada Hills, CA 91344 – (818) 923-5005