6 Tips for Maintaining Work-Life Balance in the Age of a Pandemic

It’s already been more than a year and we are still living with the presence of COVID-19. The coronavirus has indeed caused a paradigm shift that has forced many of us to change the way we live and work. From “how will I ever be able to work from home” to “I never want to go back to the office again,” many are left having to deal with thoughts that they never had to face before the pandemic began.

If you are still working from home, you may have mixed feelings with regard to your set up. On one hand, it’s great to be able to wake up two minutes before a meeting or be with your kids longer and more often. On the other, it can be hard to delineate when the workday ends and when family or personal time should begin.

If you’re dealing with similar challenges, you’ve come to the right place online. In this short guide, we’ll discuss 6 tips to help you maintain some sense of balance with both your work and your personal life as you navigate the new normal.

Set Aside Clothes That Are Specific for Working

As tempting as it may be to spend the whole day in your pajamas, what you wear does play a factor in your productivity and mood. If you spend the day without having taken a shower and dressed in the same pair of ratty sweats, it’s not exactly the most appropriate outfit to inspire confidence. Check out our collection of leisurewear for comfortable essentials that you can easily move around in without looking like you just rolled out of bed. For example, instead of pajama bottoms, you can try out a pair of Green Threads Women’s Recycled Leggings for a work-from-home outfit that soothes your conscience from both a fashion and environmental perspective. They’re soft to the touch and made from recycled materials, so you can feel good in and about what you have on for the day.

Make Time Each Day for Movement

It can be tempting to just be glued to the screen and never leave your desk or couch. Before you know it, hours have passed, and you’ve still taken less than a thousand steps that day. Carve out some time each day for exercise to pump some oxygen throughout your body. Whether it’s a quick run, an hour of yoga, or a nice walk around your neighborhood, your body will thank you for the chance to move. At No nonsense, we have leggings designed just for this purpose. Make sure to take a look at our sports leggings, which come in different colors and cuts, perfect for many different applications and physical activities.

Assign Places in Your Home That Are Strictly Either for Work or for Relaxation

With no officemates around or boss breathing down your neck, it can be tempting to just spend the day scrolling through social media or watching videos on YouTube. A key factor in maintaining harmony between your personal and professional time is to mark areas in your home for specific activities. For example, you can adopt a strictly no-working-from-bed rule, so you are not tempted to just stretch out and take a nap when you need to finish a report instead. Having clear-cut rules will be very important in ensuring you are able to get through all the tasks you have to accomplish.

Go Easy on the Snacking by Planning Your Meals

With your fridge easily accessible when you’re working from home, it can be tempting to get up for a snack every hour or whenever you feel like just taking a break. If left unmonitored though, your snacking could lead to the formation of bad dietary habits. Be strict with your diet and work schedule by planning your breaks and deciding what you’ll be eating ahead of time. Aside from using this as a tool to make sure you do not slack off, it is also a good measure to control what goes in your body, so you can avoid just binging on junk food.

Have Hard Stops at the End of Each Day

If you are working from home during the COVID-19 pandemic, you’ll often find that at the end of the day, you don’t really have anywhere else to go, so it can be tempting to just continue working very late into the night. While you may be able to get more work done, this isn’t exactly the best thing you can do for your mind and body. Speak to your manager and colleagues on what schedule works best for the team, so no one is logging on extra hours that might pressure everyone else to follow suit. Remember that in order to give your best, you also must be well rested, and that frankly won’t happen if you’re working overtime every night.

Discover a New Hobby to Release Some Stress

If you can work remotely, you don’t have to deal with the daily traffic of your usual commute. Use the extra time you have in your day to pursue a passion or try out a new skill. Whether it’s a new sport, an art class or a culinary experience, it can be a great outlet to let your creativity shine through or just to unwind from a long day.

The pandemic may have thrown us a curveball that no one was expecting, but that doesn’t mean that you can’t adapt to this health crisis even while still taking it very seriously. With the right tools and attitude, you can successfully take control of both your work and your personal life despite the pandemic still causing of challenges.