Article by Olga Andrienko, VP of Brand Marketing at Semrush
Will everybody be offered a third jab? Will vaccine passports be introduced across hospitality and events? Might there even be another lockdown?
Whilst we don’t yet know the answer to these questions, we know for certain that a certain amount of working from home is set to continue for some time. What was once considered the ‘new normal’ is now rapidly becoming ‘the old’ normal, and it’s important that we continue to understand the best ways to prioritise self-care as the lines between work and home life stay blurred.
Here are five things I recommend when balancing home life and work priorities:
It’s almost too easy to lose the rhythm with your colleagues when you’re all working from home. That shared office space where you once stuck to the same beat is waning in the collective memory the longer we work remotely, and it’s difficult to emulate this in a virtual environment. Being honest with your colleagues about how your work is going, or how your mood is, is crucial to keeping the team in sync. My team knows to share openly with me and that they’ll get the same in return, making it easier for us to empathise with respective circumstances.
‘Treat others how you want to be treated’; what you were no doubt told as a child still applies today. If you hadn’t already learnt this before the pandemic, then you’re sure to realise now that nothing productive can happen as a result of negativity in the workplace. Of course, tensions rise when the pressure is on, and if you do make mistakes in the way you treat others, then there will always be something you can learn from it. Instead of dwelling on it, I find it best to accept my wrongdoings, learn from mistakes, and move on.
Perhaps hardest of all is looking after your physical health when you spend most of the day at your desk. It might seem impossible for you to do anything more than your job, but steps as small as drinking enough water and eating your 5-a-day will benefit your physical health. I find that my physical health and mental health work hand-in-hand, so it’s important not to forget about this step.
We’re all guilty of taking on too much, whether that be in our professional or personal lives. Learn what makes you feel happy and comfortable, then start saying no to the things that don’t. If it’s not adding to my happiness or I don’t have the capacity to take it on, I say no.
Remember to give yourself time to relax, whether that’s through a coffee break or even just listening to some music. We’re constantly sat at our desks in front of a laptop or computer, so it’s important to have frequent and regular screen breaks – I find this chill time re-energising before approaching my next task or meeting.
As we continue to navigate through these remote working waters, I constantly remind myself why it’s important to follow these steps and embed them in daily life. In prioritising these approaches to self-care, I’m able to be the best version of myself both in and out of work.
