NikithaWith Jan 2022 around the corner and RTOs being planned, I am surely going to miss working from home. While there has been no divide between work and life, the work from home has given me the flexibility to focus on important areas in my life. Here are a few tricks which worked for me. While I am guilty of multi-tasking a few times, I don’t advise that as an option.
If you are in IC(Individual Contributor) role,
1.Time your work
No, I am not asking you to go for pomodoro technique or take a break every 50 minutes. Whatever is the amount of time you sit for work, time the start and end of it. By doing this, you won’t check messages or surf the net in between. Also, it will help you make sure that you are neither over working or under working. You can make sure that you are clocking in 6-9 hours of work everyday. Whatever doesn’t get done in those focused hours, can go into the next day.
2.Make your breaks productive
I take breaks for my breakfast juices, vegetable cutting, cooking and cleaning. This not only helps in getting the house work done on time but also helps me get the physical exercise in between the long sitting hours.
3.Plan healthy food
While some of you might cringe when I talk about the high calorie fruits, they are much better than the junk food you eat to fill your stomach. One of my friends once opened her refrigerator and showed me all the ready to eat food they have for the days they don’t have time to cook. I was scared at the amount of damage she was doing to her health.
If you don’t have time to make breakfast, here are a few dishes which can be done in less than 10 minutes. Paniyaram/Paddu/Ponganalu is a quick option to be made out of dosa batter. You don’t need a separate chutney if you add ginger garlic chili paste to it before frying. Frying rice flakes in some olive oil and onions is another easy option. If you are a vegetarian and worried about protein, make oats + ragi +chia seeds porridge with water. If you want to go completely healthy, make a banana spinach mash. I am sure you can spare 10 minutes for any of these.
Boiled potato/Carrot is an easy option for lunch. You can come up with your own versions of make it in 10 minute healthy dishes to take care of your health. Apples, seasonal fruits, dates are easy to eat healthy snacks.
If you are in a managerial role cramped with meetings,
1.Schedule more silent meetings
Not every time everyone’s voice needs to be heard. Prepare a thorough document which is a proper proof and give people an option to comment. It saves everyone’s time and you don’t have to skip your lunch or eat at odd times because of the incessant meetings on your calendar.
2.Go for a walk
For the meetings where you don’t have to talk and be a silent listener, go for a walk. This helps you get some exercise while you don’t have to take time out from work.
3.Schedule DND on your calendar
If you want to build a routine to spend some time with family, make sure that people don’t schedule meetings beyond working hours. Put a DND on your calendar and don’t attend the meetings where people still go ahead and schedule to help set boundaries. At the end of the day, they are not paying you extra for it.
What are your tips for work life balance? Do let me know in the comments section!
Happy work life balance!