A recent survey by the Office of National Statistics showed nearly a fifth of businesses intend to use a higher level of homeworking permanently in the future.
It seems clear that working from home is something a lot of us need to accept and adapt to long term.
With all the positives and security it can bring, it can also lead to increased working hours and an inability to ‘switch off’ from work, especially with makeshift workspaces being so prominent in the home.
With this in mind, we share our top tips to ensure you have a better work/life balance.
1. Structure your day
Organisation is key, take some time to set out what you want/need to achieve & prioritise tasks accordingly.
2. Own your time
Try not to get caught up in less productive activities, such as unstructured meetings you don’t need to be a part of which can impact on your time.
3. Outsource time consuming tasks
Make the most of your time and outsource tasks such as admin and paraplanning to specialist companies.
Removing the more time consuming tasks from your schedule will allow you to focus on the jobs you need to complete, and get back to doing the things you enjoy.
4. Make your workspace work for you
This can be difficult, particularly if you only have a small space available, but it is important to have a clearly defined workspace.
There are many space saving ideas on sites such as Pinterest which can be taken advantage of to provide inspiration.
5. Give yourself a break – literally and figuratively
Take the time to step away from your computer, go for a walk or a coffee – with a member of your household or social bubble of course!
Don’t beat yourself up about what you haven’t achieved, we all have bad days. Just don’t allow it to consume you and start again tomorrow.
6. ‘Unplug’
Give yourself a cut off time to work to. Then log off, step away from your emails and enjoy some family time, or time to yourself to unwind, ready to go again tomorrow!
