Recognizing the shift in where and when people are working.

The old norm for work/life balance was that an individual would leave their house and family behind in the morning, go to the office, work for 8 hours or so and then return home to spend the rest of their evening with family.  But how many of us actually work like that?  Some mornings you’ve checked your work email even before eating breakfast, or made business calls while driving kids to after school activities.  The line that once divided work and life is now blurred.

Several factors are changing the work/life norm and making it difficult to keep “work at work”:

• Businesses are becoming global; therefore people need to be accessible 24/7 to work with colleagues located in various time zones.
• Technology is advancing.  Employees are no longer tethered to their office when there are so many wireless devices and Wifi options.
• Landlines are disappearing.  Mobile devices are becoming the main method of contact and people cannot leave their personal lives at home anymore.

This shift can be seen in varying degrees in most industries.  It isn’t something we can change or control, but we need to be aware of it.  Recognizing how we define office space and how we designate our time, will help us find work/life balance.

Where you work:

The best way you can prevent bringing work home is to have a productive day at the office.  Workers are most productive when they are physically and emotionally comfortable.

Allow a reasonable amount of personalization of your office space.  Family photos and personal mementos are often motivating and make you happy.  But, refrain from going too far.  You don’t want to be known around the office as “You know, that lady with the Beanie Babies…”

Find places in the office that make you feel like you’re working at home.  A change in scenery will give your brain a mini vacation.  Answer emails in the breakroom or take some calls at the picnic bench outside.

Designate “No Work Areas” at home.  Don’t bring work into every room in your house or you won’t ever be able to seek sanctuary!

When you work:

Use a timer.  If you must work at home, keep track of your time.  Being absorbed in your work is not an excuse to miss family time.

Set priorities.  Ask yourself: Is this important?  Is it urgent?  What will getting this task done right now do for my professional and personal relationships?

Check your habits.  When you’re at work, don’t get distracted by social media outlets and your favorite websites (except www.cadtek-design.com of course!).  Participating in fewer time wasters at work will help you concentrate on and finish your work.

Be conscious of and remember to regularly review where and when you’re working to ensure work/life balance.