6 ways to prevent work-life burnout today

"You aren't perfect. All you can be is your best. Be your best at work. Be your best at home. Even if you can't spend the time you want in an aspect of your life, be the best at it when you are in it." Dr Bill Gentry 

It has been quite a year. Hasn't it?

Nearly halfway to the end of the year, and it feels as though washing our hands and staying home will last forever.

While home working seems to be the new normal, adjusting to the duo can prove challenging.

Even if you are a seasoned pro at working remotely, hectic work and family commitment can get tricky.

Especially amid the coronavirus headline stressors and social isolation, finding work-life balance doesn't come easy for everyone.

Work-life balance is a never-ending topic of discussion with no solid definition.

In the hustle and bustle of busy work schedules and chores of daily life, we forget to weigh in three critical components; time, involvement, and satisfaction.

What this means is equal time, psychological involvement, and levels of satisfaction in both work and family roles.

Why are we thought to strive for work-life balance in the first place?

Whether it is juggling career advancement, children, pets, or that slightly odd thing that requires a lot of your attention, work always seems to be antagonistic to, rather than synergistic with, maintaining a personal life.

However, real balance does not sink in until a moment arrives in life when you experience burnout.

And this can manifest itself in atypical unhealthy behaviour towards work and family.

Anyone would argue that attaining equal work-life balance is blatantly implausible.

Yet, Research has found mental and physical health risks linked to work-family conflict. Higher-level stress, emotional exhaustion, fatigue, less life satisfaction, excessive drinking; increased anxiety, depression and reduced appetite were listed effects.   

Despite the flexibility and comfort working from home affords, the pressure to keep up with daily tasks and hassles could lead to a productivity pitfall.

"Working from home with your children is a productivity disaster. My 4-year old regularly bursts into the room hoping to find me in a playful mood shouting "doodoo!" -her nickname for me - in the middle of conference calls." says Nicholas Bloom, a senior fellow at the Stanford Institute for Economic Policy Research (SIEPR) in an interview at Stanford news. "Many people I have been interviewing are now working in their bedrooms or shared common rooms, with noise from their partners, family or roommates,"

Bloom's study found that face-to-face meetings are vital for evolving new ideas and keeping staff motivated and focused.

He urged the need for regular check-ins between managers and their teams; maintaining schedules that strive to separate work life from family life and collaborating with colleagues on video calls rather than phone calls.

For many, planning work deadlines around family comes in the way of getting anything done.

Some parents feel the guilt of prioritising work over family time and in some cases, the reserve. More often than not, meeting family demands tops the chart on the to-do list.

It is rather challenging to be present or do either very well.

"Working from home takes twice the amount of energy for me, and it's half as productive," Stacy Brix, family nurse practitioner and mother of three. "Regardless, I am thankful that I have the capability to work from home and that I don't have to choose between my job and child care."

How would we know that we achieved a balance?

We can all agree that productivity is not an end unto itself.

We want to produce tangible results in less time. So, we have time left over to enjoy life and relationships - giving us the space to maintain a happy and balanced life. This is quite achievable!

Here are six steps you can take to keep that dream in check:

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1. Prioritise the night before:

The best way to ensure a high efficiency is to go through a list of tasks a night before or early in the morning.

Starting a day on a clear mind, focused on a setlist of priorities helps get the job done.

Another essential principle is to start the day with the most challenging task so that the day gets more relaxed when your energy level and focus gradually goes down.

A prioritised task list helps you decide the most critical missions, even when everything on your list feels crucial.

Having a reasonably accurate time estimation of each task enables you to make a realistic plan.

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2. Have a good night sleep:

Do not underestimate the power of sleep.

A good sleeping cycle is crucial to physical and mental health optimising performance.

The "8-hour rule" is an excellent place to start. It merely means 8 hours of sleep, 8 hours of work and 8 hours of leisure.

Quality sleep generally improves your emotional wellbeing, aids attention and concentration.

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3. Do not multitask:

Heavy multitasking doesn't do much for your productivity and performance. Doing many different things at a time can impair cognitive ability.

Multitaskers are prone to mental blocks, finding it difficult to tune out distractions. 

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4. Ask for help:

A support network of friends, family and colleagues can help out when you need it the most.

Whether it's a challenging work project, motivation isolation or stress of parenting, reaching out to others will help lighten your load. A simple text or call will do.

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5. Exercise:

Exercise improves the quality of life in general. It releases endorphins into the body giving you a mood boost.

It amplifies the quality of sleep, reduces stress, combat fatigue which in turn improves performance and work efficiency.

Studies have shown that sitting for a more extended period increases the risk of diabetes, heart disease and even death.

Yoga, low-intensity aerobics, walking and strength training exercises are among the best activities for productivity.

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6. Be prepared for uncertainty:

Learning to cope with change is crucial to our state of wellbeing. It is essential to know that no matter how helpless or hopeless you feel right now, there are better ways to move past it. Focus on the things you can control; worrying doesn't make anyone better.

Stay hopeful and face the unknown with confidence.