One of the largest shifts we saw following the pandemic was the switch to remote work and schooling. For many industries and roles, work quickly became virtual, meaning that our homes became our offices.

Our bedrooms, living rooms, kitchens, dining rooms, and basements, became our workspaces. This introduced a host of challenges for many of us and our families. One of the largest consequences has been a struggle for many of us to maintain a healthy work-life balance.

When we work from home it becomes harder to separate those two worlds. Suddenly you’re taking business calls at the dog park, you’re answering emails at the dinner table, or you have trouble putting away your laptop to take some quality time with the kids. It can feel like the classic nine-to-five no longer exists in the world of virtual work. For some of us who struggle to stay motivated, this means our work suffers the consequences, while others might tend to get wrapped up in work and forget to take personal time. Neither of these scenarios are healthy.

Signs you may be struggling with healthy work-life balance

There are many signs that you may be struggling to regulate your work-life balance, do you notice any of these in your day-to-day life?

• Lack of boundaries

• Being constantly reachable

• Fatigue/exhaustion

• Irritability

• Burnout

• Lack of focus

• Procrastination

• Struggling to meet deadlines

• Lack of social life

• Increased mistakes in your work

• Tasks taking longer than usual

If you’re experiencing more than one of these symptoms, that may be a sign that you’re lacking healthy work-life balance.

What can help?

If you’re struggling to maintain your work-life balance there are plenty of steps you can take to remedy this. Some are as simple as taking frequent breaks throughout the day. Try setting a timer every 30 minutes to get up and stretch your legs, use the bathroom, or grab some water. When we feel overworked it can feel exhausting to reach out for support from friends or loved ones, and the reverse is true, if we feel like we’ve been slacking in our work it’s difficult to reach out to coworkers for help.

Be mindful of how much time you’re spending in front of the computer. Maybe every so often you start meeting your coworker for coffee to touch base instead of your weekly video call. Try, in general, to socialize with the people you work with just as you would in the office, send someone a quick message saying a quick “hey there, how are you?”. Goal-setting can be extremely helpful here, setting a goal for how many colleagues you’re going to reach out to, or how many friends you’ll call in a given day or week. After a tough couple of years, connection is more important than ever.

When talking to our counsellors, the overarching answer to this question of work-life balance is boundaries. Create boundaries for yourself around work, your social life, and how they interact with each other. During work hours, silence your personal notifications and vice versa. Routine can also help with this, try going for a walk every day right before you plan on starting work and right after you’re finished for the day, this can help trick your brain into understanding when you’re entering or exiting work mode.

It’s often ignoring the boundaries that can get us into trouble. That’s when our work and personal life start to blur together. This is an issue our counsellors have seen a lot more of since the pandemic. If you’re struggling to maintain your work-life balance and need help understanding and establishing your boundaries, our team is here to help.

Information for this blog post was provided by registered social workers, Ledja Pengu and Amy Ramler. Learn more about our counsellors.