Achieving a Balanced Work-Life Balance

Achieving a BalancedAchieving a Balanced Work-Life BalanceWork-Life Balance

Today, more than ever before, employees are working from home. The reasons vary, with the most important being for employees to remain safe and unaffected by the coronavirus. This new version of the office is the way things are going to look for a while. What does that mean for all the employees who are fortunate enough to work remotely?

There are several benefits to working remotely—a great commute, flexibility, increased productivity and more time with the family. However, working from home can also make it more difficult to step back from the work day, which can upset your work-life balance, not to mention your emotional and mental health.

How can you maintain an acceptable work-life balance when your office is a room in the house?

1.Set a schedule To make the most of your workday and be the most productive, it is very important to set a daily schedule for yourself. Working from home is more comfortable and a bit more relaxed compared to the office. Instilling a set schedule and structure to your day will help keep you focused and remove When everyone is working from home, you get cut off from a lot of casual conversations and

distractions. Set your work hours and log off at the end of your scheduled workday.

2. Treat your home like your office Instead of rolling out of bed and settling into your office chair right away, treat your home office like your regular office. Wake up, shower, eat breakfast, maybe even do some yoga, before you sit down in front of your computer. Take the time you need to get ready for the day, like you would if you were working at the office.

3. Set boundaries Have separate areas for work and play. Define your work time and work space and have your family define theirs. Keeping work and home separate, even though they are at the same place, will help resemble professionalism and balance between work and play.

4. Take breaks Make sure you allow for time to stretch, rest your eyes and move around. Don’t get caught up or overwhelmed with work day activities. mind and spirit and will help you maintain productivity in the long run. 5. Enjoy your lunch When working from home it is easy to glance over the lunchtime meal. Don’t. Take the time for a real lunch break and eat a decent meal. Step back, unplug and re-energize your body and mind with some food.

6. Create a virtual watercooler Take a moment to step back and breath. Breaks serve to refresh your

daily interactions. Schedule ten minutes a day to catch up and chat with coworkers through Zoom, Microsoft Teams or any other real-time communication tool. Use the time to talk and catch up with one another. The social interaction can help you decompress and continue to build relationships.

7. Put your work away at the end of the day Shut down your computer, clean up your office space and leave your work behind. This helps you make the transition from work mode to home mode. Mentally clocking out helps simulate the act of leaving the office at the end of the day.

Ultimately, your definition of work-life balance is completely up to you. If you begin each day with the proper mindset and a set of rules that work for you, working from home can be a successful venture. Everyone is different. Find what works best for you, then embrace it. HEADACHE

Let’s Stay Socially Distant ... Together

By Jordan Kapellusch, digital marketing specialist at Network Health

To support our mission of building healthy and strong Wisconsin communities, Network Health has several social media profiles that allow you to connect with us. These pages not only allow you to contact us with questions about Network Health, our member events or the benefits of membership, but they also give you access to health and wellness content that will enrich and enlighten your life.

Our Grow in the Know blog features exclusive content on a variety of health care topics, written by experts from our integrated health team and local health care providers. Some of the topics we’ve featured include Everything to Know About Diabetes, How Your Diet Can Affect Bladder Incontinence, Which Fitness Tracker Should I Buy? and 8 Steps to Take to Better Focus on Mental Health. You can find our Grow in the Know blog at networkhealth.com/blog.

On Facebook, we regularly share content from Grow in the Know. In addition, you’ll find great discussions about health and wellness topics, as well as events and organizations in your community. We also feature groups that allow you to dig in to great articles and inspiring shareables while experiencing a great online community. All of this can be found on our Facebook page at facebook.com/networkhealthwi.

If you’re looking for even more behind-the-scenes Network Health action or craving interesting shareables and graphics, our Instagram page (@NetworkHealthWI), has plenty. Regularly updated, this page is an excellent way to stay in touch and see photos and videos of our Network Health values in action.

Maybe you prefer the brief and direct nature of Twitter. We frequently share our content and boost helpful health, wellness and insurance advice through our Twitter profile. We’re @NetworkHealthWI on Twitter.

Like Facebook, LinkedIn is a great place to learn more about what makes Network Health so unique. As a local, Wisconsin-based health plan, we’re plugged in with the businesses we support. LinkedIn is the place to go to see updates from our business partners and read about the events we host and attend. Learn more by visiting us on LinkedIn at linkedin.com/company/network-health-wi.

Finally, our YouTube channel not only gives you access to our library of video content, answering frequently asked questions about health insurance topics and showcasing healthy recipes, but it also has frequent updates featuring our media appearances and our local business partners. We’re on YouTube at youtube.com/user/ NetworkHealthWI.

As always, if you have any questions about Network Health services or your plan, we’d love to hear from you. You can reach us at networkhealth.com/contact-us.