Work-Life Balance in and out of Lockdowns

“Whether it’s the best of times or the worst of times, it’s the only time we’ve got.”  
Art Buchwald, humorist

We knew before the lockdown era, that family and professional obligations, more often than not, pull individuals in opposite directions. As Stephen Covey would argue , it is one of the most significant struggles faced by our societies.

Lockdowns were thought of as the potential silver lining to address this long-standing struggle, for those at least, that could work remotely, the “knowledge workers”.

It seems though that working from home, in view of the many uncertainties the global pandemic has brought upon us, has drastically increased stress levels. There are already plenty of indicators to show that this “new normal” is taking a heavy toll on our health.

Working from home seems to  bring benefits and challenges that aren’t always balanced. For instance research is showing that,

1. We don’t have to deal with unnecessary interruptions from colleagues. On the other hand, we are missing out on friendship and bonding with like-minded individuals.
   Moreover, we are omitting spontaneous and organic gatherings formed in elevators, corridors and watercoolers, so vital for bouncing off ideas leading to innovation.
2. Integration of new employees into an organisation’s processes, systems, values and creating tangible and meaningful working relationships is impacted. Moreover, development of fresh employees’ competency profile will be affected.
3. Boundaries between personal and professional life deteriorate, working hours seem to get longer while personal space and time disappear
4. Worries on “out of sight out of mind” work contribution and career progression

Addressing the above using NLP, amounts to finding out what can work for ourselves by modelling other people who excel in this context.
It means to know how the exemplars -the persons who are consistently performing excellently regarding work-life balance under lockdown- behave on the outside, and what are doing on the inside. in their thinking process. How they are sequencing their thoughts and motivate themselves.

In this article we are not demonstrating how to do modelling but go directly to the results of what are the behaviours exhibited by those who successfully shield their mental health and pull through when all seems to be out of control. In particular:

• From the employee/remote worker, vantage point
  1. A person who does not experience negative emotions is enlightened or in denial.
     “Emotions have energy that pushes up for expression, and to tamp them down, our minds and bodies use creative tactics—including muscular constriction and holding our breath.” Hilary Jacobs Hendel.
     Acknowledge your emotions. No need to be apologetic because you feel frustrated.
     Be mindfull of your breathing and conscious of your breathing patterns. Your breathing should be slow and steady to regulate your breath, your heart rate, and your blood pressure.
     
  2. Adopt useful behaviours that consistently work.
     Start your morning routine as if you are going to work. Get up, have breakfast dress up smart casual, pyjamas or sweat pants is not an option. Find a comfortable place to work, your bed is not an option. End the day same way, by changing clothes and clearing the space you were working as if you were not there. Eliminate clutter.
     Carve out some me-time. How you feel determines how you perform. Once in a while during working hours, listen to some of your favourite music; read something that will inspire you, do some stretching or meditate. These are anchors that will re-set you in a resourceful state.
     Note: Checking your social media and the news is not an option. It is not considered me-time. You need to keep boundaries between yourself and unnecessary information download that triggers anxiety and uncertainty.
     Schedule your priorities from the night before vs prioritizing your schedule on the day. You will be more productive and with less stress.
     Keep to a consistent sleep schedule and daily walk.
     

• From the employer/manager vantage point
  1. Hold frequent virtual town halls with your team to share regular updates and tips & suggestions in which they can make the most of their time & increase productivity and collaboration.
  2. Divisions and corresponding teams in them should be well versed with company’s Goals, Strategy and Targets. Teams should be clear on respective Goals and Targets, while team members should be clear on their priorities and deliverables.
  3. Connect individually with your team after hours. Listen, engage at a human level , exercise flexibility beyond transactional work requirements.
  4. Lead by example, respecting your personal and professional boundaries.

According to neuropsychologist Dr Rick Hanson, human beings’ brain exhibit a negativity bias that has evolved over millions of years,  helped keep our ancestors alive.
“ … by bringing mindful awareness to how your brain reacts to feeling threatened, you can stimulate and therefore build up the neural substrates of a mind that has more calm, wisdom and sense of inner strength. A mind that sees real threats more clearly, acts more effectively in dealing with them, and is less rattled or distracted by exaggerated, manageable, or false alarms”

Obviously, these  are challenging  times for All.
The above provides a framework of useful behaviours that one can consciously emulate, going through current adversities, keeping our mental balance and humanity.