Work-Life Integration - And the 'New Norm'

We’ve all heard of work-life balance – the separation of work life and home life. The idea is a certain amount of time is dedicated to work matters and another amount of time is dedicated to home matters, balancing your time between the two, never mixing them. But, is it ever really balanced? Most often, the answer is NO. There is almost always a give or take as things pop-up and the unpredictable nature of life in general takes over. One area of your life will always seemingly receive more attention than the other.

Over the last couple of years, the idea of balancing the two worlds separately has evolved into work-life integration, a way of blending both worlds. Most of us do this already - running errands during lunch, taking a conference call after dinner. But in today's world, where working from home has become the 'norm' these worlds have become blurred, and for some they have even crashed.

In a matter of a week or even days, many of us working parents were faced with not only being required to work from home but also becoming 24/7 care givers and teachers. And the demands of work itself have intensified. The need for communication with colleagues and clients has increased due to lack of face to face time. Leaving little to no down time.

Although I have the flexibility to continue working from home, I find myself ‘working’ more hours than I did before. I tend to wake early to continue somewhat of a routine, with a morning meditation and yoga session. Then I rush to the computer to tend to a few emails before the kids wake. The day continues, bouncing between my work to part-time preschool teacher, then dinner prep. After dinner and cleanup is finished I often sit back down at the computer to review late emails, write or do a little more research. And because my laptop has become a permanent fixture in my dining room, 'work' is even now more accessible to me on the weekends.

With many companies now claiming that they will continue to have their employees work from home, doing away with massive monthly commercial rents or downgrading their commercial space to allow only a few employees back in the office after COVID-19 subsides, work-life integration seems like something many of us will be exercising in the near future, if not already. But is it really doable?

Eventually, fingers crossed, schools will reopen and the kids will go back to the classroom, easing some of the stress of juggling several priorities. If you are one of those people that will be impacted by a permanent work from home situation, now is the time to implement ways that will help transform your work from home experience from temporary to a stable, peaceful and productive environment.

Here are some things that have helped me through this process.

• Figure out a routine – When our executive team decided to close our offices in light of the COVID-19 pandemic, it threw my daily routine for a loop. For two weeks I felt lost. I had to figure out a routine to get myself back into gear and productive again. I not only had two children depending on me but my employees needed me more than ever. Figure out a routine that works best for you and your family. If you have a spouse or significant other that also works from home, put a plan together on who will take the lead with the kids during certain times or days.

• Dedicate a work space - While work-life integration is a blending of work and home life, having a dedicated work space will help keep you focused and present when working on a task.

• Take time for yourself – You will be no good to your family, co-workers or employees if you feel overwhelmed and pushed to your limit. Taking time for myself is a non-negotiable. Even 30 minutes in the middle of the day to clear my head is the boost I need to stay focused and present.

• Be agile – Being agile, flexible, in today's environment is a must. Change is never easy but things change by the day, sometimes by the hour. Giving up resistance to change and becoming agile will allow you to work better and with less stress.

• Take breaks - Focus on a task for 30-45 minutes then switch to something else. Or go for a walk, grab a cup of tea and sit outdoors, make a call to a colleague, client or friend, or anything to break up the monotony of the day.

Putting these things in place has helped me with this major transition. There are few things in life that you can truly control but you can control how you react to your circumstances. The are several advantages to these new circumstances and I continue to be grateful for everything everyday. Embrace this 'New Norm.'