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Table of Content
Introduction
Chapter 01 - The Importance Of Achieving Work-Life Balance And How
To Do It
 What is Work Life Balance?
 Importance of work life balance
 5 Steps to improve work life balance
 Benefits of work life balance
 Work-Life Balance for Parents
 Other Work-Life Balancing Techniques
Chapter 02 - How To Improve And Maintain Your Work-Life Balance?
 What are the benefits of having a work-life balance?
 What are the most common causes of poor work-life balance?
 10 tips to improve your work-life balance
Chapter 03 - Ways To Redefine Work-Life Balance During The
Pandemic
 Here are seven ways to redefine work-life balance during the pandemic
Chapter 04 - Ways To Prioritize Your Mental Health And Achieve WorkLife Balance
 Here are 5 tips on how to make mental health a priority.
© Sylvain Lamoureux
Chapter 05 - Work-Life Balance In A Remote Pandemic Environment
 How COVID-19 is changing work-life balance
 How to improve your work-life balance
Chapter 06 - How Working Women Can Manage Work-Life Balance
During COVID-19?
 Action items for a healthy work-life balance
Chapter 07 - Work-Life Balance In A Pandemic: A Public Health Issue
We Cannot Ignore
 Prioritize Sleep — Your Mood and Immune System Are Counting On It
 Avoid Mindless Snacking; Eat Intuitively Instead
 Leave Stress-Inducing Foods in Not-So-Convenient Places
 Take a Few Minutes to Practice Diaphragm Breathing
Chapter 08 - Improving Work-Life Balance: Is There Such A Thing As
Business Hours Anymore?
 Work-Life Balance Is More Important Than Ever
 Work-Life Balance Depends on Leaders
 Work-Life Balance Is Up To Individuals
 Business Hours Can Be Individualized
Chapter 09 - Work-Life Balance & Remote Work: Tips For Balancing
Work And Family
© Sylvain Lamoureux
 Coordinate a new family schedule.
 Check in and reassess daily.
 Take regular breaks.
 Dedicate work and school space.
 Reset expectations.
Chapter 10 - Work-Life Balance After COVID: Keep Cooking With The
Kids
 Work-life balance after COVID: 5 reasons to keep cooking and eating
together
Conclusion
Bonuses
 Mind Map
 Cheet Sheet
© Sylvain Lamoureux
Click Here To Grab New Normal Life Balance HD Training Video
In a recent study, our smartphone was aptly described as an 'adult pacifier', as
we have it on us at all times, and tend to be less inhibited when we use it
(compared to a laptop or desktop computer). The devices are so invaluable that
most employers now provide us with a phone to help us stay connected to our
colleagues, but does this connectivity tether us to work 24/7?
It's a question that seems increasingly pertinent in our coronavirus age, as so
many of us are working from home on a semi-permanent basis. It creates the
inevitable dilemma around when exactly work time begins and ends each day.
This blurring of boundaries can create considerable challenges for our worklife balance, especially when employees have so much else on their plate at the
moment too.
That's the traditional line of thought - that any blurring of boundaries between
our work and personal life is a bad thing. It's become one of those accepted
truths about work that is seldom questioned, in this guide you will get to know
how to improve and maintain the NewNormal Work-Life Balance.
Let’s get started…
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Work-life balance is a concept that describes the ideal situation in which an
employee can split his or her time and energy between work and other
important aspects of their life. Achieving work-life balance is a daily challenge.
It is tough to make time for family, friends, community participation,
spirituality, personal growth, self-care, and other personal activities, in
addition to the demands of the workplace.
Because many employees experience a personal, professional, and monetary
need to achieve, work-life balance can be challenging. Employers can help
employees achieve work-life balance by instituting policies, procedures,
actions, and expectations that enable them to pursue more balanced lives, such
as flexible work schedules, paid time off (PTO) policies, responsibly paced time
and communication expectations, and company-sponsored family events and
activities.
Work-life balance reduces the stress employee’s experience. When an
employee spends the majority of their days on work-related activities and feels
as if they are neglecting other important components of their lives, stress and
unhappiness result. An employee, who doesn't make time for self-care,
eventually damages their output and productivity.
The workplace that enables employees to achieve work-life balance is
particularly motivating and gratifying to employees, which makes them happy.
And happy employees, whose needs for work-life balance are achieved, tend to
stay with their employer and are more productive.
What is Work Life Balance?
Work life balance is a method which helps employees of an organization to
balance their personal and professional lives. Work life balance encourages
employees to divide their time on the basis on priorities and maintain a balance
by devoting time to family, health, vacations etc. along with making a career,
business travel etc.
It is an important concept in the world of business as it helps to motivate the
employees and increases their loyalty towards the company.
Importance of work life balance
Working on a job for a company and making a career can be an extremely time
consuming duty for any employee. Employees are busy at their offices
throughout the day and sometimes even on weekends. This gives them very
little time to interact with their family. Because of high pressure of work, often
family members get neglected. Also, stressful jobs cause the health of
employees to deteriorate. This is where work life balance comes into the
picture. Work life balance concept allows an employee to maintain a fine
balance in the time he or she gives to work as well as to personal matters. By
having a good balance, people can have a quality of work life.
This helps to increase productivity at workplace as the employee is relaxed
about his personal commitments. It also allows the employee to give quality
time with family to spend vacations, leisure time, work on his/her health etc.
Hence work life balance is extremely important for employees and increases
their motivation to work for the company.
The below image depicts a work life balance scenario, where an employee has
to balance his/her life between personal (family, friends & self) and
professional (job, career) commitments.
5 Steps to improve work life balance
There are specific guidelines to how an individual can maintain a proper work
life balance, some of which are:
1. Creating a work leisure plan
Where an individual has to schedule his tasks, and divide time appropriately so
that he has allocated appropriate time to his work and his career development
goals and at the same time allotted time for leisure and personal development.
Employees also use a compressed work week plan to build a balance.
2. Leaving out activities that waste time and energy
Individual should judiciously avoid wasteful activities which demand large time
and energy and in return not produce output for either the work life or the
leisure life.
Effective time management can help an employee be less stressed.
3. Outsourcing and Delegating work
Delegate or outsource time consuming work to other individuals. It serves two
purposes, first the work gets done and the other is person can focus on other
things which may align more with skills and knowledge and may be less
stressful.
It also helps grooming the other employees.
4. Set enough time for relaxation
Relaxation provides better work life balance, and tends to improve productivity
on the professional or the work front along with providing ample scope to
develop the life part of the balance.
5. Prioritizing work
Often employees do not give priority to work and end up doing a lot of work at
the last minute. Better planning can help employees save unnecessary time
delays, which can be utilized by employees for personal work.
Benefits of work life balance
There are several advantages of work life balance. Some of them are listed
below:
1. Work life balance increases the motivation of employees and helps them
perform better at job
2. It helps people to relieve their stress as they can spend leisure time with their
near and dear ones
3. Companies can maximize productivity from an employee who is rejuvenated
and refreshed as compared to an over worked employee
4. Healthy lifestyles can be maintained by having a work life balance. This
includes a good diet, regular exercises etc.
5. Employees who are highly motivated can help the business grow as they are
more attached to their job and careers
Work-Life Balance for Parents
Work-life balance can be an elusive goal for working parents. But, you can take
steps as a parent to make it a reality for you and your children. Like many great
achievements, work-life balance takes time and organization—but it’s worth
the effort—for parents and their families.
Managers are important to employees seeking work-life balance. Managers are
the source of many of the expectations that cause employees to have difficulty
finding work-life balance. In their efforts to please their managers and
succeed
at work, employees can miss out on the rest of the opportunities available for
an enriching life.
Managers also serve as a source of inspiration. Managers who pursue work-life
balance in their own lives model appropriate behavior and support employees
in their pursuit of work-life balance.
When you are considering your work-life balance, planning begins before you
look for a job and accept a new position. First, take the time to determine your
real-life needs from the broadest perspective. For example, you may be
surprised to discover that a lower-paying job with proximity to great daycare
for your children is preferable to another option that takes you an hour away.
Determine How Your Job and Its Location Affect Work-Life Balance
Parents should think carefully about job location: the commute to daycare can
make or break your ability to spend invaluable bonding time before, during,
and after work with your children. The satisfaction you get from seeing your
child more often will make you much more relaxed and productive at work, and
reduce your stress significantly. Make quality of life an aspect of your job
criteria before you commit.
During your interview for a new job, keep your ears open to hear the company’s
view on telecommuting, work culture, time flexibility, and so on. All of these
aspects of employment will affect your ability to pursue a work-life balance. If
they're not mentioned during the interviews, you'll want to ask specific
questions to assess the workplace's compatibility with your work-life balance
needs.
Usually, benefits are spelled out at the time of the job offer, and sometimes
they'll be listed on a company’s website. If you get the chance to chat with other
employees, ask if the corporate culture is family-friendly. Are there daycare
benefits? Is there enough personal time off for emergencies—a sense of
empathy for parents?
Make sure that you are not stepping into territory that is unfriendly-to-parents.
By noticing your surroundings, the posture, demeanor, and the sociability level
of your potential coworkers—you'll get a feel for how flexible management will
be. And that’s one valuable data point for your family-friendly checklist.
Prioritize Family Times to Achieve Work-Life Balance
Experiencing calm and no chaos each weekday morning seems difficult,
especially when winging it at 7 a.m. has been the norm. Try starting the day on
a positive note with an unhurried, sit-down, healthy breakfast with your family.
A brief, morning family meal—even for 15 minutes—cuts down stress for
everyone. It also assures your children that they are your priority. In case you
can’t get together for dinner because of other commitments, then you at least
have had this meal together.
If you can’t pick up or meet your child at lunchtime, then arrange to place a call.
It’s reassuring for a child to hear from a parent during the day. A brief check-in
will be rewarding for both of you.
In the evening, designate a quality time—especially at dinner. A little extra time
with your children now will prove enormously beneficial as they grow.
Instead of letting the TV, YouTube, or computer games fill up the evening, plan
pre-bedtime family activities. Even if you have to catch up on work, keep your
family members somewhat engaged and nearby.
Other Work-Life Balancing Techniques
Bring your children to the office if and when you can, and let them see their
photos or their creative work on your desk. This lets them know that they are
in your mind and heart. It helps them to understand, that you think of them
often—and they will also feel a part of what you do. Make their special day an
adventure.
Work-life balance for anyone means having great time-management skills. If
you allow your workday to drag on, you’re stealing precious leisure and family
time. Here are six additional tips.
Work-life balance for anyone means having great time-management skills. If
you allow your workday to drag on, you’re stealing precious leisure and family
time. Here are additional tips:
Know your manager's schedule.
Maximize the amount of meeting time with your boss; be strategic and work
closely with him or her to achieve the proper proportion of time and
information they need to feel connected.
Know when to make calls and when to do administrative work.
You want to optimize your time at work so that you are accomplishing the tasks
that add value and further your career over trivialities and busywork.
Schedule family vacations to minimize work disruption.
You will want to schedule vacation time when people aren’t going to be around.
Offer a countdown to vacation time so you keep both your manager and team
clearly informed of the time period during which you will be out of the office.
If you telecommute, ensure that your tech tools are state-of-the-art.
Make sure you can video conference with ease and that you are reachable via
text message, smartphone, and email.
Draw a clear line between your personal and work time.
Set clear expectations with your manager and coworkers about when you are
available for work discussions, how late in the day you'll respond to email and
any other interaction that has an effect on your work-life balance.
If you’re an overachiever, consider cutting back
If you are an overachiever at work the chances are that you have set unrealistic
goals for your accomplishments. You will want to switch to making realistic
goals, so you feel as if you’ve succeeded.
When You’re the Boss
If you’re a manager, and you tend to be an overachiever, encourage your staff
to take breaks—even if you don’t. (You really should, though.)
Make sure that you aren’t holding back the reigns when it comes to your
employees' work-life balance. Learning to let go will pay dividends in building
a dedicated, motivated staff.
The Bottom Line
Achieving a comfortable work-life balance as a parent doesn’t just happen
randomly any more than does a great career. It takes strategy and thought. You
can make work-life balance a labor of love—after all, it is about love.
Click Here To Grab New Normal Life Balance HD Training Video
What is work-life balance, and how can you achieve it? This article explores the
benefits (for individuals and organizations) of supporting work-life balance
and practical tips for improving it.
Work-life balance is a term that makes intuitive sense to many of us but can be
elusive to achieve. We all know the feeling that demands are piling up on one
side of the work-life scales and dominating our days.
We also know the feeling of unfulfilled dreams and desires on the other side of
the scale. They tug us into a vague feeling of discontent and disengagement.
How can you manage your time and energy in ways that leave you feeling
fulfilled and engaged as a whole human being? How can you be at your best?
Work-life balance is often used to describe a trade-off. Time spent on work
projects versus time spent with family, friends, and personal interests.
It can also refer to the level of flexibility team members feel they have. Can I
integrate my work and personal demands? Can I respond as needs arise? To
what extent do they interfere with one another?
According to a report, work-life balance encompasses “all of the components
that go into a life well-lived. ... Many women have a holistic view of life and work
and look for employers that do too. They are drawn to companies that
encourage, support, and empower them as people.”
This challenge has been around for centuries. Reformers in the early 1900s
advocated for fair labor standards at a time when people routinely worked
more than 100 hours a week. But the term work-life balance wasn’t coined until
the 1980s. The women’s liberation movement used it to describe the challenges
faced by working women with families.
Today, work-life balance has expanded to include all genders. It is broader than
just families. It includes concepts such as effective time management, stress
management, and burnout prevention.
With technology, many professional work cultures and expectations have
changed. The result: a more integrated, and fuzzier, relationship between
“work” and “personal” time. No wonder this concept is so difficult when we try
to establish (or reestablish) it for ourselves!
What are the benefits of having a work-life balance?
The benefits of work-life balance are far-reaching and extend to both you and
your company.
Fewer health issues
Overwork has consequences including:
 Fatigue, which negatively impacts focus and productivity. Your
professional reputation can suffer if you are making mistakes or
forgetting commitments.
 Poor health as a result of both stress and neglecting healthy habits. Stress
can affect medical conditions and increases the possibility of substance
misuse.
 Negative impacts on relationships due to neglect. This undermines one of
your major support pillars as a social being.
People working 3-4 hours of overtime have a 60 percent higher risk of heartrelated problems than those who don’t work overtime. Moreover, working any
overtime is associated with poorer perceived general health.
Consistently working overtime is associated with:
 Increased neck and muscle discomfort
 Higher on-the-job injury rates
 Unhealthy weight gain
 Increased likelihood of smoking
 Higher rates of alcohol consumption
Higher productivity
Too much time spent at or on work is directly correlated to a loss of
productivity and effectiveness. Stanford researchers found that “employee
output falls sharply after a 50-hour work-week. It falls off a cliff after 55 hours
... someone who puts in 70 hours produces nothing more with those extra 15
hours.”
Conversely, when we’re feeling supported and engaged, our physiology
responds with a happy soup of neurochemicals. They make us feel more
connected, creative, energized, and collaborative. These all directly benefit you
and your employer.
Fewer ‘burnouts’
“Burnout occurs anytime there is a mismatch between the job environment and
the individual performing the job.”
These include:
 Work overload, when job demands exceed human limits.
 Too little control over work due to rigid policies, micromanagement, or
chaotic job conditions.
 Values conflict, where the requirements of the job conflict with one’s
personal principles and values.
When your work and life balance with one another in harmony, burnout is not
an issue. In many jobs, however, overwork, and burnout, have the potential to
creep back in if you don't pay attention.
More mindfulness
Mindfulness is the ability to maintain your awareness and focus on what you’re
doing at any given moment. Obviously, this is difficult if you are distracted by
other obligations and concerns.
At work, it helps if you’re given the flexibility to manage your personal
obligations while also accomplishing your share of the workload. And, of
course, it’s crucial that you're supported by your team when you need it.
What are the most common causes of poor work-life balance?
More than a quarter of full-time employees globally say it has become more
difficult to balance work and family in the last five years. The most common
causes were:
 Increased expenses without an increase in salary. One-third of employees
cited this as the top challenge to maintaining work-life balance.
 Increased responsibilities at work. About half of millennial and Gen X
participants cited additional work responsibilities as a leading cause of
poor work-life balance.
 Increased responsibility at home. More than 40 percent of millennial and
Gen X participants said more responsibility at home made it more
challenging to balance work and personal life.
 Working longer hours. Almost half (46%) of managers are working more
than 40-hour weeks, and 40% say their hours have increased over the
past five years.
 Having children. Over a quarter (26%) of millennial said they are
working more after having a child. Fifty percent of women and 22% of
men took a career break after having a child.
10 tips to improve your work-life balance
It’s one thing to talk about work-life balance. It’s another to achieve it. Here are
10 practical tips for improving your sense of balance at work and at home.
At work
Things you can do at work to improve your work-life balance are:
 Learn to say “no.” This can be one of the hardest skills for any dedicated
professional to learn and put into practice. It starts with assessing the
typical demands of your day and learning to articulate and prioritize
what you have on your plate. A great tool to use for this exercise is the
Eisenhower Matrix. (Hint: If you’re finding everything falling into the
“Urgent-Important” quadrant, try this clever hack.) It can be helpful to
recognize that saying “no” to things that are less of a priority frees up time
and energy to say “yes” and attend to other things that are important to
you.
 Take breaks. Even a 30-second micro break can improve concentration,
reduce stress, keep you feeling engaged, and make your work feel more
enjoyable. As per a survey taking a break every 75-90 minutes for 15
minutes to allow your brain to consolidate and retain learning. A study
found people naturally go from full focus to physiological fatigue every
90 minutes.
 Ask for flexibility. Having open, honest conversations about your needs
and those of your employer and team can lead to productive solutions
such as flextime, a compressed workweek schedule, job sharing, and
other creative options.
 Prioritize your health. Recognizing the importance of maintaining your
physical, emotional, and mental health is the first step. Use the concept of
habit stacking to build simple supportive actions into your day. Consider
daily meditation, movement/exercise, social connection, a gratitude
practice, and making a commitment to using your paid time off.
 Practice self-compassion. One of the most important ways to achieve a
sense of work-life balance is to let go of perfectionism. While this
approach may have brought some success during school and early career,
it accumulates. The strain on our system and emotional resources
increases as our responsibilities increase. We must recognize that life
isn’t always easy, everyone struggles, and we aren’t always going to get it
“right.” This allows a shift toward a more compassionate growth-and-
learning approach to work and life that can help to support a sense of
balance. It can also provide an inspiring model for others who also need
to hear this message!
At home
There are also many things you can do at home to improve your work-life
balance:
 Communicate boundaries so you can truly unplug. Set and communicate
your work hours to your colleagues and customers–which includes when
you will work and when you won’t be available to respond. One simple
way is to set up an auto responder to alert those who contact you that
you are offline and when you will respond. This removes the pressure to
keep checking messages. Consider setting up a system for key
stakeholders to contact you in a true emergency so you can rest knowing
you’re not missing something critical.
 Invest in relationships. Lack of strong relationships increases the risk of
premature death from all causes by 50 percent. That’s “roughly
comparable to smoking up to 15 cigarettes a day!” On the flip side, solid
connections and social support can improve health and increase
longevity.
 Prioritize quality time. Rather than spreading yourself so thin that
nothing feels satisfying, identify what’s truly important to you. A values
exercise, or exploring your Ikigai, can be helpful ways to clarify and
articulate this for yourself. Based on what you learn, take an honest look
at how you spend your personal time. Which activities and relationships
are life-enhancing and which are soul-sucking? With this information in
hand, define for yourself where you will devote your time, prioritizing
high-value relationships and activities. Don’t forget that one of those
relationships is with yourself! When you’re having downtime, allow
yourself to enjoy that quality time for yourself to re-energize.
 Start small. Healthier behaviors, such as staying active and or improving
our eating, can support our sense of personal wellbeing—but those
habits can be difficult to establish. Who hasn’t experienced the New
Year’s resolution that peters out by mid-February? Motivation alone isn’t
enough to drive behavior change. The other key ingredients for success
are the ability to do the behavior and a dependable reminder that
prompts us to do it.
 Ask for help. High-achieving professionals are often guilty of taking
everything on themselves. They don't want to “bother” anyone by asking
for help. Sometimes this is tied to identity (“I’m supposed to be the one
who has it all together”) or feelings of obligation (“Who else will do it if I
don’t?”). Instead, consider that asking for help gives other people the gift
of giving–and being part of a solution and support system, which builds
the benefits of mutual relationships for all involved.
Creating work-life balance and integration is an ongoing and fluid process. You
will constantly be learning and adapting as your interests and circumstances
change over time. Let it be fun! And don’t forget to periodically revisit your
priorities to see what’s changed and assess whether they line up with how
you’re spending your time and energy.
Between socializing, parenting, running errands, and working, the coronavirus
has significantly altered the way we live our lives. For many people, the public
health crisis has meant a sudden shift to remote work environments as officials
stress the importance of social distancing.
While there are certainly benefits to working from home, the transition can be
difficult and finding balance within your life can become more complicated. If
COVID-19 has left you feeling burnt out, overworked, and stressed, here are
some ways you can manage your work-from-home environment to create a
better work-life balance.
Manage Your Expectations
Although some might interpret the remote work setting as a chance to buckle
down and use free time for maximum productivity, others might feel
overwhelmed by the number of changes in such a short period of time. When it
comes to creating balance one of the first things you need to do is manage your
expectations and give yourself understanding and forgiveness.
“Imagine you’re standing on one leg and you’re putting all of your weight onto
that leg”. “Your bones will have to adjust; your muscles will have to adjust. If
your leg became a little weak or fatigued because it’s suddenly balancing all of
your weight, you wouldn’t criticize yourself for it. This is how we should
approach ourselves and our reactions to this situation.”
Approaching your new working environment and your ability to be productive
with a little extra grace and patience will help you navigate the transition more
smoothly.
Create a Dedicated Workspace
At work, you have a dedicated workspace, whether that’s a cubicle, an office, or
a co-working area. You know where your tools are and you have all the
equipment and devices needed to complete your daily tasks. However, when
your company suddenly switches to remote working, you might not have those
same tools, the same private space, or even a desk to work at. This is especially
true for parents and caregivers who are tasked with homeschooling during the
coronavirus.
Creating a designated workspace is essential to creating balance and making a
clear divide between your work hours and your free time. This might mean
claiming a portion of the kitchen table or a specific room in the house. Wherever
you decide to set up your work area makes sure other people living with you
know this is your “office” so you can create healthy boundaries.
Take Regular Breaks
In a normal workday, you would have probably stopped to chat with a
coworker in the hallway, get up to refill your coffee or tea, and left the office for
a lunch meeting. When you’re working from home it can be more difficult to
find those break times, especially if you’re feeling extra pressure to perform
and “show your worth” to your employers. In fact, one study found that the
average working day has increased by three hours in the U.S. since mid-March.
Be sure to schedule regular breaks throughout your day and hold yourself
accountable to those rest times by putting them in your calendar. Eating lunch
with a family member or going on a walk are great ways to spend some mental
time away from work. By regularly removing yourself from the work
environment for 10 or 15 minutes, you’ll feel refreshed and ready to be
productive when you get back to the computer instead of exhausted and unable
to focus.
Establish Transition Times
When you physically go to work, you tend to have a routine that you follow that
has many visual and physical cues. For example, when you wake up, you
probably get ready for the day by getting dressed, eating breakfast, and
gathering your things to begin your commute. At the end of the day, you might
clear out your email inbox, say goodbye to coworkers, and settle into the
commute back home. For people that are working remotely, these transition
times are lost, which means it can be easy to have your work seep into your
home life.
Create cues for yourself to know when it’s time to begin working and when it’s
time to stop working. For some people, mimicking a commute might be helpful.
If you’re used to driving to work, consider taking a brief walk around the block
each morning to help you set your intentions for the workday and another walk
in the evening to help you clear your mind. Additionally, turning off your
computer can be an easy way to create boundaries between your work time
and your home time since you’ll be less likely to send just one more email.
Establish a Routine
Routines and schedules help us feel a sense of control in our lives. When our
work routines are significantly altered, we can feel like we don’t know where
to begin or how to be productive during the workday. Creating a new schedule
can be beneficial to regain that sense of control, but you should approach the
schedule with some flexibility. “Keeping a regular schedule before the
pandemic probably looks significantly different than keeping a schedule now,”
says Quinn.
Whether you’re living with roommates, alone, or taking care of children at
home, establishing a routine that works best for your situation will be key. Just
remember that not every day will go according to plan and that’s completely
normal.
Communicate Your Needs
One of the best ways to weather a rough transition is to be open and honest
about your needs. Over communication is essential, especially during a time of
social distancing and increased isolation. Your boss won’t be able to see if
you’re having a hard time managing tasks and your family might not know
you’re working on an important project if you don’t tell them.
Be upfront with your family members by telling them what you have going on
and being respectful of their responsibilities. This applies to your professional
relationships as well. If you feel overwhelmed by your workload or you’re
struggling to make connections in a remote setting, talk to your manager and
look for solutions together. Proactive communication can help prevent messy
situations and frustration down the road.
Be Kind to Yourself
Recognizing and acknowledging the complexity of the situation is a key element
in creating a work-life balance. Quinn emphasizes the importance of carving out
time for yourself as a way to prevent burnout, especially when you start saying
things like “I don’t have time for self-care” or “I don’t have time to worry about
myself.” Consistency and keeping commitments to yourself is the key to
maintaining your mental health during this time. If you find yourself often
forgoing self-care or moments of pause, enlist the help of others to hold you
accountable.
If you find that you’re still having difficulties making adjustments or your mood
has dropped significantly, monitoring your emotions and physical responses
throughout the day can be a good way to determine when you might need
professional help. Quinn suggests using a simple tracking system where you
rank each day on a scale of one through ten. If you notice the rankings for each
day are dropping, you should consider speaking to a therapist, doctor, or
counselor.
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Many of us will continue to work at home, simultaneously juggling multiple
roles, for some time to come during the pandemic. Consider these tips to stay
healthy and productive
Pause for a moment and take a deep breath. As you know, we are still in the
midst of a global pandemic. While there’s good news about vaccines coming, it
does little to change our current situation. Many of us will continue to work at
home, simultaneously juggling multiple roles, for some time to come.
If you’re asking yourself “What can I do to keep it together? How do I stay
sane and keep a healthy work-life balance?,” you’re not alone. Here are seven
ways to redefine work-life balance during the pandemic:
1. Reflect on why work-life balance matters to you. Why is it important? If
you don’t maintain a healthy work-life balance, what will the consequences
be? What will happen if you continue doing what you are doing now for
another six months, or even a year?
We need a work-life balance to feel good, but also to do well. And when I say,
“do well,” I am referring to brainpower, decision-making, creativity, empathy,
problem-solving, etc. – all those qualities we need to be a good leader, parent,
or contributor. So work-life balance is not “nice to have” – it’s critical.
2. Define your home office. Remove the “temporary” sign and make your
workspace work for you. Even if you are sharing it with others, this is where
you do your work using your brainpower, decision-making, creativity,
empathy, problem-solving, etc. and that means your space should be as free
from distractions as possible. Ask yourself: does this space give me energy?
What can I do to make it feel like my special creative space?
Remove the "temporary" sign and make your workspace work for you.
There are no corporate or HR rules to define what your special place should
look like. I knew I’d succeeded when the rest of my family started to beg to be
allowed to come and do their school assignments and work meetings in my
office.
Don’t forget factors such as temperature, air quality, and lighting. We all know
how draining it can be to sit in a small, uncomfortably warm space all day.
Consider getting a flexible desk that allows you to either stand or sit (and
perhaps be adjusted to accommodate the height of various family members).
3. Set boundaries. Establish a clear start and end point to your workday.
Even having coached many leaders in the past months on how to work
remotely, I struggle with this.
Studies suggest that eliminating the daily commute was a win for most of us.
But the flip side is that we are spending that time on additional work. All our
devices are right there in front of us, tempting us to do just one more email,
one more report, and one quicker check-in.
Here is another advantage of creating a separate workspace: You can leave it.
Maybe you can even close the door. Set your office hours and stick to them.
Don’t abandon the habit of weekly planning; expand it. Communicate it to
everyone who shares your office space, including spouses, children,
roommates (and maybe even pets if they are part of your weekly plan and
daily activities!).
4. Keep moving! It’s said that sitting for four hours without proper
movement can shorten our lives by 11 minutes. Hold a “walk and talk”
meeting with a team member. Keep your yoga pants on so you can quickly
move to the mat when the workday is finished. Engage the family in a predinner dance party or a plank challenge. A standing desk can also help you
stay more active even while you’re working.
An advantage of remote work: Nobody will notice if you sit down and close
your eyes for a moment.
5. Find moments of stillness. Another advantage of remote work: Nobody
will notice if you sit down and close your eyes for a moment. Find a quiet
corner and take a moment to just sit and think. Seeing things from a new
perspective can generate new ideas. Take a quiet walk before an important
meeting. Stillness creates space that helps us make better decisions.
6. Connect with others. Spend time with others outside your immediate
circle. Remember back when we could grab coffee with a colleague and chat
about work, social activities, weekend plans, or just about anything else?
Many people feel overwhelmed by meetings these days. That’s in part because
of what’s missing: small talk, Connections. Reach out to a colleague or
someone you haven’t spoken to recently and catch up over a 20-minute virtual
coffee break.
7. Finally, remind yourself that this pandemic will not last forever. And
while not everything will go back to the way it was before, many things will.
Take another deep breath and consider the perks of the life you are leading
now. Define what’s positive for you and the people around you. Cherish it.
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Let’s face it; this past year has been a really tough one. The Covid-19 pandemic
upended all of our lives in so many ways. And while the news of vaccine
deployment brings hopes of progress, we’re still very much in the middle of it.
It’s no wonder that many of us have felt the weight of the past 12 months on
our mental health. Studies show that 53% of Americans felt that their mental
health was negatively affected as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic. Social
isolation has undoubtedly been a major driving factor. Among those who were
forced to shelter in place, 47% reported increased stress and anxiety due to
Covid-19, 10% higher than those who did not have to shelter in place. Besides
our personal lives, our work lives are undoubtedly the space in which we’ve
seen the biggest changes. Apart from the obvious increase of working from
home, one common sentiment so many of people are now that they are working
remotely, they are struggling to balance their work lives with their personal
lives.
The data backs up these feelings. According to a new study by Asana, more than
89% of American workers said they faced burnout in 2020, and nine out of ten
workers also admitted to working later throughout 2020. Remote work due to
Covid-19 has meant longer workdays, with the average worker putting in 48
minutes longer per day. This might not seem too bad, but when you consider
that the average American worker works roughly 47 weeks per year, you’re
looking at about 188 extra hours per year. That’s more than four and a half extra
work weeks. Not cool.
There were so many changes to adjust to over the past year that a lot of us just
dove in and haven’t come up for a breath of air. Whether you’re feeling the
strain in your overall mental health or you are struggling to create boundaries
between work and life, it’s time to make room for the changes and practices
that can help you find balance.
Maybe this something you want to prioritize, but you aren’t sure where to
begin. Here are 5 tips on how to make mental health a priority.
1) Set boundaries at work
We all know how difficult it can be to set boundaries at work. This can be
especially hard if you are early in your career, or even just new to your current
job or company. We all want to do a good job, and prove to our peers and
supervisors that we are capable and that we excel at our work.
But the thing is, sometimes we confuse the desire to show that we are
motivated and hardworking with the need to say “yes” all the time.
This may look different for everyone. Maybe you’re saying “yes” to too many
projects and spreading your energy and time too thin. Maybe you’ve made
yourself too available by setting the expectation that you will reply quickly to a
work email, no matter what time of day or night it is sent.
If you’re struggling to set the right boundaries, it’s time that you start saying
“no.” Now the delicate thing here is learning how to say “no” without too
abrasively saying “no!” Follow me?
If not, here are a few examples:
 Your supervisor asks you to take on a project that you may not have the
time for. Consider responding with, “I would be very excited to work on
this, and given my current workload on deck, I’d love your help
prioritizing. Can we take a look at my deliverables together and rework
my priorities?”
 You received a work email at 9:30pm. Unless it is truly immediately
pressing, wait until the start of business hours the following morning, and
respond promptly, but don’t apologize for the delay.
 You have a coworker always wanting to chat despite you having a full
plate of work. Give them a minute, and if they keep going on and you don’t
have time for it, let them know that though you’d love to hear more about
this, given your workload you can’t be as present as you’d like to be for it
at the moment. Ask if they’re available later for a Zoom happy hour, or for
you to ping them when you’re more freed up… and get back to work.
2) If you’re working from home, build your schedule as if you were going
to the office
Especially when working from home, it can be tough to take breaks or to
unplug. Anyone else found themselves trying to fit lunch in between 1:58 p.m.
and the 2 p.m. Zoom meeting?
One of the hardest things about working from home is that it removes all the
normal structure that used to make up our days. Whether you were commuting
by train, driving, walking to work, stepping out for lunch or having drinks after
work with coworkers, the time we used to spend away from our workspaces
was incredibly valuable for our productivity.
Studies have shown that taking breaks can greatly improve your productivity,
especially while focusing on a single task for long periods of time.
Who knew that walking is actually one of the best things you can do to get alert
for work? A Stanford study found that when participants were performing
mental tasks, walking gave a major boost to creative thinking.
Walking without a destination might be even better for your productivity.
Another research group found that when you walk at your natural pace, and
you’re not rushing to make it in time for the morning meeting, your brain may
free up more resources for cognitive processing and thinking.
Beyond taking a walk to get yourself activated and mentally prepared for work,
there are many ways you can create a schedule that creates more definitive
boundaries between work and life.
Take a real lunch break, go out and pick up lunch and take some real time for
yourself. Sign up for a 6 p.m. yoga class, or make plans for a virtual drink. I know
we all have Zoom fatigue, but I know you have a friend who you owe a good oldfashioned phone call. Maybe take a bubble bath, or unwind with a glass of wine
after the workday. Anything that creates a break in your day between when you
wrap up work and when you start your time off in the evening.
If you have something to look forward to, you’re bound to be more productive
during your workday. In addition, having concrete plans will help you set better
boundaries about when you finish work and about your availability after work
hours.
3) Do a cell phone detox
This is definitely one of the hardest things, but also one the most impactful
things you can do to improve your mental health and work-life balance.
Throughout the last 12 months, our usual FOMO scrolling while looking at our
friends on exotic vacations, has been replaced with “doom scrolling” on Twitter,
reading scary Covid-19 statistics, or watching increasingly frightening news
stories develop. We all could use a break.
It’s understandable that throughout the pandemic, we’ve become a little bit
more attached to our devices. With so much unknown in the world, and
having
been abruptly cut off from a lot of the normal practices of our social lives, our
phones are our lifelines, to friends and family, and to news that is so important.
But even if we’re engaging with content that is informative or connections that
ought to make us happy, overuse of smartphones may not be the best thing for
mental health.
Studies are just beginning to explain the effects of smartphone use on mental
health, and much of the research has been focused on younger people and
phone use. A study of 300 graduate university students linked smartphone
addiction to anxiety and depression. The study describes how phones can
become a tool of “avoidance coping”—aka a distraction to divert ourselves from
unpleasant or stressful thoughts or feelings. Over time, this can create a pattern
that may lead to further negative mental health consequences.
Whether or not you feel that you may have a less that positive relationship with
the tiny computer in your pocket, it’s valuable for anyone to take a break from
the phone.
An awesome way to start is to limit smartphone usage before bed, and first
thing in the morning. The blue light from your phone screen can suppress your
brain’s production of melatonin, a natural sleep hormone, and hence, disrupt
your circadian rhythm.
If you often see the light of your phone before you see the sun in the morning,
you might want to reconsider your morning routine. Morning sunlight can
boost your alertness and mood, and improve your sleep, which creates a
“cascade” positive effect in your mental health.
Beyond the positive effects that setting limits on phone use can have on your
mental health, taking time away from your phone will help you set better
boundaries around work communications outside of working hours.
4) Prioritize sleep
At the risk of saying something you already know, sleep is so, so important for
your overall health and your mental health.
In fact, sleep and mental health are intrinsically linked. Not getting enough
sleep—the Centers for Disease Control recommends no less than seven hours
of sleep per night for adults—can negatively affect your mood. A study found
that sleep deprivation can lead to many adverse mood effects including, anger,
irritability, general sadness and mental fatigue.
Insomnia and trouble sleeping can be a part of many common mental health
conditions including anxiety and depression. In turn, not getting adequate sleep
can exacerbate these challenges. A study of young people ages 20–21 found that
those who experienced insomnia were also significantly more likely to face
depression in the future.
Studies like this illustrate the importance of prioritizing sleep. It’s important to
create healthy habits to ensure that you are getting the best sleep possible.
Here are some tips on how to set you up for good sleep:
 Avoid screens before bed, as we discussed before, because the blue light
is disruptive to your natural circadian rhythms and melatonin release.
 Consistency is key. Make an effort to go to sleep and wake at the same
time every day. This will also help regulate your circadian rhythm.
 Darkness, consistent temperature and any efforts to turn your bedroom
into a relaxing environment will aid in sleep.
 Daily exercise is excellent for getting good rest at night.
 Avoid eating or consuming sugar or caffeine before bed, which can create
artificial alertness and interfere with sleep. Caffeine can stay in your body
for up to 12 hours, but generally it’s recommended to cut off caffeinated
drinks four to six hours before you go to sleep
5) Schedule time for personal and professional development
In order to boost mental health and self-esteem, and to make sure that we are
investing in a healthy work-life balance, we have to invest in ourselves. By
making time to devote to personal and professional development outside of
work, you ensure that you are giving back to yourself regularly.
This time should just be about you. Even if you are trying to develop your
professional skills, do so with the intention that it is to build yourself up, not to
make yourself better at your job.
A great way to make sure you are prioritizing your professional development
is to set a weekly goal for yourself. Start with 15 minutes a day, or maybe make
sure that you are getting three to five hours per week in engaging with personal
development materials. How you structure it is up to you, as long as you’re
making sure to meet your goals.
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Many people across the country are struggling to maintain their work-life
balance because of the pandemic. Workplaces are going fully or partially
remote, kids are home from school, businesses are closed, and normal events
and gatherings are restricted or canceled.
There are still steps you can take to balance your responsibilities. Here’s how
the pandemic may alter work-life balance in the long term and a few tips to help
you manage these challenges.
How COVID-19 is changing work-life balance
The phrase “work-life balance” has been a business buzzword for years, and the
concept is that employees should avoid letting work overtake their lives. It is
part of the conversation about balancing familial and home responsibilities,
mental health, exercise, and hobbies with a career.
COVID-19 has altered what a good work-life balance looks like. Parents have to
take care of their children as schools and daycares have closed or moved online.
Employees are now working from home, making it even more challenging to
separate work life from home life. Kitchen tables have turned into workspaces,
and Zoom calls can be interrupted by pets, deliveries, and frequent visits from
family members.
Work-life balance has never been more challenging. What’s worse is that no one
knows when things will return to “normal.” Employees, parents, families,
educators, and business owners are tasked with redefining the balance
between work and their personal life.
Because many workplaces were already shifting to remote work, it’s likely that
some changes will be permanent. New communication technologies will
continue to be used for convenience, and businesses are discovering new ways
to increase flexibility for their staff and save money with remote work
environments.
Many people are dealing not only with the aforementioned challenges but also
illness, loss of friends and family members to the coronavirus, or new
responsibilities to care for loved ones. Mental health is often at the forefront of
conversations surrounding the pandemic. People are going through rapid,
drastic changes that can be anxiety inducing and stressful.
Thus, mental health will likely be an even bigger consideration for proper worklife balance long into the future. People have a new respect for parents having
to deal with these issues; another consideration that’s not likely to change after
the pandemic is over.
How to improve your work-life balance
Despite the challenges, it’s possible to stay healthy and positive. Here are a few
ways to improve your work-life balance while managing the new remote
pandemic environment.
Find new ways to exercise
While it’s still generally okay to go out for a run or bike ride, you may want to
keep some things indoors, especially as the months turn colder. Invest in a yoga
mat for home workouts, or search for cardio-heavy workout videos
on
YouTube. There are easy stretches and exercises you can do in a short amount
of time that will help you stay healthy and keep you moving, which can be a
major challenge when you work inside all day.
Set strict boundaries at home
Because it’s harder than ever to separate home and work life, come up with
boundaries and stick to them. For example, don’t eat lunch or dinner where you
work, or make it clear to family members that you’re not available during your
working hours for chores or errands.
Stay social
Another challenge is maintaining social outlets. Suggest to your co-workers that
you get together for a Zoom happy hour on Fridays. Schedule weekend virtual
hangouts with friends and other family members, or schedule an outdoor,
socially distanced coffee if that is within your comfort zone. Talk to people on
the phone instead of texting. These small steps will help you maintain a
somewhat “normal” social life.
Know when to unplug
Stop when the workday is over, and force yourself to disconnect. Don’t check
your email from the couch or try to get a head start on work for the next day.
It’s important to take breaks from work and do things you enjoy. Turn off your
computer or cellphone notifications for a while so you won’t be tempted to
respond.
Find outlets for laughter
Maintaining your sanity requires a bit of levity. After work is over, watch
something funny or enjoy a fun read. Play with your kids or your pets for a
while. Find your inner child so you can truly smile, laugh, and enjoy yourself.
These opportunities are even more important if you’re constantly reading
negative news reports or sitting at your computer.
Focus on your mental health
These tips lead to the final point: focus on your mental health. While exercising,
setting boundaries, and laughing will help you de-stress, remember that it’s
normal to feel overwhelmed, anxious, or depressed. Consider talking to a
professional therapist on the phone or in a video conference. Talking things out
with someone other than your cat or partner will help you gain perspective and
recognize how you can keep improving.
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Workplaces often place a disproportionate burden on female workers. That
includes workloads as well as emotional and relational labor within the
workplace. Historically, women have also been responsible for the majority of
work at home. In the 1960s, White women began entering the workforce. It is
important to acknowledge that women of color, particularly Black and Latina
women, working in the homes of White families allowed White women to enter
the workforce.
Currently, women of all racial backgrounds are in the workforce. However, this
has increased responsibilities for women—both working professionally and
still largely carrying the burden of work in the home. These dual
responsibilities can increase stress, compromise physical and emotional health,
and lead to burnout and lower work productivity.
The coronavirus pandemic has increased disparities and stress among women
as well. Women of color, in particular, are more likely to be exposed to the
coronavirus due to many working in essential positions such as in healthcare.
In addition, women may be homeschooling children, caregiving for parents or
loved ones, and/or having to find childcare. Moreover, there is a significant
financial impact for women who are unable to work due to their increased
responsibilities.
Even prior to the pandemic, there were pay inequities and discrimination
among women in the workplace and especially women of color. Amid these
challenges, women of color are experiencing significant race-related stress due
to the continued killings of unarmed Black individuals. As such, it is critical that
employers carefully reflect on ways in which women are disproportionately
overburdened and how this extra work limits their advancement
opportunities
as well as their overall wellbeing. Employers should make efforts to transform
the workplace structures and policies to better support women’s contributions.
Working women are encouraged to recognize that the perfect balance between
work and home life is an unattainable myth. Instead, consider work among the
multiple life roles that you manage along with other roles. Each role may
require more effort/time than others across the course of the year and
throughout your life. Seek help from others in your work and life environments
to share the load. Prioritizing your roles can help you decide how best to
manage your time across your various roles and responsibilities.
Action items for a healthy work-life balance
Each will depend on your personal situation, context, and preferences.
Adapt your attitude
 Acknowledge your feelings—positive, negative, and neutral—they are all
valid and need to be expressed.
 Lower your expectations—“perfection” does not exist, and it is okay if
you are not as productive as you think you should be. Be okay with just
doing your best with the resources you have.
 Practice self-compassion (e.g., “I made a mistake, but I’m human, and
making mistakes is okay”).
Engage in self-care
 Establish boundaries so that you are not taking on extra burdens.
 Prioritize a relaxation or self-care activity as you are able—taking care of
yourself will help you function best in your roles.
 Participate in teletherapy if desired and available.
Become more organized
 Create a structured but flexible schedule.
 Establish dedicated spaces for certain activities (i.e., work space, play
space).Simplify your task list into what is the highest priority, allowing
for flexibility.
 Delegate some tasks to others with clear expectations, as applicable.
Stay connected
 Evaluate who you want to invest your energy in and what formats of
connection (e.g., Facetime, social media) are most rewarding for you.
 Have a weekly check-in meeting with a friend or family member who is
experiencing similar challenges at home.
If you have children, involve them in your planning
 Create a structured but flexible schedule and allow your children to make
choices about that structure so they have buy-in.
 Have children Facetime family members and play games like Charades,
Pictionary, etc.
 Set them up with a task like a jigsaw puzzle and set a timer for them—if
they do not bother you until the timer goes off, then they get a small
reward (ideally a toy or a sticker rather than food).Give them 2–3 task
options and let them choose which one they want to do. This gives them
some autonomy.
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The COVID-19 pandemic has radically changed the way we live, from our work
to our learning to our social lives. Our new reality poses a unique set of
challenges for all of us.
Self-care can include myriad practices that you find both enjoyable and that in
some way promote your physical, emotional, spiritual, or mental health.
According to the definition from the World Health Organization, self-care is the
behaviors you do to take care of your health and can include hygiene, nutrition,
leisure activities, sports, exercise, seeking professional healthcare services
when needed, and much more.
And amid a global pandemic, the need to care for our health — all aspects of it
— is of the utmost importance because let’s face it: Navigating this new normal
is not easy. Whether it’s struggling to get your kids to partake in online learning,
productively working from home all day long, sharing tight quarters with
housemates for much longer hours than you’re used to, or being cut off
(physically, at least) from loved ones, we feel you.
So how can you balance your day and also empower the ones you love or share
a common space with to do the same? Fear not! Everyday Health has you
covered.
We’ve rounded up this list of self-care tips meant to inspire your health and
wellness anytime — while enabling you to feel less stressed and more resilient
on anxiety-ridden days like these.
1. Prioritize Sleep — Your Mood and Immune System Are Counting On It
When it comes to taking care of your health and well-being, sleep is pretty much
always part of the answer. Getting enough good-quality sleep keeps your
immune system running at its best to fight off infections, like the one caused by
the new coronavirus. Indeed: There are parts of the body’s immune response
that happen only during sleep. Scientists know sleep is also one of the top ways
we can help keep stress in check, as sleep deprivation can make us more
sensitive to the effects of stress, ramping up our reactions (or overreactions).
Finally, the brain needs sleep to function; without it, you'll be less patient and
focused, make poor decisions, and be more moody, irritable, and emotional.
2. Know Your Signs of Stress
Sometimes self-care is about knowing when you’re getting overloaded or
overwhelmed and responding with micro habits that prevent all-out burnout.
For example, are you starting to withdraw from friends? Are you sitting in
traffic swearing? Getting more headaches or stomachaches lately? You can call
this learning from what you consider to be your overwhelmed “emoji” key. (We
all have a unique one that resonates with us, right?) When you feel the need to
text that emoji to everyone on your contact list, take it as a cue to ask yourself
what you need. Maybe you need to roll your shoulders a few times and then go
take a short walk. “It’s about building up and awareness and having the selfknowledge to check in and adjust”.
3. Work. It. Out.
Spending a lot more time at home does not mean you get to be a couch potato.
Staying active not only keeps your body healthy physically (keeping your risk
of chronic health issues down and lowering your chances of acute illness, like
COVID-19), it also helps up your mood and well-being. Exercise releases
endorphins (hormones that make you feel good!), sharpens focus, and aids
sleep. Staying physically active also lessens the risk of mood disorders, boosts
energy, and improves mood overall. Talk about a one-two punch against the
midafternoon slump!
4. Test Ride a Workout You’ve never Done Before
When it comes to fitness, people tend to stick to what they know. But this might
be the perfect time to hop out of your comfort zone — while you're still in the
comfort of your home. That way, you may feel less awkward or like a newbie,
while getting the benefits of joining a new online class. Check out options like
Zumba, boxing, or dance workouts; or download apps that have a range of
options, like Openfit or Sworkit.
5. Downward Dog Like You Mean It
Are you a yogi or have you considered starting a yoga practice? Now is the time.
Yoga offers a laundry list of health benefits, from busting stress to stretching
out inactive muscles to building strength to providing a burst of physical
activity (depending on the type you do). Why might yoga be an especially useful
tool to add to your coping arsenal right now? It links movement with breath.
Because both these factors can affect our body’s stress reactions, yoga can be a
silver bullet in tough times.
6. Skip, Jump, Hop, and Get Silly
If it makes you feel like a kid and a little silly, it can be a mood booster. Play in
any form can cause a cascade of positive neurochemicals like serotonin,
oxytocin, and dopamine. Even just a minute of child-like activity can cause a
good-chemicals surge, especially if you're feeling stressed.
7. Take a Forest Bath
The Japanese practice of Shinrin-yoku, or “forest bathing,” simply means
walking in an area with trees and deeply inhaling the air. Trees release certain
chemicals, like terpenes, that have been associated with activation of the
parasympathetic nervous system, which sends your body into “chill out” destress mode. The practice is so powerful that forest bathing has been shown to
improve mental health by decreasing measures of depression, according to
research published in June 2019 in Environmental Health and Preventative
Medicine.
8. Play a Game
Monopoly as an anti-stress strategy? A survey found that 64 percent of
respondents cited game playing as a way to relax, while 53 percent play for
stress relief. While part of the appeal is playing with friends and family in
person, there are tons of virtual options, like Words With Friends, or get your
friends together and choose a game from House party you can play in real-time.
9. Avoid Mindless Snacking; Eat Intuitively Instead
Are you now spending your days within eyeshot or arm's reach of your snack
drawer? Rather than self-impose strict rules on what foods are off-limits, try
intuitive eating. It’s not a diet so much as a way of eating that’s all about giving
your body what it needs when it needs it. Intuitive eating doesn’t restrict any
specific foods or have you counting calories. It’s a practice in which you listen
to your body and pay attention to what you need at the moment. Is it time for a
meal or a snack? You eat when you feel hungry, and you stop eating when you
feel full. For inspiration, look no further than Instagram.
10. Swap Out One Coffee for Decaf
Caffeine is one of the most researched substances with more than 10,000
studies to date, according to a November 2017 study published in Food and
Chemical Toxicology. Not surprisingly, that's led to a wide range of conclusions,
but a fairly consistent one is that having too much can lead to less-than-ideal
effects, the researchers conclude. They note that getting more than 400
milligrams of caffeine daily — check your consumption with this chart from the
Center for Science in the Public Interest (and remember that not every cup of
coffee is equivalent when it comes to caffeine content; it depends on the roast
of coffee and how strong it’s brewed) — can affect your central nervous system,
gastrointestinal system, and sleep quality. It can even increase anxiety and
stress. So enjoy your buzz, but try limiting your daily amount.
11. Enjoy the Healing Power of Baking
"Self-care comes with the idea of nourishing yourself, on every level. And doing
something creative can promote that feeling of well-being. That can include
baking because for many people that act of creating something delicious feels
like pressing a reset button."
Plus it's an easy project for including other family members, like a spouse or
kids. That can give you a sweet burst of social time that ends with a delicious
result.
12. Reach for High-Protein Snacks When You Need an Energy Boost
What should you be noshing on when you feel hungry? Keep high-protein bites
on hand to help you get to the end of your to-do list for the day. You’ve heard it
before: Protein helps you feel full longer and avoid the energy crash you might
experience after the high of a carb-heavy snack subsides. Think hard-boiled
eggs, nuts, Greek yogurt, and nut butter and veggies. (Bonus: You’re feet from
your fridge, so there’s no need to pack snacks ahead of time or tote them around
for the day.)
13. Keep Stress-Busting Foods on Hand
Yes, you read that correctly. Certain foods can have a stress-lowering effect.
Warm foods like soup or tea are soothing, and the omega-3s in fatty fish may
improve mood. Avocados are packed with vitamins C and B6, which are known
to help reduce stress. Dark chocolate is antioxidant-rich, which is great for
thwarting stress (do savor in moderation, however, as it’s a calorie-dense food).
Other foods that can help include whole-grain carbohydrates, bananas,
oranges, water, and leafy greens.
14. Leave Stress-Inducing Foods in Not-So-Convenient Places
Though you may be inclined to indulge in treats or your favorite cocktail, know
that this may be counterproductive. Foods that exacerbate or mess with stress
in a less-than-savory way include caffeine, alcohol, and refined sugars. You
don’t have to cut them out completely, but do limit your intake and enjoy them
in moderation.
15. Whip Up a Mocktail With Health-Boosting Ingredients
Give your liver a break and try mixing a healthy mocktail. Steer clear of the
sugary juices and syrups and opt for healthier choices like hibiscus
tea,
kombucha, sparkling water, and fresh fruits. You can also combine fun flavors
like grapefruit and mint, or green tea and oranges.
16. Skip the Scale Today
If you’re someone whose morning routine includes a hop on the scale — and
the results don’t affect how you feel, then you can be confident that the habit
works for you. However, for a subset of people, self-weighing is a source of
stress and something that drives down their self-esteem noted a meta-analysis
published in April 2016 in Health Psychology Review.
If stepping on the scale puts you in a negative frame of mind, consider skipping
the weigh-in today. You might just feel free.
17. Go Punk like Lady Gaga: Practice Kindness and Gratitude
Lady Gaga says she practices being kind to others and being grateful for what’s
going right in her life. Clinical studies have found that people who regularly
practice gratitude journaling (writing down what you’re grateful for) report
better well-being, physical health, and increased optimism about the future.
Practicing kindness is sometimes easier said than done (particularly when
we’re in tight quarters and tension is high), but remember that everyone is
going through a tough time right now.
18. Develop a ‘Don’t Do’ List
Self-care doesn’t have to be an action item. It can be about freeing up space for
the things that matter in your life and removing those that steal your energy.
After an especially draining day, take a few minutes to reflect: What dragged
you down? How can you do less of that? Go ahead and physically write down a
“don’t do” list, something that can serve as a reminder that holds you
accountable.
“This list helps you get unstuck. You may not get this perfect the first time, but
you can keep making adjustments until you’re doing more of the things that
perk you up.
19. Practice Positive Self-Talk
A major aspect of self-care is the "self" part, and that includes how you view
yourself and, importantly, the language you use when talking to yourself.
Appreciate the small tasks you do during the day and remember to tell yourself
“good job” — whether it’s a work task, making time for exercise, or keeping
your patience when disciplining your child. Celebrate your daily successes with
positive self-talk. It might feel weird at first, but your brain will soak up that
self-care goodness, and research suggests it can help begin to turn your
thoughts and feelings into a happier ones.
20. Automate Your Joy
If you’re caring for loved ones all the time, it can be tough to put that attention
on yourself with self-care. “One way to get around that resistance is to automate
as much of the legwork as you can. One of the things she does is set her smart
home device to play music at a certain time every day.
21. Change Your Passwords to Be Your Mantra
This one is good for your mental health and your digital security. For a
password, you use regularly — such as unlocking your laptop or accessing
online banking — change it to an option that's meaningful but still securityminded. For example, if your mantra is "I am enough every day," use the first
letters of those words and pair them with numbers and symbols, as in
20#IAeeD&21.
Repetition is a powerful trigger for your brain. If you think of that phrase
numerous times a day when using your password, it's easy to have it "soak in"
as an affirmation.
22. Stand Up and Stretch
Although embarking on a full-on workout helps take care of yourself,
sometimes all you need is just to change your body position for about 15 to 30
seconds to give yourself a restart, Emmons says. When you make a conscious
and physical shift, like standing up and stretching, your mind recognizes the
change and responds beneficially. Consider it a mini-break for mind and body
alike. Try standing up and stretching your arms high overhead, bending over
to
touch your toes, or sitting on the floor in a cross-legged position for a hipopening stretch.
23. Take a Few Minutes to Practice Diaphragm Breathing
Calm and measured breathing can have immediate effects on your mental and
physical state, whether the tension comes from the relentless news cycle or
your ever-present housemates. Do your breathing practice regularly to start or
end your day in a positive way, or try it in a moment when you need a little
more zen. Need guidance? Certain meditation apps, such as Calm, have free
web-based resources that will help you along.
24. Try Alternate-Nostril Breathing
Deep breathing is very useful for slowing down the nervous system. If anxious
thoughts keep pinging around, try this alternative strategy, he suggests. First,
exhale completely, and then inhale deeply. On your next exhale, gently place an
index finger against your right nostril to close it off. Inhale using just your left
nostril. Then move your index finger to the left nostril to close that one off and
exhale through only the open right nostril. Continue alternating sides and
repeat for 15 rounds.
25. Give Yourself a Meditation Break
You don’t need any special equipment or space for this one; you can do it
anytime, anywhere. Simply put, meditation is thinking deeply or focusing your
mind for a set period. The benefit: Meditation can help reduce stress, ease
symptoms of depression and anxiety, and regulate negative thinking. If you’re
looking for another tool to add to your arsenal to combat stress, consider it. Just
as with deep breathing, you’ll be happy to know there’s no shortage of
meditation apps available.
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Since the start of the pandemic, traditional business hours have gone out the
window. Instead, professionals are working around their family schedules. The
working times are different for everyone, and the boss no longer has any
control over the schedules of direct reports.
These days, some people in your company are probably online in the early
morning, while some are online late into the evening, and others, much of the
weekend. This may make you feel like you need to be online all the time to
accommodate all of these schedules, and to be available for communication at
all hours.
Now more than ever, the phrase “business hours” is devoid of meaning. During
the pandemic, “business hours” has morphed into “any hours”—or, more
precisely, “all hours”—so it should be no surprise that burnout has become a
serious and growing problem.
However, the pandemic-induced emotional exhaustion of employees is often
overlooked by companies until it’s too late.
Work-Life Balance Is More Important Than Ever
At this time of tremendous transition, leaders have a critical responsibility to
be deliberate and explicit about expectations of availability, and to define
exactly what “business hours” means to your organization. Leaders have an
opportunity to make company culture much more supportive of employees’
work-life balance. And yes, despite all the talk before COVID about “work-life
integration” and “work-life blending,” the pandemic has shown that work-life
balance is more important than ever. The way I define this for my clients is
simply, “Don’t work too much.” When you do other things in addition to work,
you will have more creativity and motivation during your work time. The way
I like to phrase it is that sometimes the best thing you can do for your work is
not work!
Work-Life Balance Depends on Leaders
There is now ample evidence to show that despite how it may seem, working
more hours doesn’t necessarily increase our productivity. In fact, it’s often the
reverse. Studies indicate that after 50 hours a week, productivity starts to
decline.
Working too many hours limits access to your full range of skills and abilities—
the unique characteristics you were hired for in the first place. Your brain needs
time to unplug and recharge in order to unleash your genius and creativity.
Set Boundaries with Technology
Even if your team communication is limited to channels you can “shut off,” such
as Slack chats and email, checking messages 24/7 is often too hard to resist.
That’s partly because we have a habit of doing it all day, so that habit can’t be
“paused” just because the work day is over. Also, employees want to appear
“responsive” when you email them on evenings and weekends, especially if
“responsiveness” is something that is highly valued—and expected—at your
company.
Explicitly Encourage Employees to Recharge
Like Jane Fraser, leaders everywhere should focus on developing a company
culture that encourages work-life balance. This is good for individuals and for
the bottom line; happy employees are more productive, and burnout is a
primary obstacle to happiness at work.
With that in mind, here are some suggestions for what leaders can do to help
their teams thrive:
 Be a good role model for work life balance, because the leader’s work-life
balance has a big impact on your team members’ work-life balance.
 Encourage all employees to use vacation time (and not work while
they’re gone!) and take vacation yourself. Research strongly supports the
idea that truly disconnected vacation time is critical for staving off
burnout and increasing employee productivity.
 Help employees feel that they can disconnect, by designating someone
else they can put on their out-of-office messages, and maybe even
allowing them to have emails deleted while they’re gone.
 Decide on your company’s “communication hours,” and strongly
discourage team members from sending work-related messages to one
another outside of these hours. Designate a specific channel, like text
messages, to use for emergencies outside of these communication hours.
As a leader, you play a critical role in the company culture. While ultimately,
work-life balance is up to employees, it can’t be evaluated in a vacuum, and the
company culture will shape the employees’ attitudes and behaviors.
Work-Life Balance Is Up To Individuals
While it might seem like this headline conflicts with the one above, it’s true that
the team’s work-life balance is the responsibility of both leaders and
individuals.
So below are several ways you can preserve enthusiasm for your work and
reduce your own risk of burnout as you head back to the office—whether you’re
reporting to the office every day or just for a few hours a week.
If you work at a demanding company, you might feel defeated, and like you have
no choice but to work ever-longer hours. However, you probably do have some
degree of choice in how often you work, and even where you work.
How Often You Work
If your work depends on your brainpower, then giving your brain the downtime
and stress reduction it needs might help you become better at your job and get
more done in less time. So back off a little bit, take better care of yourself, and
see what happens. You might be surprised at the results.
Another idea is to give the appearance of working more hours without actually
doing it, a tactic successfully used by many male professionals. An article
discusses how men’s performance is often praised even when they’re doing
less. So if you are convinced that you must work long hours to get your job done,
question that belief.
Also consider if you have room to learn how to get more done in the same
amount of time by better managing your attention and your responsibilities.
How You Communicate
So many knowledge workers make the mistake of viewing email as “the thing
you squeeze in between ‘real’ work.” But many of my clients can spend more
than 3 hours a day simply responding to email! So email, as well as other forms
of communication, is absolutely real work and deserves to be treated as such.
Carve out time in your schedule for email. Know that communications never
end, so when it’s time to process your email, take two important steps:
 Once you’ve addressed a message, move it out of your inbox. Use your
email inbox only for receiving and processing messages, not for storing
them.
 Work in offline mode. You will never be “done” with email, but you can
be “done for now.”
Where You Work
The pandemic has tightened many segments of the job market, so if you are
qualified to work in one of those segments, you might have opportunities to
move to a company that puts a higher premium on work-life balance.
Sometimes, the grass really is greener somewhere else. Before you allow
yourself to feel “stuck,” fully explore your options. Remember, though, that if
you are the primary driver of your long work hours, those habits will follow you
wherever you go.
Business Hours Can Be Individualized
In the new normal, we need to be deliberate about when we are working and
when we aren’t. Going forward, different teams may work different business
hours, and that can work. And freelancers and contractors may set their own
business hours.
What’s important here is not which hours are working hours, but that all hours
are not “business hours.” Companies who want the happiest, most productive
employees need to cultivate a culture that respects their workers’ time off. They
must also help them define when they need to be available, and when they
don’t.
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Under normal circumstances, the transition to remote work can be challenging.
Add caregiving to the mix and your employees are well on their way to burnout.
How can parents and guardians balance conference calls and science projects,
laundry and math homework, or kids and coworkers—all while living,
studying, and working less than one roof?
Whether newly remote or navigating hybrid works, these tips can help your
employees juggle both work and family responsibilities in this new world of
work.
1. Coordinate a new family schedule.
With kids at home and parents coordinating playtime, school, meals, laundry,
and their own work—things can get chaotic fast. Creating structure and balance
means you’ll need to adjust your regular routine and build a new schedule or
plan of attack.
This means prioritizing tasks and responsibilities and being flexible on what
actually needs to happen and when. A great way to get started is to have a
weekly family meeting to go over what each family member’s week ahead looks
like.
If you have children in school, consider:
 What assignments are due?
 Are there projects or activities they need help with?
 Do you need to help them set up their virtual conferences?
 What time do they need you to be available?
Other things to coordinate include daily or weekly chores and household
management tasks like meal planning and child care. If you have a partner (or
kids who are old enough to help), consider dividing up responsibilities or taking
turns to accommodate everyone’s schedules.
Pro Tip: Set alarms throughout the day to keep you (or your kids) on schedule.
2. Check in and reassess daily.
Consider having a nightly debriefing to go over the next day’s schedule and
make sure everything is on track. For example, if you have a work call in the
morning, you may need to “book” the home office or bedroom to have a
designated space away from the rest of the household.
Make a plan for sharing and dividing space too—especially if you are attending
to kids during the day. Talk with your partner, roommates, or family members
to develop a plan.
If you are a single parent or don’t live with a partner, it is still helpful to take
time at the end of each day to check in with yourself and any other family
members you’re living with to take inventory of the day and plan ahead for the
next.
Your schedule may not be ideal, but communicating regularly and making a
plan together will help you create needed structure as you juggle competing
priorities.
3. Take regular breaks.
Whether from work or family (or both), don’t forget to take breaks. Humans
need regular breaks from focused activities to recharge. Studies show that brief
breaks can actually improve focus and prevent burnout. And with the stressors
of today's world on top of work and family overload, you need to take special
care of your mental health.
So how often should you take a break? About every 50 to 90 minutes. You don’t
need to break for long either. 15 to 20 minutes can do the trick. Take a breather
to nap, read, go for a walk, meditate, or snack (but try to avoid junk food).
If possible, coordinate some of your breaks with your partner and/or family. Go
for a family walk, play a quick game, have group snack time, or even watch
some
funny videos together. Taking time away from work and school together or
apart can help you reconnect and refocus.
4. Dedicate work and school space.
One of the hardest things about transitioning to remote work is staying focused
and productive without the built-in structure of the office.
A simple but effective way to create structure is to designate clear workspaces
for each person in the household. This will look different for everyone,
depending on the size of their living space and the number of people in the
household. However, even if one person has to work in the bedroom and the
kids at the kitchen table, creating those “work stations” can help you stay
organized.
This is especially important for parents who will likely need a quieter space to
be alone when taking calls or doing work that requires extra attention.
5. Reset expectations.
You may feel overwhelmed thinking about all the things you need to manage
and accomplish between work and family. But remember that you aren’t just
working from home right now.
You may be struggling with anxiety and stress, which can affect memory,
attention, and mood. And on top of all that, you’re also trying to keep your
household running.
Set realistic and compassionate expectations for yourself, your coworkers, and
for your family. Communicate honestly with your manager or team about what
you’re able to do and when. Clear boundaries and realistic expectations can
help you avoid pushing yourself to the point of burnout.
Working from home and managing personal and family life is stressful. Be
gentle with yourself and your team—use these tips to stay grounded.
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Remember when one of the toughest decisions we faced most days was
whether to cook dinner or try a new restaurant? With the arrival of COVID-19
vaccines, it seems a return to those more carefree days is on the horizon.
But before we get too excited about making restaurant reservations, let’s think
about some of the benefits we’ve realized from spending several months
cooking and eating at home with our kids. Maintaining work-life balance after
COVID should include this pandemic-era routine as much as possible.
Of course, it’s worth mixing it up by ordering in a night or two per week and
supporting local restaurants when time and budgets allow. But cooking and
eating with your kids, at a specific time each night reserved for family time,
offers several long-term benefits.
Work-life balance after COVID: 5 reasons to keep cooking and
eating together
The COVID-19 pandemic has shown us that cooking and eating together is even
more important than we initially thought. In can even be a lifesaver for parents
struggling to balance at-home work with raising, entertaining, and educating
their kids.
Here’s why you should continue to cook and eat with your kids, even after life
returns to something resembling normal.
Create less picky, more adventurous eaters
It’s important to keep trying new foods with kids. It’s easy to forget that what
kids may turn their noses up at one day often become a favorite food the next.
Cooking together, tasting ingredients before they’re cooked and trying foods in
new ways all are strategies to inspire kids to be great eaters. And let’s be honest:
bribery works. Try striking a bargain of five bites of a new food to bake —and
get — a cookie. Eventually your kids will be excited to try new things.
Healthier kids
Kids become better eaters when they cook with their parents since they had a
hand in preparing the meal — this is across every culture, everywhere in the
world. Kids who learn to cook eat healthier foods in healthy amounts — period.
The more they play a role in the process and in the cooking, the more invested
they are in the decisions. Plus, they quickly learn about their likes and dislikes,
which will make them healthier eaters over the long term.
Safer and smarter
It may sound like a silly question, but do your kids truly understand that the
blue flames on the stove are scorching hot? Do they know how to behave safely
around the stovetop and utensils such as knives, or even how heat transforms
food?
Odds are, they haven’t given any of these concepts much thought. Divvy up
meal-prep duties and you’ll quickly develop safer kids, but also smarter ones.
Cooking portions of ingredients and following the recipe, they’ll quickly pick up
basic math skills and concepts such as fractions.
Work-life balance after COVID will be stronger
In our house, we have dinner on the table every night at 6:30 p.m. It’s truly the
best time, coming together to share our day. Laptops, tablets, and phones are
all off. And just as I pick a different spot to work from every day (such as the
kitchen table, my office, or even outside) to keep things fresh and inspired, we
also try to eat something different every day.
Employee well-being and productivity: Striking a balance
More paid time off, free mental health counseling, and regular check-ins via
surveys: The focus on employee well-being has never been better - or more
important.
Maintaining variety is as good for your body as it is for your brain; it makes that
distinction between work and home stronger at a time when those lines have
blurred — to an unhealthy degree for many families.
Since people have proven to be effective workers from home, it’ll be all the
more important to maintain this separation of work and home after the
pandemic, particularly for parents who choose to continue working remotely.
Family bonding at the table
So much talk during the pandemic has been about “survival” or “staying sane”
through each day. But what about thriving in lieu of merely surviving? The
kitchen table is where this can and should start.
As important as the food may be, being together at the dinner table is the real
gift. It’s how families connect with each other, make memories, or even make
decisions together — what Netflix show they’ll watch together after dinner,
what books to read before bedtime, or what the first big post-pandemic
vacation will be.
We’re able to have these thoughtful, powerful conversations and strengthen
family bonds– which are essential in times of crisis, such as COVID-19 — if we
do something as simple as cooking and eating together each night.
Healthy habits for long-term work-life balance after COVID
No family or family dynamic is perfect. All of us are works in progress, and that’s
part of the fun of raising kids. 2020 was a more challenging year than any other,
but it also presented us with the opportunity to explore this idea deeper.
Plenty of habits formed during the past year will probably be with us for a long
time to come:
1. Wearing masks when we’re sick
2. Washing our hands more often (as we should have been doing all along)
3. Rethinking how often we truly need to be at the office
But arguably the most important routine we can maintain for our long-term
physical, social, and emotional health is to cook and eat together as families, as
often as possible.
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Poor work-life balance negatively impacts workers' health and happiness. They
become more stressed and feel less in control at work and in their personal
lives. Those who have a good work-life balance are often happier and less
stressed. When you're happier you're more likely to be more motivated,
productive, and do better work.
Finding work-life balance is all about prioritization. Planning and scheduling,
time management, communication tools, and productivity techniques help you
manage your workday so you can complete the tasks on your to-do list quicker.
In this guide there are some work-life balance tips for a healthy relationship
between your professional and personal life.
In this guide, we have provided with all the tips for maintaining work-life
balance for workers. Whether you're new to working from home or you're a
remote work pro, these tips will help you stay productive at work, while still
leaving time each day for your friends, family, and personal interests.
Click Here To Grab New Normal Life Balance HD Training Video
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5 Steps to improve work
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Benefits of work life
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What are the benefits of having
a work•life balance?
What are the most common
causes of poor work•life
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10 tips to improve your
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Here are seven ways to
redefine work-life balance
during the pandemic
Here are 5 tips on how to
make mental health a
priority.
How COVICJ.19 is changing
work•life balance
How to improve your
work•life balance
Chapter 10 • Work-Life
Balance A�er COVID:
Keep Cooking
Chapter 01 • The
The Kids
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Chapter 09 • Work-Life
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Work: Tips For
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Family
Chapter 02 • How To
Improve And Maintain
Your Work-Life
Balance?
Chapter 03 • Ways To
Redefine- Work-Life
Balance During The
Pandemic
Work•life balance after
COVJD: 5 reasons to keep
cooking and eating together
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Check in and reassess
daily.
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Chapter 08 • Improving
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Work•Life Balance Depends
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Chapter 04 • Ways To
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Chapter 07. Work-Life
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Chapter 05 - Work-Life
Balance In A Remote
Pandemic Environment
Chapter 06 • How Working
Women Can Manage Work-Life
Balance During COVID-19?
© Sylvain Lamoureux
Work•Life Balance Is Up
To Individuals
Business Hours Can Be
Individualized
Prioritize Sleep - Your Mood
and Immune System Are
Counting On It
Avoid Mindless Snacking; Eat
Intuitively Instead
Leave Stress-Inducing Foods in
Not•So•Conve..nient Places
Take a Few Minutes to Practice
Diaphragm Breathing
Action items for a healthy
work•lffe balance
Click Here To Grab New Normal Life Balance HD Training Video
5 Steps to improve work life balance
 Creating a work leisure plan
 Leaving out activities that waste time and energy
 Outsourcing and Delegating work
 Set enough time for relaxation
 Prioritizing work
Other Work-Life Balancing Techniques
 Know your manager's schedule
 Know when to make calls and when to do administrative work.
 Schedule family vacations to minimize work disruption.
 Draw a clear line between your personal and work time.
 If you’re an overachiever, consider cutting back
What are the benefits of having a work-life balance?
 Fewer health issues
 Higher productivity
 Fewer ‘burnouts’
 More mindfulness
Tips to improve your work-life balance
 Manage Your Expectations
 Create a Dedicated Workspace
 Take Regular Breaks
 Establish Transition Times
 Establish a Routine
© Sylvain Lamoureux
 Communicate Your Needs
 Be Kind to Yourself
Here are seven ways to redefine work-life balance during the pandemic:
 Reflect on why work-life balance matters to you.
 Define your home office. Remove the “temporary” sign and make your
workspace work for you.
 Set boundaries. Establish a clear start and end point to your workday.
 Keep moving!
 Find moments of stillness.
 Connect with others.
 Finally, remind yourself that this pandemic will not last forever.
Here are 5 tips on how to make mental health a priority.
 Set boundaries at work
 If you’re working from home, build your schedule as if you were going to
the office
 Do a cell phone detox
 Prioritize sleep
 Schedule time for personal and professional development
How to improve your work-life balance
 Find new ways to exercise
 Set strict boundaries at home
 Stay social
 Know when to unplug
© Sylvain Lamoureux
 Find outlets for laughter
 Focus on your mental health
Action items for a healthy work-life balance
 Adapt your attitude
 Engage in self-care
 Become more organized
 Stay connected
 If you have children, involve them in your planning
Tips can help you juggle both work and family responsibilities
 Coordinate a new family schedule
 Check in and reassess daily
 Take regular breaks
 Dedicate work and school space
 Reset expectations
Here’s why you should continue to cook and eat with your kids
 Create less picky, more adventurous eaters
 Healthier kids
 Safer and smarter
 Work-life balance after COVID will be stronger
 Employee well-being and productivity: Striking a balance
 Family bonding at the table
 Healthy habits for long-term work-life balance after COVID
© Sylvain Lamoureux