Work-Life-Study balance during and after COVID-19!

COVID-19 has changed the way we work and operate! We are no longer going to the office, which is saving the commute time, however, on the other hand, the number of meetings has increased. Earlier, we used to finish face-to-face discussions in 5 minutes, and now we are spending more time on online calls. This can be a little challenging if your spouse is also working and you have school-going kids as well. Your spouse also has to work, and kids have online classes and submissions. Last but not least, you are spending time in your home, and your home office setup may not be ergonomic as well. In this situation, you may face work-life-study balance challenges.

Work-Life-Study Balance

There are a few things that you can try out. 

Carve out dedicated time for the family, for example, Breakfast time (8:00 AM to 9:00AM), lunchtime (1:00 PM to 2:00 PM), Study time (6:00 to 7:00 PM), and Dinner time (7:00 PM to 8:00 PM). Avoid taking any meetings during these times/breaks. Block this time in your calendar, so that no one can book your calendar during this time.

Segregate meetings into must-have, good to have, and nice to have. Take your judgment on good-to-have and nice-to-have meetings. Try to either reduce the frequency instead of weekly, make it fortnightly, or cancel the meeting series for a few months, etc. You have to attend and participate in "must-have" meetings. 

Segregate your to-do list into 2X2 urgent and important matrix (The Eisenhower Matrix )and try to complete them within the time. 

While dealing with emails, remember 4D's [Do (take action), Delegate, Differ, Delete]. The same thing applies to your calendar as well. 

Take regular time off.

Do meditation and exercise 

Seek help from your friends/manager/mentor.

Eat healthy food, and get proper rest/sleep.

Stay home, and keep in touch with your friends, and family members using video calls/chat

Last but not least, invest in good ergonomic furniture so that you don't get into long-term health issues like backache etc.