With all the technology available to us at our fingertips, I like to think that anyone can achieve the perfect work-life balance, so why are so many people still struggling with this. Is it your workplace team culture, a personal choice, or is it a mixture of things? 
The pandemic has forced many employees to work remotely from home, blurring the line between work and family life. The team at IPA have always worked remotely; however, after 4 years, I still catch myself working before 9 am or after 5 pm. I get on a roll and want to finish what I’m working on, or something pops into my head while cooking dinner; it’s easy to duck into the home office and ‘quickly’ make notes, but when does it stop.
With the goalposts in work and life continuously changing, three things have made my work-life balance manageable because I can control them. Whatever your situation, you are not alone in finding the right balance. The Families in Australia Survey: Employment & work-family balance in 2020 indicate that 49% of those surveyed who work from home find this a challenge.
With two kids under 10, my priorities have always been my family, but putting that into practice can be incredibly difficult when you also have the personal pressures of being successful in your work life. However, the following has helped me switch off and successfully work from home without burning out.
- Workplace Culture: In my opinion, a workplace with a culture of flexibility and trust does wonderful things for employee engagement and improves mental health. Gary Silversides, CEO of IPA, has fostered an amazing culture that takes the guilt and pressure away from days off due to sick kids, wanting to see your kids perform at assembly or simply having a break.
- Workspace Setup: Like many of us, I didn’t build (or buy / rent) my home needing a home office, so when the need arose, I had to improvise, and now our spare bedroom is also my office. The wardrobe doors came off, my desk went in, and now I have a lovely little nook for my workspace. At knock-off time, I leave my work phone and tablet at my desk, turn off the lights and close the doors. I found that having my laptop at the dining table or public space made it harder to switch off because I was reminded of work constantly; there were no boundaries.
- Work Alarms: I can’t take credit for this one; my husband got tired of coming home to see me
still working at 5.30 pm; honestly, I simply lose track of time when I’m working. This became a habit of mine which started to impact the smooth flow of “5 pm madness”, which normally happens with kids when they are tired, hungry and dying for some attention; his solution was simple… set alarms on my phone. Dur! I now have an alarm to tell me when I start work and when I finish work. Some of you may not need to be that regimented, but it works for me. When you love your job, you can easily get carried away.
The moral of my story is to find whatever means it takes to implement a good work-life balance. If not, your physical and mental health will suffer, along with your overall productivity.
Hannah Watts; Business Support Manager
IPA Topic: people and culture
