The Importance of the Work-Life Balance
Even before March, the majority of the workers relied on technology to do their job. COVID-19 forced those who somehow hadn’t relied on technology, to depend on it for almost everything suddenly. I don’t need to explain how reliant we are on technology because this pandemic proved it to everyone in America. For my internship, I was lucky I could physically go into the office. Having to physically go to a different place to work helped me naturally create some work-life balance. Even so, I found myself having to remind myself when I was not in the office, not to work.
First, I must say that I enjoyed my work this summer. From my experience being home doing school, and work, and being in a household where my mother works from home every day, I recognize the importance of balance. Technology has proved to be effective in communicating. Unfortunately, this also proved that we have constant access to any form of video conferencing and our smartphones (i.e., email). No matter what time of the day, everyone who needs to reach me knows exactly how to. My Friends, my family, and my work knows that I check my phone all the time. It can be hard to say you’re busy when everyone knows you can take a zoom call from work, your house, your car, anywhere.
I have learned that you need to set boundaries with your time. You have to be able to walk away from technology during your day. Often, a break from your computer screen means you stare at your phone or the TV. I think its important to be able to do things without any technology and certainly not for work. You will be more productive overall in a day if you set time aside for work, and time aside to live your life. Checking your email throughout the evening may be important in your job, but if it can wait, it should wait!
When I was finishing up school this spring, I was stuck at home and struggled to find a balance. I found myself always thinking about school and that if I’m bored, I should just do more homework or anything productive. I found myself continually half doing something. This summer, I found success by trying to do one thing at a time, something my generation struggles with. We may be great multitaskers (i.e. engaging in an entire conversation as we scroll through Instagram) but I think our days will become more enjoyable if we find a balance.
Physically and mentally log off!