Technology can make you or break it when it comes to work. While it’s made our work more efficient, it also can mean that you’re plugged into your job at all hours of every day—which can be draining and unnecessary. This is evidently magnified by the increase in work-from home.
With most of us both living and working out of our homes, it’s important to be able to make your technology work for you in order to actually find balance. Here are easy tech hacks to make sure you’re maintaining work-life balance—even when you’re working remotely.
1. Delete, delete, delete
To ensure that work doesn’t get in the way, delete your email app from your phone after you have finished working on Fridays. This can also be applied to any other communication apps used by your company. You can then re-download it every Monday morning when you start your workday. Not only will this allow you to enjoy your weekend fully and without distractions, but you’ll also start your work week off on a much more peaceful foot. You really don’t need to start worrying about work emails the second you wake up on Monday morning.
This may sound like a pain, but it only takes 60 seconds to re-download the app each week, and you’ll gain so much by removing emails completely from your view for the entire weekend.
Social media managers: This is the same for you. Delete and re-download any social media apps you aren’t supposed to check during the weekend. If you’re not asked to be on call, it’s OK to step away and take a breather.
2. Don’t be afraid of “do not disturb”
It can feel like a big deal to cut yourself off from the world, but trust us, once you learn to trust the “do not disturb” settings on your phone, you’ll never want to go back. If you have a work-only phone, even better—you can set your whole device to “do not disturb” for non-work hours.
You can still use your personal phone as your business phone but you might want to allow some friends and family to call you during this time. If your boss really needs to reach you, don’t worry: If they call twice within three minutes, the phone will ring (you can learn more about how all these features work Here). But no, you don’t need to respond to your boss’s brainstorming texts when you’re trying to enjoy dinner with your family.
3. Remove notifications
Even if you don’t open that Slack message or email that comes in a little too early in the morning, it doesn’t mean it’s not disturbing your personal time. That’s time you’re spending reaching for your phone, looking at your screen, and making a mental note to respond later. Now, you might find yourself thinking about this message on your commute or while you clean up after dinner. Turn off any non-necessary notifications—on your phone and computer—and cut out the distractions. This is true for personal apps as well. Not only will your personal time feel more freeing, but you also won’t get distracted during work. Get more done, and you’ll be able to get home.
4. Block the worst distractions
We all have a few websites that we gravitate toward a little too much during the day (this writer is guilty of refreshing New York Magazine’s site constantly since 2008). To help you focus during work, try setting up website blockers on your computer. These distractions can slow you down and cause you to work later than you should, especially if you’re working from home where it’s easy to fall into a productivity guilt trap and to work late to compensate. Many of these tools allow for you to block devices during a set time (think 9-5), while others will remove you from the site until you request them back. This is the complete listA great place to start is website blockers
5. Use technology to set boundaries
Remember back in the day that we could customize our AIM chatroom away statuses when we left that precious screen behind? It’s not entirely clear why anyone needed to know we were in the shower, but that’s how it went. You can do the exact same thing today with modern communication tools. Whenever you leave the office or simply want some heads-down time, feel free to change your status on Slack, mark off time on your public calendar, or set OOO notices that inform your coworkers when you’ll be back online. This may feel harsh at times, but if expectations are set, no one will feel like they’re waiting around for your response since they know you aren’t available at the moment.
6. Keep track of your movements
We’re talking literally. You can track every move you make with a smartwatch, your phone or another exercise tracking device. You can set goals for your movement and have your tech friend track your steps to keep you accountable. Check in on your progress throughout the day—an app may just be the reminder you need to give yourself a break and get your blood flowing!
7. Set break reminders
Similar to how your tech devices can give you a push when you need to move, you can also use your phone or computer for reminders about breaks. It’s so easy to get caught up in our work and forget to take breaks, but you need to take them. Block off time for a solid lunch break on your calendar or set a timer to alert you when you’ve worked for an hour straight. Move. Breathe. Stop typing. Take a break and do whatever you can to relieve tension. You deserve it.
Source: The Every Girl