Unfortunately, due to the COVID-19 pandemic many professionals have found themselves at home for an extended amount of time. Achieving a good work-life balance takes careful thought and planning to avoid increased amounts of stress and burnout in your work.

Before the pandemic we found it much easier to switch off work as we would leave the office and head home. Now home is the office and vice versa. To help break up this new norm we have 3 helpful hints which can help the home professional.

1. Take Breaks

In the office we often would have a coffee break or meet with a coworker to have a mental break from our tasks. Even though you are apart from coworkers, still take a 15 minute break every couple hours just to break up the day. Also, be sure to have a lunch break as you normally would so you can not only replenish your body with nutrients but also mentally.

2. Disconnect and “Go home” on time

Make sure when you are done with your work day, at your normal time to completely disconnect unless it is an absolute emergency. Spend your evening enjoying time with your family which is the reason you are staying at home, to protect them from COVID-19. This is our natural time to relax and recuperate from a stressful work day.

3. Keep in touch with friends and family

While in-person meet ups are often discouraged, set up a virtual get together to touch base with friends and family. While this is not optimal, you can still connect and talk about life and maintain social interactions with friends and loved ones. If you are able to meet at a park or open public area while maintaining safe social distancing, this is also a good practice just to break up the “cabin fever.”

We hope these tips and tricks help you in your professional life and keep you in a better mental state. We here at MSATP wish you and your family a happy and healthy life and want everyone to stay safe during this difficult time.