It's Called 9-5 For a Reason! How To Maintain a Work-Life Balance
Chaos cannot exist without peace and that is especially true in PR, given its fast paced environment and often multiple client juggling act.
Working from home has been able to provide some solace in the day to day grind, removing unnecessarily long commute times for example, but it can be a blessing and a curse. The lack of commuting means feeling rested but we’ve replaced the travel time with being chronically online, which can make you feel like you’re working around the clock. With 73% of home workers reporting symptoms of burnout, it's more important than ever to log off and separate work and home life so our relationships, health and overall happiness aren’t on the line.
A common “hazard” for PR professionals is staying connected 24/7, and that means even after “typical” working hours at times. It is part of our jobs to keep up-to-date with the latest news and trends and how that may affect our clients. That said, it is unrealistic for anyone to be glued to their devices 24/7, so here are some tips we’ve adopted to stay connected and keep us in the know, while also maintaining a work-life balance.
Turn on Google Alerts
The internet never sleeps, so news stories and social media mentions can pop up at any time, making it tricky to keep track of client or industry news after hours. Setting up a free Google Alert will help monitor and measure a variety of topics and relevant content in real-time, as well as watch competitive coverage that you can check throughout the day at your leisure.
Setting Screen Time Limits
When you set a screen time limit, it will help track and minimize excess usage on your mobile device. This feature has many various menus, such as sharing notifications if you hit the limit you set for yourself and setting a time limit on your most-used apps. Another advantage is you can select your device to automatically set it to “do not disturb” after a particular time, which lets you stay in control of your screen time.
Do Not Disturb is your Friend
Mobile devices can be a massive distraction while working, and unlike airplane mode, “Do Not Disturb” can be put on an automatic schedule. This gives you time to focus without needless distractions and the option to select to receive calls from a handful of favourites such as kids, family and close friends or partners, so you can focus and not have to worry about missing important messages.
Taking off/sick/mental health days to avoid burnout
Checking in with your mental health from time to time is equally important as taking care of your physical health. Knowing when to put your hand up and say “I need a mental health day” is the first step to acknowledging your limits and achieving balance, even if that means taking time off to reset. You're no good to yourself or your company if your mind and body aren’t aligned.
Reach out to your team to coordinate tasks
Teamwork can make the dream work. Don't be afraid to reach out to a colleague if you’re overwhelmed and/or if your workload is overloaded. Communicating to your team that you have too much on your plate helps build open communication internally and avoids potential burnout. The key is to be proactive with colleagues and give them time to prioritize what’s on their plate, something they’ll definitely appreciate. And don’t feel bad, because chances are you can always repay the favour for them down the line.
Hopefully this advice will help you stay on track during and after working hours, and helps you get that much needed R&R after long days of being a PR baddie.
Written by Greg Forbes