The Publicité Team Share Their Experience and Advice for Establishing a Good Work Life Balance
National Work Life Week, taking place this week (11th-15th October, 2021), is an annual event aimed at getting us all thinking and talking about work life balance and workplace wellbeing. It can be tough to establish a good equilibrium between our work and home lives, especially with the boundaries blurred by home working, schedule changes or homeschooling.
Flexible and remote working is on the rise, which is great, but for those just getting started with a new way of working, or a new job, it can be a steep learning curve to avoid working around the clock or having work overstep its boundaries into family life. Many members of the Publicité team have worked remotely or flexibly for a long time, and have set up their own strategies to maintain a good work life balance.
To celebrate and raise awareness of the importance of flexible working and wellbeing, some members of our team are sharing their experience and advice.
Katrina
What is your experience with flexible working?
I have worked flexibly for many years and find that I can get many other things done in my day, and work when it suits me. I no longer feel restricted by the traditional hours of 9-5. Setting my own schedule allows me to be there for my children at times I might ordinarily need to be in the office. I plan in my diary to take them to swimming classes and other activities and can attend important events, such as dance shows!
Can you share your advice or a strategy you use for establishing a good work life balance?
Completely switch off when you aren’t doing work. Although you can work from anywhere, if you aren’t at your laptop, at a meeting, or setting aside time to directly tackle a project or problem, put your mind into home mode.
What is your favourite way to relax and unwind after a busy week?
I love to get outside with the horses, or anywhere in nature. Lots of exercise and plenty of fresh air.
Laura
What is your experience with flexible working?
I work from home, and need to work around my children’s needs during the holidays, but I do like a routine so my flexible working is very structured. Flexible working facilitates me spending more time with my children, taking them to their clubs and activities, and being with them during their holidays, which is brilliant. I would never be able to do that in a standard desk job. It can be challenging keeping to my working schedule when I don’t have childcare, but I am generally happy to work in the evening to catch up.
Can you share your advice or a strategy you use for establishing a good work life balance?
I set a plan every week on a Sunday for how the week ahead should look and try to stick to it. I also do something called batching, this is when you batch all your similar jobs in one, i.e. all my house admin in one go, work admin in one go, and often on the same day every week, then I know everything should get done. You need to be realistic, methodical and organised, as well as give yourself some down time.
What is your favourite way to relax and unwind after a busy week?
A film, a book and a long walk!
Emma
What is your experience with flexible working?
With two young children, I really need to be able to work flexibly – whether that’s first thing in the morning before they are up, or on a Sunday afternoon when there’s a bit of peace and quiet and my husband can keep an eye on them. It’s beneficial as I can fit work around family life. It’s working really well for me and, to be honest, it’s rarely challenging unless the children are poorly.
Can you share your advice or a strategy you use for establishing a good work life balance?
Although unexpected things always pop up in PR and I would jump on something urgent where possible, I try to manage my “to do” list in a way that means I can spend time with the children after school and on weekends. I think learning when to say no and when to switch off is really important. This is something I’ve definitely got better at over the years. Managing the client’s expectations, for example, setting dates for when certain pieces of work will be done, certainly helps. The pandemic highlighted the realities of family life, and we all had times when children (or pets!) would pop up on Zoom calls.
What is your favourite way to relax and unwind after a busy week?
A few glasses of wine and a kitchen disco with the family!
Nicola
What is your experience with flexible working?
I work flexibly from home and work around family commitments. Although I do a lot of early mornings and work long hours, as I finish earlier than I would in a traditional office job to collect my children from school and take them to their various after school activities, I love having this flexibility. It has enabled me to manage my business successfully from home, with relatively few overheads and peace of mind that I am able to juggle work and family.
The challenges are that I am always at home, so it never feels as though I’m away from work. I get interrupted when everyone is home and it’s hard to have my own space, as I would in an office.
Can you share your advice or a strategy you use for establishing a good work life balance?
I always make sure that when I am with the children I devote my time and attention to them, and try not to be distracted by work calls or emails. It’s important to me that the time I spend with them is quality time and that we have fun (or do homework!).
What is your favourite way to relax and unwind after a busy week?
I train at the gym 4 or 5 times a week. Although not relaxing in the traditional sense, it’s my own space and an opportunity for me to work towards my personal goals. I am a bodybuilding competitor and I love the challenge and meeting new people through the sport.
For more information about National Work Life Week 2021, visit: https://workingfamilies.org.uk/nationalworklifeweek/