Do we live to work or work to live?

Do we live to work or work to live? For most, remote working is the new way of life, but how do we maintain a healthy and motivated mindset while we spend the bulk of our time from home? We at Ortus are proudly fully remote, so we know a thing or two about a thing or two.

In a recent study done by Small Business Prices, the UK ranked 11th out of 37 countries in terms of having a good work/life split, however when looking at the World Happiness Scores from World Population Review, the UK didn’t make it into the top 15. So how do we change how we perceive work, and how do we achieve the perfect work/life balance?

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In a survey done by ons.gov.uk, 78% of workers stated that working from home gave them an improved work/life balance* Being able to dictate hours, and make working fit into your life, whether that is between school hours to pick up your kids, or four long days a week, the ways of working are changing rapidly and your mental and physical health is the most important thing to look after, so we are here to help.

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5 Tips to improve your work/life balance

• Work smart, not long

Use apps like Trello and Friday to prioritise tasks and improve productivity.

• Set up a dedicated workspace

Whether it's an office or a specific chair at the dining table, having a space that is purely for work can help to improve the work-life split in your mind.

• Use your “breaks” wisely

Even if it means doing so during your lunch break, get outside and exercise in an attempt to detach and unplug.

• Strong boundaries

From turning your work phone off at 6:00 pm sharp to locking your laptop in a drawer until the morning, having a set time limit on work, even if it changes day to day, is essential to a positive work/life balance.

• Plan Plan Plan

In your calendar, book things for yourself, even if that is just a glass of wine and Netflix, to force yourself to break the cycle of overworking.

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5 Tips from the Ortus team to improve your work/life balance

• Claudia 💪

Being an active relaxer is often looked at as not genuinely relaxing, Claudia finds the exact opposite. Every morning she forces herself to get up and get outside, soak in some vitamin d and walk her little fur baby Ralph before she jumps into work. She finds prioritising exercise, like netball on a Wednesday or ticking off three gym sesh’s a week eases her into a more relaxed “out of work” mindset to continue on her day post 6:00 pm.

• Toni 📱

Throughout the second half of this year, Toni has taken advantage of the Focus tool on her iPhone. She has set up three modes, one for sleep, one for work and one for enjoying life. Her enjoying life mode comes on at 6:00 pm and mutes all work-related apps such as Slack and Notion, then at 9:00 am the next morning, the exact opposite happens, all her work apps come back to life and all other notifications are muted.

• Jerrie 🙏

One thing Jerrie prioritises when she wakes up is doing one thing completely for herself before she begins her work day. She makes sure to do these things for her mental health and overall general wellbeing. By making time in the mornings to workout, meditate or listen to a podcast, Jerrie feels she can settle into her work day feeling awake, re-energised and already successful.

• Amy 🗓

Amy's top tip for a healthy work/life balance is to make yourself do something for YOU. We often put off self-care as it's so commonly deemed luxurious and extravagant when in reality it is essential to having a healthy mindset. So by forcing yourself to get up, go outside and fill up your water bottle or log off at 6:00 pm and stay logged off, you do yourself more of a service than you give yourself credit for.

• Simona 🐕

Although life in the Philippines looks about as relaxing as you can get, one of Simona’s key parts of having a healthy work/life balance is her dog Dobby. By making time in her day to take her fur baby out for a walk, or simply sitting outside in the sun and watching her free as anything play in the backyard, she finds this is one of the best ways to stay refreshed while working from home.

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