Work-life balance within the context of COVID-19 brings up some unique issues, that while challenging, are not insurmountable.
Prior to 2020, working from home was a perk that just a few working professionals enjoyed. However, by the time COVID-19 was declared a pandemic, the number of people working from home rose significantly.
In March 2020, research by the PEW Research Center indicated that in 2019 only about 7% of Americans working in private industry had access to a “flexible workplace” (telework) benefit. For state and local government that number was as low as 4%. While statistics are not readily available for the Caribbean region, I would venture to say that the 2020 numbers are even lower.
Fast forward to today and you’ll find that the work force has moved home in an effort to practise social distancing and limit the spread of COVID-19. Office desks and swivel chairs have now been replaced by dining tables and sofas in these new work spaces.
It is probably too early to tell if this phenomena will make teleworking more readily accessible (see this article by the World Economic Forum). What we do know for now is that for many this is the current reality.
Having worked from home for the past 8 years as a management consultant, leadership trainer, writer and work & life coach, I can say that I’ve been one of the fortunate few to enjoy working from home. But even so, I still have to make adjustments now that my entire family is at home due to COVID-19.
With the above in mind, I’m sharing tips for practising work-life balance within the context of COVID-19. These are presented in a video presentation format below.
Work-Life Balance During COVID-19 – Video Presentation
View the presentation, choose the tips that work best for you and make them your own.
If you’d like a text version of the Seven C’s for Working from Home®, read this article.
Extra Resources:
For more details and further reading you might find these links helpful.
- BVI Government COVID-19 Updates: https://bvi.gov.vg/covid-19
- COVID-19 Worldwide Statistics: https://who.sprinklr.com/
- EAP Tele-Counseling Services: 468-9889 or Skype: eapbvi@gmail.com
- 7 Smart Ways to Work From Home: https://www.marvasmith.com/ways-to-work-from-home/
- Women Winning & Working from Home Group: bit.ly/workfromhomewomen
- Free Personalized Support: bit.ly/thriveclarity
Note: This presentation was created for the Government of the Virgin Islands. While many of these tips will apply across sectors and countries, if you’d like to have a presentation tailored to your specific needs, get in touch here.
