Balancing 101: How to Know When to Log Off

Whether it's working your job from home or taking college classes online, knowing when the right time to log off is going to make a major difference in your life balance. While being able to listen to your lectures on a beach somewhere definitely has its advantages, setting a distinct schedule of maximized productivity can be difficult. When trying to find a happy medium between self-care and work, you have to consider creating a routine that you stick to. 

The online world is great, but it does have its disadvantages. For some, it may be an issue to motivate themselves to get up and do the work of their normal life before COVID-19 hit in mid-March. For others, it could be a problem of overworking and not knowing when it's time to shut down the computer for the night and spend time within other parts of their life. 

Understandably, some people may not want to 'decompress' from their day online if they're swamped with a big project that is demanding to their attention. However, sticking to a routine is essential if you want to succeed in the balance of work-life. When creating this routine, look to your previous daily schedule or to-do list and order your priorities the night before. By doing this, you can create meaningful and measurable goals in which can be checked off as small tasks that lead up to the overall picture. Being able to check these tasks off the list will instill a sense of accomplishment and trigger the reward response for a day well done. From there, self-care may induce, and decompression just became part of the daily routine.

After a long day of existing in the online world, it is crucial to not only just decompress but also take the time to immerse yourself into the 'real world'. That could consist of doing fun, little accomplishing tasks such as petting your dog, reading a book, working on your physical fitness, or even doing chores around the house. As beneficial as the online world can be for the time being, your physical and mental health should remain your top priority as we all navigate the unknown circumstances of the COVID-19 pandemic. What are some of your favorite decompressing activities after a long day online?

Need some tips to unwind? Check out the link below:

https://www.mhpcolorado.org/9-ways-to-decompress-from-stress/