The Human Impact of Being Time-Poor

The pandemic has managed to completely disrupt and overthrow life as we know it.  As the world went under lockdown, many people lost their jobs while others were forced to work from home. Companies were struggling to adapt to this sudden shift while workers were experiencing a clash between two different facets of their lives – the personal and the professional. But we all share one thing in common: every single one of us is trying to cope with different roles and various changes happening around us.

Working from home, which would seem like a peaceful scenario under normal circumstances, has now become stressful. Working parents are overwhelmed by home-schooling children while managing their workload.

“Many employees are overworked; they are forced to create time schedules and discipline for themselves as there are no fixed 9 to 5 working hours anymore.”

Isolation and quarantine have led to more issues. People do not have opportunities to socialise. Suddenly your home becomes your office and you are in your office the whole day – with your family as colleagues!

Organisations are dependent on technology to connect all the employees sitting in different parts of the country. Meetings, discussions, conferences, webinars, etc are all being conducted through various online platforms. Before, these conferences and meetings were opportunities for human interaction, socialising, networking and catching up with people. Now everything has become virtual. The human element of socialising and communicating has been lost between the screens, cameras and the internet.

Before the pandemic, there was a standard for measuring your daily achievement. When we got up, got dressed and went to the office, we felt motivated. We had an idea about a day well spent in the office. But when home became the office, even organisations were confused. Too many meetings were held and too many hours were spent in daily check-ins.

For many, there is no longer a difference between weekdays and weekends. The stress caused by the pandemic and overworking has taken a mental toll on lots of people.

Self-care is an aspect that people compromise on frequently. We move aside personal activities to cram in more work. We think we are being productive but productivity starts with a healthy body and mind. During these unsure times, we need to set aside time and space for work and play. Here are a few of my pointers.

Schedule

Create a schedule where you set aside ‘office time’ for projects and ‘personal time’ for family and friends. Mention three key tasks you want to achieve in a day and prioritise those activities. Manage your calendar effectively. Create a schedule following your office hours. Set an alarm in the evening to remind yourself that ‘office time’ is over.

Set Boundaries

Have separate spaces for work and relaxing. Mixing both these areas will keep your mind alert and working, even when you want to relax. Avoid unnecessary distractions in your workspace.

Manage Energy

Set your mornings aside for projects and activities that require the most energy and allocate meetings and checking emails to later in the day. Ensure that you get proper hours of sleep and make sure you take breaks in between meetings and work to rejuvenate yourself.

Compassion

Human understanding and kindness will always go a long way. If you are an employer, check in on your employees and reduce the number of meetings. Use productivity apps to create schedules and allot tasks. If you are an employee, let your employer know when things are overwhelming and you need help. Check in with your colleagues and help each other.

Time is a valuable resource. Time management is vital – not just for productivity but for mental, emotional and physical well-being.

This article was written by Baskar Sundaram.

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