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Technology has brought in a drastic change in our personal as well as professional lives. It has made things easier and faster in one way but in another way, it is just clogging our minds. But, the catch is to use technology to serve you and not let it blur the boundaries of work and our personal lives. Do not allow technology to get work to your bedrooms. In fact, the biggest drawback of digitization is that workday is fast making a foray in our home life. We are checking emails while watching television with our family. Doing business calls while playing with our kids. This is like a catastrophe of sorts in our personal life. It is extremely vital to find the perfect work-life balance otherwise things could seriously go haywire. Do you know that working for extended hours can augment the risk of atrial fibrillation and this can actually be fatal? The stress associated with work can lead to serious conditions in the body such as immune-suppression, osteoporosis, depression, anxiety disorders and so on. The list is pretty long and actually scary.
Now, before we understand the pros and cons of technology for us let us first explain what this work-life balance is and how can you achieve it? Work-life balance is not just restricted to finding a fulfilling and satisfying job, it is about ensuring that fixed work and personal life boundaries are set, thus incorporating wellness into your everyday routine. Even a highly paying good job can become life-threatening in case it is not managed in a proper manner. Technology is regarded as one of the biggest means to leverage good work-life balance if you use it mindfully. Let the technology serve you and you will do wonders and let it command you and things can become awry and distorted beyond repair.
Below we will tell you some of the ways how technology can aid in establishing work-life balance:
Enhancing productivity- It is normally seen that in your office you have to deal with a wide spectrum of people. Some employees work in one department and some in others. Even the floors might be different. However, there is a constant need to keep in touch and interact with one another. Just to pass messages you cannot keep running about in your office. In such a scenario technology comes to aid. Cloud technology is a big boon. Now people working in Delhi office can easily access documents at other locations such as Mumbai, Kolkata or even in New York. Now, isn’t this amazing. Google has enabled the integration of email, video conferencing, document collaboration, instant messaging and so much more. With such outstanding tools, we can easily coordinate schedules, fix out of office notifications and even share projects. Distance is no longer a barrier. Better collaboration has a positive impact on productivity and as a result, we are able to get the maximum out of our normal hours. When work is not taken home it automatically improves the work-life balance.
Apps making work easy- There are so many apps which have made work so easy. For instance, now there is no need to make notes on pen and paper as we have notepad apps for this process. You have reminder apps which tell you what meeting is coming up. There are apps which remind you to take your medicine or take a break for a while. All these apps increase productivity and when you finish what you are supposed to do in your office you will not be taking work home. In short, when apps allow you to do things in a better and faster manner, it leaves you with more time to lead your personal lives.
Technology ropes in flexibility- Technology can be used to incorporate flexibility at work. With the help of technology, people can now work remotely whenever it is needed. A lot of people find it too hard to be confined to their office cubicles, but working remotely enables them to manage their personal lives more effectively. For instance, if a woman works from home she can effectively handle work and still manage to take care of her child and this is only possible because of technology. There are people who opt for “work from home” option so that they can work as per their own convenience. Tools such as Google Hangouts and Zoom enable us to communicate with the staffs who are working remotely. These tools help to organize and take part in the impromptu meeting. Now, you do not have to be physically present in the office to attend a meeting. Travel time is eliminated and this is a big help. Can you imagine people spend one-third of their lives being stuck in traffic jams and this particularly true for metropolitan cities? Technology enables us to save time and this time saved helps us attain good work-life balance.
Technology helps keep things transparent- Technology can be used to create seamless and transparent communications between team members. When confusions are less, stress levels are low and consequently better work-life balance can be attained. Choose technology which can lead to transparency at work. One of the tools which are used by most businesses to rope in transparency is Slack. It is actually a hub to connect a wide array of activities across various departments and teams. Just remember that you need to set boundaries for use of communication tools otherwise they will make an unintended influence on your life. Fix parameters for work schedules; communicate with team members so that everything stays clear and simple.
Using wellness apps for superb work-life balance- Employees are the biggest resource for any company. This is why companies encourage the use of wellness apps to promote their health and well-being. For instance, there is an app known as Headspace. This app enables employees to accomplish a sense of balance via focused meditation. It has a positive effect on the physical and mental health of a person. There are several apps which provide means of getting centred. Wellness apps are not restricted to eating well or exercising. There is so much more to them. There are apps which help you find a moment of peace in rush hours of the office. Employers can aid employees to get centred by encouraging them to take periodic breaks during office hours. This can be done by using reminders on the office’s calendar app. This is a way to develop good work-life balance where small breaks can give you more power to work better.
Wrapping up
So, in short, technology can be used as a tool where it helps you attain good work-life balance. There is no good or bad side to technology in itself. It all depends on how you use it. I use technology to infiltrate work in your personal life such as checking emails at home or organizing meeting when you are on a holiday, it will spoil things for you. On the other hand, if you use it to enhance your productivity so that you get more time at home, it will do wonders for you. Use technology to keep you productive, centred and connected. Your Smartphones and tablets should not overpower you. Rather they should help you do things faster and in a much more efficient way. Company culture should be such that technology is infused in the same in the right way so that the morale of the team and levels of effectiveness become high.
