Amid a global pandemic, economic evolution, technology progression and life transformation there is no surprise many people are concerned with ‘The Burnout’.

 Study shows that when people are more content with their work, they are more likely to produce better results. integrityCo is well aware of the stress of modern economic demand. While everyone is focused on hustle and productivity, our company promotes a holistic life/work balance.

Working in a company that promotes these values was music to my ears. In addition to being a marketing junkie, I am also a yoga teacher and I make sure that my team stays positive and content. (So while everyone is busy with content marketing, we focus on marketing and life contentment!)

Hi, my name is Kim Bassan and I’m a marketing intern at IntegrityCo. While I was trying to brainstorm trends on artificial intelligence and machine learning I came to the conclusion that our society is facing extreme challenges beyond the computer.

In times where we spend most of our days in front of a screen, touch of humanity and empathy could be a nice break. Today, I will share with you a glimpse of my interests and share my 5 tops tips to finding work/life balance and avoid the burnout.

1. Take breaks

Your brain needs to rest! It is essential and necessary. Yes, there is pressure to meet quotas and deadlines but your brain demands rest as well. Thinking and focusing for a long period requires energy, and taking a break will keep you focused, allow you to think logically and in return progress towards your goal faster and with a clearer mind. So, if you are one of these people who thinks that taking a break will put you even further behind, think again! (but then take a break)

For fast-acting relief, try slowing down.

―Lily Tomlin

2. Get into your body

And I’m saying that not as a biased yoga teacher, rather as a sedentary worker who spends most of the time on the computer. The human species was designed to move, walk and activate our muscles. Slouching at your desk can damage your spine, shoulders, lower back and generally hurt your posture which may extend to your emotional health. 

So, while you’re reading this blog, stand up, shake your legs, give yourself a nice round of shoulders. Drop-in with your body, I promise a physical break can go a long way! 

3. Allow yourself to have those ‘blah blah’ conversations

I know we all avoid those casual talks because we think they might be useless. Now that most of us work remotely, we don’t get the opportunity to socialize very much. Don’t cringe at the small talk, ask your coworkers questions and allow yourself to drift off work topics from time to time. It is refreshing and you may surprisingly find a common interest with one of your colleagues! 

4. Diversity and creativity

You might be thinking “Kim, I can barely draw a stick figure, you ask me to be creative?!” And I’m here to answer: 

“Yes, you can teach yourself to be creative!”

Stay inspired by diversifying your resources, start getting ideas from other fields and translating these practices into your work environment. Creativity is not about being Leonardo da Vinci it’s about pushing past the boundaries, letting your mind wander for a few minutes and never, ever doubting yourself. 

For example, I was thinking about what to write for my blog post. I was thinking about writing all kinds of marketing practices which are probably educational and valuable. But, there are so many blogs about SEO, email marketing and many more that I decided to take a different approach and be creative! Bridging between my yoga knowledge and the marketing work world to bring something relevant just as A.I and machine learning are.

If you want to succeed, you have to fuel yourself. You cannot pour from an empty cup. ― My Mantra

5. Take care of yourself in your off-hours- set the boundary

In a time where personal and workspace boundaries become blurred, it is important to distinguish between work time and home time. 

While working from home means more flexibility, no commuting and other benefits, it faces us with big challenges as well.

Procrastination, productivity, lack of team collaboration and most importantly, where and when do we draw the line between work and home hours?

To create this distinction make sure to communicate your needs with your surroundings.

• Block time:  set a schedule and stick to it. Make sure to set aside some time for your family as well. 
• Set the space: shut the door, organize your desktop, whatever works for just make sure there is a physical separation between leisure and work time
• When the clock hits- you’re done: don’t be tempted to check emails, Slack your team, just stop and dedicate some time for your family, significant other and yourself. 

You need time to sleep, eat, exercise and leisure. Rejuvenate and fuel your system with your loved ones, work will be there tomorrow and every day. Make sure you invest in yourself, it will help you come back stronger and motivated. 

Don’t confuse having a career with having a life.

―Hillary Clinton

While it is nice to wear my yoga pants for work, remote work faces us with new and different challenges. In our hustle-bustle culture economy, we need to actively engage with practices that encourage us to put ourselves on our ‘to-do” list as well. Just as Hilary Clinton said, making a living doesn’t mean you’re fully living! 

Find your tricks and rituals that help you stay away from the BURNOUT zone

Comment below which one of the practices in this blog you liked, and let me know what is your strategy to get work life balance! 

Stay tuned for this part 2 series in which I will provide tangible practices such as breathing and mindfulness techniques that you could try to use while achieving work and life balance.

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