The evolving technology has substantially impacted our professional and personal lives. In today’s world, no one can move a step ahead without the help of technology. In one way the impact is making our lives easier but the other way, it is blocking our minds. With the onset of the Pandemic, technology gradually crept into our personal lives where people have to work from home. Though, it can not be denied that it has been advantageous in terms of flexibility to carry out tasks but it has also caused some serious conditions in our bodies like depression, anxiety, immune suppression, etc. To make use of your productivity, it is essential to leverage technology in the best possible way.  

What is work-life balance?

Work-life balance refers to maintaining wellness and carrying out personal responsibilities while being involved in professional life in your daily routine. Technology is supposed to provide a solution to all work-related issues but if you do not set boundaries to your work hours, it can burn you out. Since personal life consists of family life, you have to prioritize activities from home life and professional life. In the current scenario, many are working from home where they have to fully rely on technology but in a long run, it is not conducive to the overall productivity of employees.

Negative impacts of technology

• Continued interaction through online sources leads to disengagement between employees and managers. Lack of facial expression, tone, questioning, and body language affects the engagement between the teams and managers.
• Work from home could be leisure to some extent but in a long run, the work becomes monotonous in the same environment and employees become less interested. It badly impacts their productivity.
• In the current volatile situation in job markets, sometimes tiny issues may lead employees to quit the job due to disconnection from their managers.

Positive impacts of technology

• Cloud technology has made accessibility to documents, reports a lot easier so people can work together regardless of their work location. There are some apps available in the market, that can increase the productivity of employees.
• Tools like Zoom, Google Hangouts, and Slack help people to communicate with each other from remote areas which helps achieve flexibility at work.
• Using Workflow Automation Software is massively helpful in maintaining work-life balance as they make complex tasks convenient to control.

How to use technology in the right way to maintain work-life balance

• Scheduling your emails is a good solution to set boundaries as there are many email services with specific features of scheduling emails for a specific date and time. This feature can also be used to avoid unnecessary disturbance from others.
• Set your time for logging in and logging off so that you can find some free time. Simply keep your distance after your work time is over.
• Take few minutes off the screen because the constant indulgence on the computer may make you tired.

If your workplace has started partial return to the office, it is always good to visit a workplace with a limited number of colleagues. Having a pleasant chat with friends always refreshes the mind and increases productivity.