It is a fast-paced and crazy world we are living in.  Changes in technology move at the speed of light, weather conditions causing floods and fires, pandemics around the world…it’s difficult to keep up and stay sane.

While more people than ever are working from home, they are not feeling more productive, in fact just the opposite, or so I hear from my clients. 

I can’t tell you how often people would tell me “if I didn’t have to commute I would have a couple hours every day to catch up on the rest of my life, play with the kids and feel like there was more balance in my life”. What they are finding is that they are using the time they used to commute to extend their work day.

And even though people are working more hours than ever, they aren’t getting more done, they aren’t productive, they aren’t more effective and in fact they are fried mentally, emotionally and physically.

Because of the conditions around the world, employees aren’t taking vacations, they aren’t spending time doing fun things and detaching from work.  Many of my clients tell me how they check email more frequently than ever, even at nights and on the weekends when they traditionally haven’t.  They aren’t disengaging from work and enjoying life.

What can you as their manager do to help?

Encourage your team members to take time off.

Help them redefine vacation and time off.  Clients tell me they aren’t taking vacations because there is no place to go.  The value of vacations is time to rest and rejuvenate oneself.  Even though vacations are typically thought of as leaving town and going someplace fun, help your employees recognize the value of time away from work, even if it’s not traveling to Disney World, Europe or someplace else. Taking time off from work is not only encouraged, but expected.

Redefine vacations/time off.

People save up their PTO time all year to take a few weeks off and travel somewhere.  Today that may not be possible, and you can help them redefine how they use PTO.  Remind them that taking long weekends, spending time with family or enjoying hobbies can be just as valuable in helping clear the mind and revitalize the spirit as a two week vacation.  They need to be reminded that taking time off is important to their mental, physical and emotional well being.  

Model behaviors.

If you aren’t taking time off, if you are working into the wee hours of the night and back at your computer at 6 AM, why would your team consider doing anything different?  You have to model behaviors for them that you want from them.  Take those long weekends you suggest to them.  Shut down your computer (and your mind) at a reasonable hour and don’t work or check emails after dinner or on the weekend.  Whatever you encourage them to do, you have to also do so they see that this isn’t a do what I say, not what I do conversation.

Show them how else they can use time off.

No one wants to take time off and spend it catching up on projects around the house, but this is a great time to do just that.  Unfinished projects, things that need to be handled, all those things that we need to do but push aside weigh us down, even if we don’t recognize it.  Now is a good time to help your team recognize that taking a few days and catching up on those projects and tasks can be uplifting.  No longer will they be a drag on their mental energy, and it is cathartic to complete things and leave them behind.

Demonstrate compassion and care.

Working from home can be stressful, especially when there are children running around or roommates to deal with.  It may feel to your team members like they are never alone, and work may be viewed as a respite. You may need to recognize they need more flexibility in their work schedule to manage child care, schooling or work around roommates schedules.  Encourage time off, consider increasing caps on maximum vacation accrual, throw in a freebie day off, shut down at noon on a Friday now and then…whatever you can do that demonstrates you care, and recognize the situation they are in.

Working from home doesn’t mean working all the time.  Encourage your team to take time off, reinvent vacations and rejuvenate themselves.  And while you are at it, you do the same.

There is no way to manage time.  But there are ways you can be more productive with the time you have.  Want to find out how?

Download The Time Management Checklist for ideas.