WorkLife Wellbeing

Structuring each day for success

• prepare a list of three accomplishments for each day (preferably the end of day before)
• prioritize non-negotiables
• tend to things behind schedule
• determine what is the most important work in front of you
• move difficult tasks to your best “work-energy” of the day

Tips & Training:

• Best Practices for Flexible Work Arrangements UCSB Information Technology, website
• Creating Routine & Time Management LinkedIn Collection
• Learning How to Manage Your Time When Working Virtually 4 minutes, UC Learning Center
• Small Actions to make your workday more meaningful CNBC article
• Calendar Blocking todoist article
• Schedule Breaks Time Management Training Institute (article)

There is no "one right way" to do "WorkLife." Some people prefer to blend work and life and others have found that they are more comfortable with very clear boundaries. Knowing how you tend to thrive can help you when planning your days, whether you are working remotely, on a hybrid schedule, or fully in person. The labels of integrator and segmenter exist along a spectrum, and most people fall somewhere between the two, rather than completely on one end or the other. 

Segmenters are people who tend to prefer little to no overlap between their work and home lives. Segmenters may also keep separate calendars for office and personal appointments, for example, or carry a separate business phone. They may even make it a habit to eat different foods while on the clock, or change outfits to signal a transition to downtime. Because they have rigid boundaries, segmenters almost see themselves as two distinct people: “me at work” and “me in regular life.” Segmenters, those who like to compartmentalize their work responsibilities away from their home life, may feel more discomfort with working from home, (for themselves and even for their staff) to the point of it feeling inappropriate and distracting. Identify and examine your leaning, avoid rigidity in your preference and understand that others fall in different places of the spectrum.

Integrators meanwhile, are often most engaged and happy when they are able to blur the boundaries between work and home. Unlike segmenters, integrators  may regularly think about work outside of the office: They may have career-related conversations at the dinner table or read for professional development in their spare time. Integrators draw fewer (if any) mental, physical, or emotional lines between their work and outside the office: To them, the two identities are one and the same.

Are you a night owl or an early bird? A chronotype is a person's inherent individual differences in activity and alertness in the morning and evening. It defines your peak productivity times, allowing you to plan your day wisely by tackling difficult tasks during peak times and more routine tasks during less optimal times. Flexibility in when we work during the day allows us to optimize our peak creativity, energy and enhances our potential to work "in flow." Leaders may be able to allow their staff the same opportunity to explore their individual chronotype by not only allowing, but embracing flex hours in the day. In fact, the hours a unit/department is "open" to the public might be extended with more covered hours by exploring the individual chronotypes of the department employees, working with individual's peak productivity, and potentially avoiding high-volume commute times.

• The UCSB Academic & Staff Assistance Program (ASAP) supports the health and well-being of faculty, staff, and family members. The team assists with identifying, managing, and resolving work-related and personal concerns that may affect job performance and relationships. ASAP also offers confidential short-term therapy, consultation, wellness workshops, and assistance with threat management. The ASAP webpage also provides referrals to longer term counseling services. 
• The Office of the Ombuds at UC Santa Barbara provides confidential consultation services to faculty, staff, students, parents, or anyone else with a campus-related concern. The Ombuds addresses workplace issues, interpersonal conflict, academic concerns, policy questions, and many other problems, whether as a first step, last resort, or at any point along the way. The Office of the Ombuds is dedicated to ensuring fairness throughout the University and regularly makes recommendations for systemic change.
• myfamily.ucsb.edu provides a centralized location for university employees to find information and resources regarding employee basic needs, youth, older adult, and family services. This web portal is a collaborative effort between the Academic Senate Council on Faculty Welfare, the Chancellor’s Advisory Committee on the Status of Women, Human Resources, and Public Affairs & Communications. 
• UCSB WorkLife Wellbeing 

• UC Behavioral Health Benefits

• Managed Health Network (MHN)
• Anthem Provider Directory