Work... Life... Balance.

We hear this a lot... especially as young professionals. How do you find the right balance between life and work. Whether it's friends, family, significant others, children, or just self care -- the great struggle of our generation has been what is TOO much work, and is there such thing?

In each of my jobs, I have struggled to find a balance in work life. In some, I work too much, and not always by choice. It was long hours, long weeks, and long seasons. And quite honestly, the burnout came so much quicker.

But on the flip side, I am now working 100% remote. The life aspect is AMAZING, and I love the flexibility that comes with a WFH career. But, as a SUPER extrovert, I have struggled the past 4 months to find a balance to my work and life. I need... and CRAVE... a social aspect to my day, everyday. A part of me has really struggled with filing the social void that came naturally with an in office work life. Is my existing social life enough to supplement all of my energy?

This week, all the Roosters came together for the annual company retreat. 2 days, ~30 Rooster employees, some meetings, lots of fun, and great conversation. In a short 36 hours, my extroverted battery recharged to the top. And one of the conversations I had with 10ish of my coworkers is "how do you do it?"

It comes down to the nitty gritty. The job is perfect, but how do I find the social interaction I crave as an extrovert? Some of the things I heard from my fellow extrovert employees were:

• Find a way to leave the house in the day: Gym, grocery run, lunch with a friend... something around PEOPLE.
• Schedule more zooms. Yes we are all probably over that by now... but put some Zoom's on the calendar just for social purposes. Have some coffee.. make a cocktail in the evening... but just talk life and get to know your team.
• Come together in person when you can. If it makes sense to make your team meeting something in person, do it! Make it happen. It's hard being virtual 100% and others are probably feeling the same way you are... so make it an in person and travel!
• Find ways to engage with people without expending extra energy. The cool thing about in person work is extroverts get a free pass to charge. They are organically around people and have an easy in to desk chat, coffee breaks and hall meetings. Working from home creates a barrier that requires extra energy spent to find ways to be around people to recharge... if that makes sense. Find a group that meets regularly regardless and without your need to plan can help create an organic social situation.

These are just a few tips I received this week from my fellow work from homers. What tips do you guys have for a fellow extrovert navigating the WFH space permanently?