How can you maintain a healthy work-life balance while working on-call?

Setting clear boundaries is most important, prioritizing self-care, establishing effective communication plans, rotating on-call duties fairly, delegating when possible, using technology wisely, defining emergency protocols, regularly evaluating workload, ensuring effective handovers, negotiating off-duty time, and seeking support when needed. Balancing responsibilities and personal well-being is key to a sustainable work-life equilibrium during on-call duties.

Although IT is a support function but it is the back bone of ITES/ IT company. On-call means whenever there is need it if the end user is stuck he/she might take your expert guidance and get resolution. On-call can be so satisfying that in a short period of time if you can resolve any issue. You can feel yourself as an expert.

Based on my experience, it is a must to inform your family upfront that you are on call and may required to work at anytime. Plan your activities accordingly to minimize the impact for both work and life. Ensure you have access to network and able to work within the shortest time.

Defina prioridades, Mantenha-se saudável e estabeleça limites. Desfrute sua família, pois ela é o seu pilar para qualquer objetivo estabelecido.

plan ahead for each commitment and time required to complete the task. st1ck to he plan by strict to the time allocated.. you can used a time sand or timer on your mobile

Here’s how you can try and maintain: 1. Define clear on-call hours/ Maintain a clear schedule 2. Designate a workspace - very important 3. Prioritise achievable goals for the day 4. Take regular breaks Remember, quality work matters more than quantity, ALWAYS!!!!👍

Use your calendar wisely. In my experience if you are using Microsoft 365 you can take advantage of VIVA insights, manage your working hours and also book some of the focused time book when you want to manage your work life balance. You can also use Book time with me functionality from Microsoft. So basically setting boundaries I think that is the most important part when you’re working on call It is OK to take breaks between your working hours and work flexibly because taking breaks will recharge you when you are needed at your best.

While working on-call, you should prioritize the most urgent and important issues and avoid getting overwhelmed by minor or non-essential requests. You should also communicate clearly and respectfully with your customers, managers, and peers about the status and resolution of the incidents. Don't be afraid to say no or ask for help when you need it. You should also respect your own limits and take breaks when you feel tired, stressed, or burned out.

Important that after each day you create a “after work” plan to analyse if any item that you had to work with was something you could avoid to happen.

Set clear expectations that normal work will be interrupted for the duration of the on call event. Plan for on call work to impact regular hours by reducing hours allocation (if in a Sprint) for the duration of the on call rotation.

Track the time/hours you and your on-call team members typically work and use that data to identify peaks/lulls/trends so you can: • Be physically/mentally prepared for peak times • Adjust on-call rotation schedules with the team (For example, if you frequently have 12 am to 7 am on-call issues, plan a rotation change in the AM to respond) • Know average hours during on-call to budget work hour reduction to operational and project work.

It's all upto you. Manage your time for a healthy life. Do not perform continuously a single task. Take a break and during it perform some relaxing activity too.

During your off-duty hours, try to disconnect from work-related communication channels as much as possible. This means turning off work emails notifications, silencing work-related calls, and avoiding checking Work messages unless absolutely necessary.

Practice effective time management techniques to prioritize tasks and avoid procrastination. Break down large tasks into smaller, manageable chunks to prevent feeling overwhelmed.

The more you know exactly how to act and what you are doing, the more you will enjoy and handle your time, this is often overlooked when talking about time management; you may have a free week each month, but if the time comes, when you have to act, and you don't know or lack a great knowledge about how to do it right, you will be thinking on that way before it happens, and that won't let you really enjoy any free time, so summarizing, understand what you do, excel in what you do, and that will give you the confidence and the calm to enjoy your free time as you have never imagined, you will live more in the actual moment.

I learned to prioritize tasks effectively, communicate clearly with stakeholders, and leverage automation tools for efficiency. One memorable incident was when a critical system went down during an on-call shift. Instead of panicking, I stayed calm, followed the incident response process, and worked collaboratively with my team to resolve the issue promptly. This experience taught me resilience, teamwork, and the importance of staying composed under pressure.

Working on-call differs from working regular office hours, but it also offers you unique opportunities for learning and professional growth. 1) After each on-call shift, take time to reflect on the incidents you handled and any mistakes made. 2) Seek feedback from colleagues, Line Manager, or team members regarding your on-call performance. 3) Document the solutions and troubleshooting steps for the incidents you encounter. This helps build a knowledge base for future reference. 4) On-call work can be stressful, especially when dealing with difficult customers. Practice stress management techniques to maintain a calm demeanor during high-pressure situations, such as deep breathing exercises to prevent becoming emotional or angry.

Lessons learned from those working on-call can be valuable input to an organization's process improvement plan. Documenting events while on-call helps me identify and locate additional resources that I can use and share with others on the team.

Junto com toda carga e estresse que a função de plantonista causa, temos pontos que nenhuma outra função pode te fazer crescer e evoluir profissionalmente. - Senso de urgência - Identificar falhas em processos, inconsistências, ausência de documentação, rotinas de atualização e etc. - Desenvolver uma imagem de proatividade e colaborativa. - Comunicação alta liderança - Gestão de crise - Multidisciplinaridade técnica - Problem Solving Aprender a desenvolver um papel de suporte onde normalmente se está sozinho, lhe proporciona a condição de solicitar explicação do funcionamento de tudo, possibilitando entender o “core” das soluções e serviços em um nível mais aprofundado possibilitando assim atuar futuramente em diferentes frentes.

Mit den heutigen Möglichkeiten der Informationsbeschaffung ist es wichtig, auch seine eigenen, wertvollen Uhr individuellen Notizen zu erstellen. Diese können thematisch sortiert sein, um sie schnell wieder zu finden. Auch die eigenen Wünsche und Ziele sollten niedergeschrieben werden, um immer fokussiert auf seine Ziel hinzuarbeiten. Neuen wir auch ein internes und externes Netzteil aus Partnern und Kollegen auf, welche sie unterstützen auf ihrem Weg. Streben wie stets nach ihrer besten Form.

Make time for hobbies and activities that bring you joy and fulfillment. Whether its painting, gardening, playing a musical instrument, or cooking, Playing a sport or investing time in your passions can be a rewarding way to balance out the demands of work. I personally indulge myself in fitness regime that gives a sense of reward.

I agree with that, you should reward yourself and celebrate your achievements. A reward doesn't have to be big to be satisfying .

Working on-call in IT operations can enhance your career by helping you develop problem-solving skills, stakeholder communication, and teamwork. It’s important to learn from experiences, seek mentorship, and share knowledge with colleagues

I remember when I used to observe a reward activity. So, at the end of the week, I would go somewhere to get something to eat. It would sometimes be a new meal and a place where I could observe beautiful scenes. It felt good and it made me feel and realize I was using my abilities to solve problems and do something good.

The key is to choose rewards needs to align with your interests, preferences, and values. Celebrating achievements is not only a way to reward yourself but also a way to acknowledge your progress and maintain a positive mindset. For examples: 1) Indulge in your favorite dessert, whether it's a decadent cake, ice cream, chocolates, or pastries. 2) Treat yourself to some retail therapy by shopping for clothes, accessories, gadgets, or home decor items. 3) Schedule a self-care day with activities like yoga, meditation, journaling, or practicing mindfulness. 4) Plan a weekend getaway to a nearby city, beach, or countryside. This can be your “ME” time only otherwise you can spend with your love ones.

Balancing your off-call is absolute must. I have seen team members not taking off-call seriously. Giving a break to yourself to recharge and refresh not only increases your thinking ability, it makes you more effective at work. Same time, you spending time with family n friends or self care helps you stay mentally fit. In today's busy world, we should not neglect time for self care.

As a leader, it’s important to have clear responsibilities and expectations set for your team. You then need to deliver intent down to them. That will equip your team to be able to handle majority of decisions at their level. By setting that system up, you know that the decisions they’re making are going to be the same ones that you make. Not only does that allow you to achieve balance as a leader while maintaining 24/7 on call status, it also allows them to develop their skills as well - whether they want to be a leader or a strong individual contributor. It promotes a proactive mindset across the whole team, and ultimately leads the company to success.

Be offline! If you’re working in the IT like me the most important thing is to be offline, I would also say: be of tech! Go hiking, do sports, be in your garden and read a book!

I agreed on this, but more importantly off call can make your healthy but while on call keep your self moving and stay focused while being productive.

Switch from full reactive to attempted proactive to progressive proactive to majority proactive … 1. Realign with leadership the things that determine immediate support for company success 2. Perform asset inventory 3. Analyze asset inventory for failure modes that present risk to 1 4. Tune automatic alerts as much as possible to results of 3 5. Work towards fixing gaps in coverage found in 4 6. Re evaluate alarms 7. 3,4,5,6 8. Be happy you don’t alert as much 9. Balance.

Despite all the planning and best practices it’s not uncommon to feel burned out and out of balance. Recognise your needs and need for rest and recuperation and if you feel that a short break would help you recover do not hesitate to take some time off

Prioritize self-care by scheduling time for relaxation, exercise, and hobbies outside of work hours. Communicate openly with your colleagues and supervisors about your availability and limitations.

Don't assume what your on-call responsibilities are and don't just take someone's word for it. Have a conversation with your supervisor about exactly what is expected.

En mi experiencia lo que me ha funcionado es PLANIFICAR la semana y cada día. Luego ESTIMAR lo que puedo hacer (para agregar valor a la Compañía) y lo que no (para no generar falsas expectativas). Considerando que siempre surgirán contingencias. Luego de esto la clave es: * Importante y Urgente: Tomar manos a la obra, realizarlo inmediatamente con prioridad * Importante y No Urgente: Planificarlo a detalle para hacerlo luego del anterior * No es Importante pero Sí Urgente: Delegarlo con otro proveedor especializado, o con alguien más técnico y operativo de tu equipo * No es Importante y tampoco Urgente: Evita estas tareas, no las realices, no pierdas tiempo ellas, no generan valor para la operación de la Compañía

Delegate and seek support: Delegate tasks: If possible, delegate non-critical tasks to colleagues to free up your time for on-call responsibilities. Seek support from your employer: Communicate your needs and concerns related to work-life balance, and explore available resources like flexible work arrangements or employee assistance programs (EAPs