It’s that time of the year again when you sit with your family and friends in front of the television, bet among each other about your favourite team, and enjoy a game of cricket. Much as the title of this year’s Indian Premiere League theme song suggests – Aa Gaya Hai IPL phir se! The craze of IPL is beyond boundaries. Remember when last year a Bangladeshi man tried to enter India only to watch IPL? So, there is nothing we can say that can make fans calm down when it comes to IPL. However, with the IPL season going on, it has become common to get distracted from work and maintain a healthy work-life balance, especially for all the IPL crazies out there. Don’t you think?
Well, to your rescue, we are here with some quick tips and tricks on how to make the game day fruitful on the work’s end as well. Here you go!
Start work early
Every year, IPL matches happen at a fixed time. This year, as per the game schedule, it’s either 3.30 p.m. or 7.30 p.m. So, if you are working from home and have the leverage to schedule your working hours, then why not start working early so that you can watch the game, without the distractions of work calls and messages? This simple trick could help you maintain a balance between work time and game time.
How about picking your favourite teams?
Well, this may not sound very good to hardcore IPL fans but if you somewhat lie in the middle and can skip certain games when there is a load of work to manage then why not opt for picking and choosing your favourite teams and watch only those matches which you really can’t miss. This suggestion comes from Rajiv Talreja, Founder of Quantum Leap Learning Solutions, who adds that the rest of the days can be spent either with family or managing work.
If you can’t choose teams, then stick to a schedule. However, if you are devoted to IPL and can’t miss a day then it’s advisable to stick to a schedule. Create a schedule that allows you to balance your work and IPL viewing. Allocate specific time slots for work and IPL, and stick to them. This will help you avoid getting distracted by the IPL and falling behind on work.
Switch to healthier snacks
The most common view during IPL is to see families coming together and watching the match with a pack full of chips in one hand and a fizzy drink in another. The match goes on for hours and so does the snacking. So, either you end up ordering food or end up snacking on what you already have. Well, when you can’t help but snack during IPL, it is advisable to switch to healthier options. Food influencer Vidur Kapoor shares that he loves cooking Chicken Wrap, vegetable sandwiches, Chicken sandwiches, or a French omelette when he watches IPL. You can also go ahead and bake yourself an oatmeal cookie batch for the game.
How to keep the team motivated
During the IPL season, you can make things easy and fun in the office as well. Christopher Roberts, Managing Director of Engaged Strategy*, says games such as the IPL are perfect opportunities for organisations to bring in at least five per cent of the fun factor into work and turn them into massive employee engagement opportunities. Based on his biggest corporate successes in infusing the spirit of league competitions into work, he says, "It is a wise move to integrate the spirit of the IPL into achieving strategic business goals. Create teams replete with mascots and logos, and allocate points for every small achievement. Involve the leadership in becoming team captains and mentors."
Reward yourself
There will be days when you’ll feel less motivated to work. Especially on these days, remind yourself about the rewards that you may get if you continue to work diligently.
During the IPL season, consider rewarding yourself with IPL experiences, such as attending a live match or purchasing merchandise, after you've completed important work tasks. This can give you something to look forward to and motivate you to stay focused.
So, for all the IPL crazies out there, this is how you can maintain a work-life balance, this IPL season. Hope you have a good season of work and games, this year.
