Living The Dream

Working From Home…?

Life has changed a lot over the past year and for many of us, the way we work has changed with that.

Working from home has many advantages for both you & your employer but it’s not all pluses. If you’re anything like me, years ago before I started working from home, the prospect of doing so looked like a dream come true. But, my guess is that now you’ve been doing it a while some of the downsides that you might not have foreseen will be creeping into your awareness.

Let’s take a look at some of those and consider how these problems can be mitigated.

1. The Problem: Because I’m home, people don’t realise I’m working.

Friends & family that aren’t working or maybe working part-time hours, think that because you are home, you are available. For example: They may phone in the middle of the day for a chat, forgetting that you’re supposed to be working. Now, let’s face it sometimes taking a break is the right thing to do, but it can get too much, and before you know it you’re working outside normal office hours to catch up on the work you missed. Additionally, because you’re home others think you’re available for household chores.

The Solution:

Make your working hours well known to those likely to contact you. Let them know when you take lunch, etc, and suggest that if they want to call then those times would be most convenient. Stick to your normal office hours as much as possible so that there is no confusion about when you work. As for household chores, the occasional quick chore isn’t a problem, but if you find yourself constantly multitasking, the chances are you’re doing a lot of different things at the same time and none particularly well. Try to avoid multitasking that involves mixing up household chores & work tasks.

2. The Problem: I’ve lost my routine.

Working from home as opposed to the office is a big change for most people and one that will have upset your daily routine. The absence of routine can be really unsettling for some people and they may struggle to get work done without it.

The Solution:

It sounds obvious but getting into a new routine should be the aim. This can be complicated at the moment if you have children & you’re having to mind them throughout your working day. There’s no easy answer to this but good planning & organising can help. Think about the days & week ahead and get together everything you need to see that things run as smoothly as possible. This will free up time to focus on the work you have to get through.

Some of the other things that once formed part of your routine may have slipped out of your day. For instance, you may not be waking so early, scoffing down breakfast and then commuting to work. On the whole that’s a good thing. However, it did provide you with a natural point in the day at which point you leave home behind & prepare for work. Suddenly that’s gone, and it can be difficult to shift from the ‘home’ mindset to ‘work’ mode. This is where establishing a new routine can really help. Wake at a fixed time each working day, and try a false commute – before you start work get out for a walk and maybe try the reverse at the end of the working day; Wear clothes that you would only wear to work, and if you can, have a designated space at home for working in.

3. The Problem: Getting stuck on the job.

It’s all too easy to get stuck into a task and put yourself under pressure to get that task done before you take a break. The longer you work, the more tired you get, and the more tired you get the more unproductive you become. Before you realise where you are, a task that should’ve taken an hour or so, has taken half a day.

The Solution:

Sounds simple, because it’s easy… Take regular breaks! I suggest working to a half-hour-rule. The idea is you work for 25 to 30 minutes and then get up and move away from your work space. It can be just going for a quick stroll around the garden, making a cup of tea, checking on the kids.. Whatever. Just take a short 5 minute break from whatever you’re doing and then get back to work. The aim is to refresh before you start feeling tired.

4. The Problem: Workspace.

Not all of us have the luxury of a dedicated office at home. For many it’s just a free spot on the kitchen table, or you may even be sat on your bed working on a laptop.

The Solution:

Regardless of where you are working, your workspace is still covered by health & safety regulations. It needs to be a safe space to work in. Working on a laptop on your bed might feel like a luxury, but it’ll quickly ruin your back and you may well experience sleep problems if the lines between bedroom & workspace start to become blurred. Try to find a space to work in at home that provides the right environment to protect you and also involves the minimum amount of set up & break down time at the beginning & end of the day.

5. The Problem: Managing workload.

Not being in the work environment can mess with your learned ability to manage your workload. For a start, if you have hopes of working from home more in future, when life returns to some kind of normality, many people get drawn into putting in extra effort to ‘prove’ themselves while working from home.

The Solution:

Putting in extra effort & hours is not the solution to this. Working ‘smart’ is the key to productivity. If you normally find yourself having to put in a lot of extra hours it may be that your employer isn’t supporting you well, but it may also be because you’re not managing your workload very well.

Set yourself SMART goals to manage your workload.

SMART goals are as follows:

S: Specific – Be specific about what you want to achieve.

M: Measurable – How will you measure your performance in working towards your goal?

A: Achievable – Make sure that the goal you set is achievable.

R: Relevant & Realistic– Is the goal worthwhile & relevant to what you’re trying to achieve overall?

T: Time – Realistically, how long will it take to do the job? Don’t be lured into the planning fallacy of thinking that you can plan everything. Planning is a great tool when used appropriately but too much and you’ll simply set yourself up to fail. Stick the Mantra of planning only for as far as you can see.

I hope you find these tools & tricks useful for helping with working at home.

We’re all about supporting you & your mental health at BroadMinds Therapy so if you have any questions about tips for working from home or any other mental health related issues feel free to get in touch.

Our conversations will be discrete, private & confidential. Contact us by calling 089942056, email help@broadmindstherapy.org or message us via our facebook page.

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Thank you for taking the time to read our post. Take care. Stay safe.