And the IDEAL ways to remedy them.
A year ago yesterday, everything changed. Since 23rd March 2020 and the government’s lockdown announcement, the UK has experienced a dramatic shift in our social and working situations. Being asked to stay at home as much as possible means that many workers have found themselves moved from office blocks to kitchen tables setups, bringing cheer and challenge in equal measure.
Yep, the shift has brought about seismic change to our work/life balance, for better and for worse. In fact, the Office for National Statistics measured that in April 2020, 46.6 per cent of people were working from home. A staggering 86 per cent of these people declared they had done so as a consequence of the pandemic.
Some have managed to juggle these two competing factions dexterously, finding time for exercise, downtime and long, leisurely lunches amongst the Zoom conferences and email exchanges which now define the day.
Others, however, have struggled to draw boundaries between home and work, and are welcoming the prospect of returning to a central office. In addition to these homeworkers, 4.7 million people were still on furlough by the end of January 2021, with many desperate to get going (and get earning) once again.
Whilst we’re loath to take sides here (remember the utter debacle of the government’s ‘return to the office’ message, the Dettol tube advert fiasco, and MPs imploring us to mourn Pret last summer?), it’s essential you’re prepared for the ‘new normal’, whether that means continuing to work from home or returning to a physical workplace.
Should you be looking to adjust to a more permanent, sustainable working-from home situation, or you’re keen to re-enter the workplace through the front door and on the front foot, then it’s essential that you ensure your domestic routines are sustainable and productive.
With new home-working routines, it’s unsurprising that we’ve adopted a few habits which have been hindering the harmony of the working day. With that in mind, here are 5 working from habits which could be harming your health and productivity, and the IDEAL ways to remedy them.
FROM BED TO DESK & DESK TO BED
Without a commute to separate home and work, the pressure to get a headstart on a day of deadline-meeting can be pervasive. On the flip side, at the business end of the day, the same overwhelming compulsion to work late, since you’re basically living in your home office anyway, can be just as strong.
This gradual slip into working unacknowledged overtime can happen without you realising, but doing so increases your risk of burnout and being exploited by your employers, too. It’s essential, then, that you draw distinctions between work and home, physically and mentally.
Do all you can to get into a predictable routine of getting out of bed at the same time each day, and before work, schedule in an activity between waking up and sitting down to work. This might be completing a crossword over breakfast, tackling a yoga session, or even a walk around the block in lieu of a daily commute.
Following a routine at the end of the working day, too. Shut up shop for the day with a certain ceremoniousness, even if all that means is switching on your ‘out of office’ auto reply or shutting down your laptop and putting it in its case until tomorrow, helping you enter ‘home’ mode.
If you’re returning to the office, do make sure that you saviour some downtime on the tube or on your walk, rather than stressing about deadlines off-the-clock.
BUSINESS-SUPER-CASUAL
Those distinctions between work and home have been somewhat blurred due to our increasingly comfortable clothing choices as the pandemic has worn on.
Our morning routines have changed as a consequence of working from home, make no mistake. Where once we would prepare ourselves to leave the house feeling fresh and ready for the day ahead, now you may expect to wake up and immediately land yourself in front of your computer to work, and our choice of clothes has grown to reflect this most comfortable of transitions.
The short commute between the bedroom and home office has led to the rise of a looser, more comfortable work attire, where workers no longer need to get dressed in their usual business suits or smart-casual wear for the office. Instead, wearing jogger bottoms, comfortable hoodies, or even pyjamas has become the standard apparel of homeworking.
Back in October 2020, one fashion analyst index reported that the number of sold-out sportswear items had increased by 17 per cent in 2020 compared to the previous year, a consequence of lockdown restrictions.
It’s clear that comfortable clothing has become the go-to choice for many people working at home. For the majority, this is marvellous, and has one of the more liberating elements of working from home. In fact, some industry experts have predicted that the office dress code will likely never return.
But for those who are keen to return to the central office, ready to embrace small talk and smart clothing choices once again, the coming months should be all about getting ready to remotivate our laundry routines. Understanding the best way to look after all those new smart work outfits we’ve been buying online lately, with delicate handwashes and proper treatment of our tumble dryers, is going to be crucial to stepping back in to the office with confidence.
REGULAR TRIPS TO THE OFFICE KITCHEN
Not everyone has had the luxury of a dedicated home office space. Instead, many of us have been relegated to our bedrooms, living rooms or kitchens to get work done. Basically, wherever the internet works best, we’ve settled in for the past year.
However, if you’ve found yourself sitting at the kitchen table on a chair that’s usually reserved for dining, you may have fallen into the trap of temptation. Be honest; how many times have you peered into the fridge already today, looking for snacks and meaning?
The temptation for home office workers across the UK during the pandemic has been to spend more time in the kitchen and less at the desk, in the name of both distraction and deliciousness, but that risks presenting its own unique problems.
Now, don’t get us wrong, we’re all for snacking. However, there are specific snacking practices you should follow when working from home, which when done right can keep your body healthy, happy, satiated, and your mind distraction free.
Set, strictly followed meal times can help keep your cravings at bay, making you less likely to snack in the interim period. Drinking plenty of water and staying hydrated is a key defence against snack cravings, too. Or, consider creating a snack box full of healthy bites like carrot sticks, edamame beans and nuts, proactively seeing off the urge to snack, rather than regretting that second packet of crisps after it’s happened.
TECH-NECK
Another victim of homeworking is our poor posture. The use of laptops and makeshift office furniture, whether coffee tables or unstable wooden dining chairs, has forced some unusual working positions. Hunched backs, numb legs and stiff necks aren’t necessarily symptoms of the coronavirus, but they do indicate that you’ve been working from home for too long.
Between laptops and smartphones merging the worlds of life and work, a lack of physical exercise is another cause of what has been coined as ‘tech-neck’. However, the remedy is surprisingly simple.
Sitting up straight and doing some healthy stretches (both warming up and down, pre and post work) can relieve the pain and improve the consequential headaches and fatigue that the condition can create. It won’t be long before we can return to our ergonomic office chairs and large desktop displays. But until then, looking after yourselves with a bit of relaxation and yoga can go a long way. No one wants to lumber back into the office with a crooked back and sore neck. It’s not a good look or feeling.
SUCCUMBING TO SOCIAL MEDIA DISTRACTION
We get the irony; you’re reading this piece while you’re meant to working, right? But home working has inevitably led to more smartphone and social media use, with HR News reporting this month that screen time had increased by 73% in the UK during the global pandemic. Rather than keep you distracted for longer, we’ll save us both some time and redirect you to this guide on 7 of the worst working from home distractions and the IDEAL solutions to help you stay focused when working remotely.