Professional work organization and good self-management are essential if you regularly work from home. That’s the conventional wisdom. Of course, it’s important that you organize your working day well, take breaks to check the pre-match odds, and try to be as efficient as possible. However, this has not only proven itself in the corona-related home office, but was probably already the basis for everyday working life for most of us before that.
Working From Home: A New Way Of Working
Working from home most of the time has both advantages and disadvantages.
The advantages of working from home are manifold: for many, it means more freedom to organize work and break times, commuting is no longer necessary, and there is often a more undisturbed working atmosphere in which you can concentrate well. This allows you to save a lot of time and use your lunch break for yourself, for example.
More Freedom When Working From Home
What some people find annoying, others see as an advantage when working from home: managers are not constantly looking over your shoulder – many employees can develop more freely and come up with their ideas. Career coach Dr. Bernd Slaghuis sees great potential in this: “The greater the distance between managers and employees, the more important it becomes for bosses to give employees more creative freedom and personal responsibility, and for employees to take on this responsibility.”
The expert’s experience shows that many employees today would like to be able to have a greater say in decision-making and design. “I see the potential here for both sides to make work even more meaningful for employees and more innovative and efficient for companies in the future.”
Stress And Exhaustion: The Disadvantages Of Working From Home
However, working from home also has its downsides, although the better work-life balance is often cited as the biggest advantage. At the same time, however, working from home makes it harder to separate work and private life. Many people find it more difficult to switch off after work and call it a day, as there is no longer a physical separation between the office and home.
Effectively Separating Work And Private Life
It is therefore advisable to tidy up your workspace at home after work to create a visible separation between work and private life when working from home. This helps me to mentally “go home”. Of course, it’s ideal if you have your study at home so you can close the “office door” behind you.
If you find it difficult to get your mind off work, exercise can help. Going for a walk helps to take your mind off things. By the time you get home, you will have built up a physical distance from work, just like on the way home from the office.
So that working from home doesn’t make you ill
Self-Organization
Good self-organization when working from home is very important, especially at the beginning, as we lack the routine from the office. That’s why you should prepare for working at home in a similar way to the office: if you do sports, read the newspaper or take a shower in the morning, you should continue to do so; you shouldn’t skip your usual breakfast either. Lunch breaks are also important, and freshly cooked meals make them even healthier: Quick recipes for working from home: simple, light and healthy. These familiar activities maintain the rhythm of the working day.
If you find it difficult to get your mind off work, exercise can help. Going for a walk helps you to focus on others.
Clarify Availability
Time management in the home office is often much more flexible than in the office. In order to work efficiently as a team, it is therefore important for everyone to know who is available and when. If you cook for the children at lunchtime and therefore take a two-hour lunch break, you should communicate this openly to your colleagues. I also think it’s important to schedule time for concentrated work, either via appointments in the calendar or corresponding notes in the chat tool. It’s then clear to others that I won’t answer immediately. Also read: Time management: tips and methods for less stress and Pareto principle: how the 80-20 rule works
Counteract Loneliness: Keep In Touch With Colleagues
While parents with children experience a lot of hustle and bustle at home, people who live alone quickly become isolated when working from home. Loneliness is a phenomenon that should not be underestimated in times of coronavirus. That’s why it’s important to maintain social contacts. While working, this can only be done virtually, but a video meeting can help.
An idea that we have introduced at Utopia: Virtual coffee chats in changing constellations or a virtual lunch with your favorite colleague. A positive side effect is that you can often discuss professional topics in a relaxed atmosphere, and the transfer of knowledge within the team is better maintained.