5 Psychological Tips To Work From Home Efficiently
Teleworking is an increasingly common practice, and even more so after the crisis experienced worldwide by the COVID-19 pandemic.
But working from home entails a series of effects that not everyone experiences equally and that can have certain repercussions at various levels, including psychological ones. Therefore, in this article we are going to explore the positive and negative parts of teleworking, as well as several Psychological tips for working from home in a viable way and does not generate wear.
New technologies increasingly make it easier to telework, and this It is a trend that many companies have been adopting in recent times The coronavirus crisis experienced as a result of the coronavirus has only accelerated this process by leaps and bounds, as many companies have found themselves in the position of choosing between giving their employees the possibility of working from their respective homes, or suspending the company’s activity until it is possible to return to the offices.
Faced with this dilemma, logically many companies have opted for the first option and have provided workers with the means to be able to carry out their tasks from their own homes, a situation that in many cases has also been imposed by the need to take care of young children. , as all educational centers are closed due to confinement in Spain and many other countries, so an immense number of families have had to combine their parental and work obligations.
Many people have sought psychological advice to work from home, as a result of this situation, and that is, In many cases, it has been a totally drastic change that has completely modified people’s routines , and this has caused a series of effects on people on a psychological level. Some of them have been positive, while others have meant a change for the worse. The first case does not imply any problem, but in the second it is advisable to look for alternatives to improve.
The 5 best psychological tips for working from home
As we saw in the previous point, if teleworking has been a disruption to a person’s life, the best thing you can do is benefit from this list of psychological tips for working from home. They contain the main keys to being able to carry out work at home without disturbing our mood.
To maintain ideal mental stability it is highly recommended maintain a series of routines even if we are working from the comfort of our home Just as when we had to go to the office or work center of any kind, we must proceed with the same actions before starting the work day, and this includes cleaning routines, breakfast (assuming that the work is in morning shift) and clothing.
This last point is important, since many people fall into the temptation of carrying out their work activity while taking off their pajamas, for mere comfort. On a psychological level it is important that we change our clothes, not necessarily to put on a suit, a shirt or an elegant dress, but clothes different from the one we wear to sleep, even if it is a simple tracksuit, to make a difference on a psychological level between personal and professional life, even if they take place in the same place.
In some professions, meetings are common, which in this case will be done through video calling platforms. Some workers choose to change their clothing only on the days when they have one of these meetings, but this is not enough to generate the routine we were talking about. Therefore, It is advisable to have an outfit for work hours because even if other people are not going to see us, we are going to see ourselves, and that is the most important thing.
2. Workspace
Another psychological tip for working from home has to do with the workspace. It is clear that each person’s personal situation limits the possibilities in this sense, since there will be people who have a room specifically set up as an office, with all the necessary elements to be able to carry out their work activity without problem, while others will live in a small studio and obviously they will have more complications when it comes to finding the right space.
Therefore, we must adapt to the options we have available , assuming its basic limitations. If we do not have a large space, we can always set up a small workspace with a chair and a table, always avoiding the temptation of working from the sofa and much less from the bed. The question of the chair is especially important, and it is preferable that it be a swivel chair, with wheels, although sometimes we will have to settle for a conventional one.
However, We have to take into account that we are going to spend many hours sitting in it over many days, so, whenever possible, it is worth making a small investment to obtain a desk chair, if we do not have one, since using other seats will most likely end up leading to muscle pain, tension and therefore psychological effects such as bad mood, or even anxious-depressive symptoms, due to prolonged discomfort over time.
3. Disconnection
Teleworking has some obvious advantages, such as avoiding any type of travel, so in this new situation, the worker recovers a part of his time each day (in some cases we are even talking about hours) that previously they lost only in transportation to their workplace and on the return home, in many cases overcrowded in public transportation or enduring endless traffic jams in their private vehicle, with all the stress. and the mental negativity that this entailed on a psychological level.
By not having to leave the home, that dynamic is completely suspended, which is positive. But, on the other hand, other issues arise that are important to take into account. Therefore, one of the psychological tips for working from home is disconnection. And it is not unusual that, taking advantage of the circumstance that the line between home and workplace is blurring, so do the schedules of private and work life.
For this reason, and to avoid possible psychological damage (stress or anxiety, among others), We must be clear when establishing a clear work schedule and not overextend ourselves , so, once the work day is over, and just as would happen if we were in the office and went home, the work-related activity must end. If we enter into the dynamic of extending the day or performing tasks at inappropriate times, we will be setting a dangerous precedent.
If we do not generate a disconnection once we have finished our work day, we will run the risk of diluting the border between the work part and the leisure and private life in general , having the constant feeling of not leaving the job, with the corresponding mental wear and tear that this will generate for us. Hence the importance of strictly complying with schedules, except for force majeure at any specific time.
One of the great dangers of teleworking is the enormous number of distractions we have at home From the computer itself (assuming that it does not have limited access to certain connections solely for work activity), mobile phone applications, visits to the kitchen, etc. Of course, if there are also other people at home, especially children, the situation becomes even more uncontrollable, so it will be important to establish certain limits.
One of the psychological tips for working from home is to be disciplined when it comes to eliminating distractions, and For this we can use simple tricks For example, if we cannot avoid looking at our phone every few minutes to check if we have new notifications, the best thing we can do is leave it in another room so as not to fall into temptation. We can also establish specific times for breaks and lunch, so that we do not waste time with continuous assaults on the coffee maker or the refrigerator.
5. Leave home
The last on this list of psychological tips for working from home is essential, and often forgotten. It’s about, nothing more, nothing less, leaving the house for at least a little while every day. And it is that, When we unify the place where we live with the place where we work, we risk falling into extreme isolation that can take its toll on us psychologically.
That is why we must go outdoors, either when we finish the day or during one of the breaks we take, so that we can receive sunlight (essential to generate vitamin D), breathe fresh air, walk and also see and interact with others. people. They are a series of essential elements to maintain a good physical and mental state, and we can obtain them simply by going outside.
