The new working norm – working from two places
In 2021, working from both home and the office looks set to be the norm in Australia.
Given the forced practice run in 2020, many employees and companies are now well equip to adjust to the long term shift in work-life balance.
During 2020, employers were challenged to ensure employee productivity. However, very early into the lockdowns they realised that the problem was the exact opposite.
Instead of struggling to find the motivation to work from home and stay productive, employees were having a hard time preserving healthy boundaries between professional and personal lives.
It was far too easy to take that extra zoom meeting at 6pm or work through lunch. Or start at 8am and finish at 7pm or even send emails after 10pm. In some instances, this had unintentional carry-on effects to other employees who felt almost obliged to respond straight away.
Productive? No.
Sustainable? No
In terms of productivity, a recent study found have shown more than half 58.3% of employees felt more productive working from home, while 41.7% said they were better off when working from the office. On face value the results are logical. If at home an employee dedicates more hours to work tasks, they get more done and that can give them the sense of being more productive.
The problem, however, is that in the long term, working long hours are not the road to higher productivity. Studies have shown that regular after-hours work eventually leads to job burnout and decreased productivity.
The last thing employers want is for their employees to burnt out.
Here are four ways to inject some life back into the work-life balance when working from home:
Have a separate area for work
Set up a dedicated workspace to help stay focused when working remotely. This is extremely important for switching off when the workday is over. Having separate areas for work and play also makes it easier to mentally move from work mode to home mode.
Don’t use your work computer in your free time
Just like having different locations for work and private life, it is important to separate work tools from play tools.
Go for a walk at lunch or even a gym session
The best thing for your circulation and oxygen supply to your brain is to exercise. Take a 30-minute break at lunch and walk around the block and after you have finished do another 30 minutes (if you can). Both will help you increase your supply of endorphins and oxygen. Giving you better relaxation and reduced stress levels.
Go out for a walk or for a bike ride as soon as the workday is over
This will help you mentally. If you cannot go out, do some exercises, or stretches at home. A great app is the 7-minute app for 7 minutes of great exercise you can do in your lounge room our backyard.
