Who would have thought that 12 months ago they would still be working from home and life would not be the same as it was in 2019? With many countries around the world entering their second and third coronavirus lockdowns, pandemic fatigue is starting to set in.
Here in Australia we are luckier than most and most of us currently have some flexibility in our work schedules, but for those still bound to the home office it is harder than ever to separate work life and home life.
I hear from many clients that they struggle with the balance of keeping productive during work hours and fully switching off when it is technically ‘home time’. If you struggle to find the balance between work and home when working from home, there are a few things that you can do to positively change how you work and rest to make you more productive.
Firstly, your work setup is important to improving productivity and improving the quality of your rest time. If you are sitting in an uncomfortable chair, have a screen that is too small or are spending your day in awkward postures, chances are you will be distracted by discomfort and not be as productive as you like. If you develop pain from your working environment it will also make things challenging to adequately rest and experience your home time. Ensure that you have a comfortable, ergonomic work chair, a desk that is set to your height along with the appropriate screen size and number for your job. If you need help with this an ergonomic assessment would be great!
Secondly, if you can, have a separate work station in a separate room which you can go to during the day and leave when it’s time to leave. This assists in allowing the brain to shut off when it’s time to rest after a day’s work. All the unfinished tasks are left behind and prevents you from continuing to work onwards into the night. Similarly a separate room allows you to eliminate distractions and encourages more productive work.
Thirdly, planning an exercise class or routine for after work or lunchtime is something which can assist in improving productivity and gives you a chance to take a break. Exercise has proven benefits for mental and physical health and is an important part of maintaining the work life balance. When working from home the tendency is stay stationary for longer periods of time, we lose the incidental movements such as walking to a meeting room or getting coffee with colleagues. Doing exercises after work or during a break helps get the body moving to reduce discomfort and improve productivity with work.
It’s more important than ever to ensure that there is separation in the home and work routines. If you need help making your work and home routines more comfortable, speak to one of our Physio team in the Sydney CBD. We perform Ergonomic Workplace Assessments both in the office or online.
