Many of us are working from home right now. Some like the change and prefer working remotely – there is no long commute to work, you can dress more casually, and you don’t have to deal with all of the interruptions that are part of office work.
However, working from home has its drawbacks: the lines between work and personal life can become blurred. And it can become a bit monotonous. After all, when your workspace is only a short walk from our bedroom, the scenery isn’t going to change that much.
To break up the tedium, people may turn to diversions like social media or even online gaming. But these are not the healthiest sorts of distractions from work because people can become caught up in them, developing behavior that is addictive. Activities meant to be a break from work can end up taking people away from their work much longer than they had intended.
But there are other things you can do to break up the sameness of the workday that won’t hinder your productivity, but may actually help it.
- A new location
Organizational experts recommend having a dedicated workspace when operating from home. And generally this is good advice. It helps to separate work from other areas of your life. But working in the same location all the time might become a bit too boring.
For a change of pace, you can use different locations around the house as your home office throughout the day. You can work for a while at the dining room table and then the kitchen table or the front porch or backyard patio. For a little variety, you can add decorative touches to your home office, such as paintings, knick-knacks or flowers.
- Physical activity
This is another way to break up a boring workday.
Before the pandemic, people went to the gym, ran, swam, and played a variety of different sports. But many of these things are not considered safe now. The pandemic is especially hard on those who liked going to the gym.
When the weather is colder, opportunities for physical activity are fewer. But there are still things you can do. YouTube is a good source for workout related videos, activities that you can do at home. Facebook is another source for workout videos.
When the weather is warmer, there are more opportunities for physical activity outside, such as hiking, walking and running. Find out where the state parks are in your area and get back to nature while enjoying the scenery.
Also, get in some physical activity when you take breaks during the day. Go for a short walk or do some calisthenics or stretching exercises. Deep breathing exercises also help improve your mood and focus better.
- Social activities
Take some time during the day to stay in touch with coworkers. For example, you can schedule a virtual coffee break using Zoom or some other digital network like Slack or Google Hangouts. (Note: these breaks would be in addition to any Zoom/video meetings you have specifically for work-related matters.)
- Explore
Try out new ways of doing things to boost your productivity. For example, vary the times you do routine tasks and assignments.
- A new hobby
This is another way to put a little variety into your life while working from home. Learn a new skill, how to play a musical instrument, read something new. Many of these things you can do during short breaks throughout the day. For example, you can practice the piano for short 15-minute breaks or work on a painting.
If one of the reasons your workday is boring is that you’ve outgrown your position with your current employer, you may be wondering if it’s time to move on to another company.
If so, take a look at Helpmates’ current job opportunities. If one or more look interesting, follow the application directions on the posting. You also can contact the Helpmates branch office nearest you.
