Psychology tricks for comfortable work-from-home sessions

Article written by Sergiu Bumbacea and Filip Popescu M.Sc.

Hello everyone! Welcome back to another KTW Blog! We will expose today 10  “Working from home” psychology tips that will help you dealing with these times.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, those lucky enough to have avoided lay off are more likely than ever to be adapting to a working environment that is familiar and alien at the same time.
It can be surprisingly tough. A partner on endless noisy team calls, a child who needs guidance on their homeschooling assignments, the loss of structure and continuity: they can all be disorienting and exhausting.

And yet, not having to go to the office can offer surprising opportunities to develop a better work-life balance, and to tailor your own working day.

Here is a video with some tips for Working From Home. Enjoy watching it!

10 tips to stay motivated

1. Create a Schedule. Without a structured workday, time can get away from you. You might find that you start shifting your workdays later and later as you sip an extra cup of coffee.

2. Establish a Dedicated Workspace. You might be tempted to work in bed. After all, it’s likely the most comfortable space in the house. But when you associate your bed with work, it can interfere with your sleep.

3. Work in Small Blocks of Time. Blocking out small amounts of time—and planning what you’ll do during that timeframe—can make big tasks feel more manageable.

4. Limit Your Distractions and Interruptions. You might find that you struggle to get back on task each time you’re interrupted. You can stay motivated by limiting the distractions and interruptions you experience.
This may mean muting your phone notifications and only checking your email once an hour. Or placing your phone on “Do Not Disturb” until you complete a specific task.

5. Practice the “10-Minute Rule”. One of the best ways to get moving on something you don’t want to do is by using the “10-minute rule.” Tell yourself that you only have to work on something for 10 minutes. Then, after the 10-minute mark, you can take a break if you want.

6. Leave Home. To the extent that it’s allowed and safe during the pandemic, get out of the house and move your body. Your body needs movement and blood circulation. Plus, the fresh air and natural light will do you good. Ideally, step outside for at least a short while before, during, and after your working hours.

7. Don’t Hesitate to Ask for What You Need. If you’re employed by a company or organization that supports your work-from-home setup, request the equipment you need as soon as you start working from home, or within a few days of realizing you need something new

8. Socialize With Colleagues. Loneliness, disconnect, and isolation are common problems in remote work life, especially for extroverts. Companies with a remote work culture usually offer ways to socialize. For example, they might have channels in a team messaging app, like Slack, for talking about common interests or organizing meetups for people in the same region

9. Take Sick Days. When you’re not well, take time off. If sick days are part of your compensation package, take the time off that you need. Not taking it is like throwing away money!

10. Be Positive. Reading tone in written messages is really difficult in all-remote settings. The less face time you have with people, the more an intentionally concise message can come off as terse and short-tempered. In remote work settings, everyone must be positive, to the point where it may feel like you’re being overly positive, gushy even. Otherwise, you risk sounding like a jerk. It’s unfortunate, but true. So embrace the exclamation point! Find your favorite emoji. You’re going to need them!

What are your thoughts about working from home? Do you enjoy it? Write down in comments section!

Resources

https://www.verywellmind.com/work-from-home-motivation-4802480

https://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/working-from-home.htm