Regular office routines can already feel somewhat the same each day, but working from home may compound this effect for you even more. You may find that you’re feeling more stressed than usual because of the change that remote work brings to your lifestyle. In this post, we suggest a few strategies for breaking up the monotony of working from home to help you brighten your weeks.
At the office, you probably have a set desk that you need to sit at. But at home, you have the freedom to place your computer wherever you want. If you’re starting to feel sluggish during the day, you could switch up the location that you work in. This could entail simply moving your laptop from a desk in your room to the dining table or taking the computer outside with you into the backyard patio. Depending on your company, you may also be able to make more drastic changes. For instance, some people move to entirely different states while still maintaining their same role. Of course, this is a more permanent shift that you’ll need to consider and prepare for more carefully. But for some, it can be worthwhile.
When working remotely, it’s easy to get into a habit of working constantly throughout the day with few breaks. This is because you’re no longer physically near the coworkers that you’d usually talk with. Introduce some variation to your days by chatting with your colleagues over calls. You can use video chat applications to catch up briefly every so often and encourage each other. A short exchange may not seem like much, but it can help energize you greatly by adding something a bit more lighthearted and enjoyable to an otherwise isolating schedule.
Although most people work indoors, daily commutes and the change of scenery still give them some exposure to the outside air. With at-home work, though, you may not move much as you transition between sleep, work, lunch, and off-hours. Consequently, a good strategy for breaking up the monotony of working from home is going outside in your free time. You could take a walk in your neighborhood or ride a bike. An electric bike, or e-bike, can be especially nice because it makes riding at fast speeds easier with its motor power. You just need to practice a bit so you can ride your electric bike safely, as it has a slightly different feel compared to a regular bicycle. Ultimately, the specific activity you choose doesn’t matter that much. Just do what you enjoy while getting out of the house to make your days more pleasurable.