Many people must have realised, the reality is quite different. Working from home can be quite a challenge.
If you're working from home, mastering one metal skill will keep you happy.
SELF-CONTROL
Working from home can require considerable self-control. Why?
Research in occupational health psychology suggests one important answer which is all about self-control – The ability to suppress intruding thoughts, behaviours, and emotions which are not relevant or helpful for achieving a goal. It's all about "PSYCHOLOGICAL DETACHMENT."
A key element of replenishing vital mental energy, and reducing the negative effects of self-control is what we call psychological detachment.
Enhance mental health and well-being when working from home:
- Set up a dedicated workspace, which should be as free from distractions as possible.
- Develop a schedule, which includes phases of focused work as well as breaks.
- If possible, divide and share times dedicated to child and pet care.
- Organize your email communication and reserve dedicated times for responding to emails.
- Try to establish simple routines that don’t require any self-control, such as a coffee break or starting your working day with an easy routine task.
- Set up dedicated times for work and leisure – and stick to these times.
- Refrain from setting impromptu goals (such as, “I will stop working once I finish this task”) as deadlines for finishing work.
- If possible, work in a different room than the one you spend your leisure time in. Particularly avoid working in your bedroom as it may remind you of work-related issues, preventing detachment when you go to sleep. (If you don’t have the option of a different room, then try to tidy away everything that may remind you of work.)
- Refrain from all forms of work-related communication during non-work time.
- Engage in absorbing activities, which capture your full attention after work. Good examples include exercise, cooking, mindfulness meditation, or focused playing with your children or pets.
- Generally, self-control is crucial for adapting to changes in our environment. In light of the considerable requirements now in place for self-control during the lockdown.