The importance of switching on and off! The problem of ‘overworking’ when working from home
Hello!
This month’s topic is again about “how to work” related to remote work. At mgn, we have been working fully remotely since before the Corona disaster.
Because it’s home, I end up working too much.
When people think of working from home, they often ask themselves, “Isn’t it different from going to work, and won’t I be able to concentrate? “Isn’t it less efficient?” In fact, however, many people tend to work longer than they would have liked.
The reason is that “I work at home, so it is hard to distinguish between on and off. Even once I finish my work, I end up looking at my PC, Slack, etc… (At mgn, in particular, there are many hobby channels on Slack, so it is common that I end up looking at them…) The other reason may be due to the fact that I have more free time. The lack of a commute gives me more time to work, which tends to make me think, “I’m going to work a little longer,” and then, “It’s already late! I’m going to work a little bit more.
Of course, some of them are emergencies, but even when they are not, we tend to work too much. It would be very sad if we were not able to relax or if we found that we had no time for our private life, so we sometimes discuss what we should do.
What’s Everyone Doing? Measures against overwork
Now, what should we do?” The effective measures are different for each person. However, it would be a waste of time if we stop there, so I would like to give you various options.
Image by Adobe Firefly
Operation Switching with Food and Beverage
Drink coffee, tea, or other special beverages
prepare a meal
Anyway, this is for people who can manage once away from the PC. When the time is right or the break is better, make coffee/tea or prepare a meal.
Operation Switching in Place
separate workplaces
Use a coworking space
Even if you keep your distance from the PC, you are somehow drawn to it..! If you are one of these people, you can try changing the location of the computer itself. Even in the same room, you can separate the area you use for private use and the area you use for work. By the way, I have a PC for games, so I often change the PC itself. This is a good way to switch between the two.
One way is to use a coworking space. If you have a space near your home where you can relax, you can go there from time to time and use it as a pseudo-office.
Operation to change clothes and get ready
Get dressed for work in the morning.
After leaving work, loungewear, etc.
A good way to change your mood is to change your clothes once. When working remotely, we usually tend to dress in relaxed clothes, or we may be wearing pajamas underneath. By changing your clothes, you can switch between “work time” and “private time” from the outside.
Image by Adobe Firefly
playing politics by using one’s body
Try to do radio exercises in the morning
Workout for more energy
Physical exercise also provides an opportunity to switch on and off. Some people do light exercises such as radio calisthenics and stretching, while others work out vigorously. Some people do light exercise such as radio calisthenics and stretching, while others do a strenuous workout.
Strategy to use music
Environmental noise and low noise while working.
My private life is my favorite music.
This might be good for people who like music. This strategy is not for those who prefer silence at work, but for those who work better with a little sound, there is a strategy to switch it up with music. When this sound is playing, I am working! When you finish work, you can switch to your favorite music and establish a rhythm that these are times when you are not working.
Strategy to create a schedule ahead of time
Create a short-term schedule for tomorrow
Create a long-term schedule in advance
This is a strategy for people who like to make task lists or want to make arrangements. Specifically, make a detailed task list for today or tomorrow, and then proceed according to the list. This makes it easier to end the day when you are satisfied that today’s work has been done as planned. Also, if you have decided in advance what you are going to do in the long term, you can say, “Today I will finish as scheduled. If you have a lot of meetings tomorrow, you can finish your tasks early… and so on.
Image by Adobe Firefly
summary
I have listed various strategies for switching on and off. If you find it particularly difficult to switch on and off emotionally, you may want to try using your five senses to do so, such as drinking something or moving your body. Sometimes it is okay if you create a rhythm. Regardless of which method you use, you may need to get used to it at first, but I think you will be able to switch on and off successfully in time.
What are some of the ways you switch? Please let us know!
