It doesn't matter if your "office" is only a few steps from your bed; scientists say it's crucial to keep pauses to build solid lines around your workday, especially when children, friends, or technological issues collide.
Below are the following reasons why it's important to make time to recharge while working from home.
How to Unwind or Take a Break While Working from Home
So, when your office and home are one and the same, how are you going to take a break or get away from work? Prioritizing downtime may be challenging, but it is not impossible. When working from home, there are a few sure-fire strategies to keep an office-like structure to your day.
Communicate with Coworkers about Breaks and Vacations
When you see your coworkers every day, it's simple to notice when someone is technically out of the office. It's more difficult to tell when you're simply communicating with your employees via Slack Message or email.
Make sure your buddies are aware of your breaks and vacations so they don't inadvertently disrupt your free time, even if your vacation is merely a date with your sofa, a pint of ice cream, and Netflix.
Make a Schedule for Your Day, Including Breaks
Anyone who has worked from home for a long time knows what it's like to wake up, pour a cup of coffee, shuffle to your desk in your sweatpants and slippers, and start to work. It's 3:00 p.m. before you know it, and you haven't even gotten out of your chair.
It's easy to fall into this cycle, but failing to take time away from work can limit your creativity and productivity. With efficient time management, you can reclaim time in your schedule-and sanity in your working day. Allow time for breaks in your schedule. If required, add them to your calendar to block out the time.
Make Sure your Break isn't Related to Work
Make sure you rise up and walk away from your desk when you take a break. Do not consider surfing the internet or working on personal matters to be a vacation from work; research shows that these distractions do not lead to increased productivity. Reading a book, calling a friend, or working on a personal hobby-learning strategy has been demonstrated to increase mood and energy levels.
A change of location will help to calm your mind and lower your blood pressure. If you can go for a brief walk, that's even better.
