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For those of us who have spent the last nine months working from home, I think we are starting to find disadvantages all over. If we don’t act intentionally to fix these things we can continue to suffer without really thinking about it.
Missing “Me Time”
One of the strangest things I found in my research for this show was an article saying people are missing their daily commutes. People aren’t really missing being stuck in traffic but they are missing that buffer between work and personal lives. They are missing the “Me Time” they had in their car on the train.
You can continue this process by adding some downtime to your routine. Don’t book yourself from meeting to meeting to home but put time on your calendar to unwind and think about your day.
Chit-chat and hallway conversations
A big item I have found it hard to replicate is the social interaction of a pre-lockdown world. As an extravert, I really miss just talking to people. For whatever reason, our lizard brains want to get right to work on zoom calls and when we are done we get right off.
We don’t just run into co-workers in the hallway or on the way to get coffee unless we work with our roommates. We can help this a little by not jumping right into business when we get on the line. Ask simple personal questions, ask about what we should be watching during lockdown whatever you can think of to get the conversation rolling.
Zoom Fatigue
I mentioned this in my previous show about working from home. Sitting on Zoom calls every day can be draining. Zoom fatigue is a real thing.
People feel like they have to be there on time so they don’t take enough time for themselves with back to back meetings. Schedule your meetings for 25 or 50 minutes so you and everyone else have time between meetings for bio breaks, which should include some desk yoga to keep you healthy.
Get outside while you can and take a walk, even if it is cold, the cold air will invigorate you and make you appreciate you office when you get back.
Less than ideal environments
Many of us are working on kitchen chairs, at kitchen tables or in converted closets. These environments aren’t the best for our health. Take some of that money you have been saving from your commute bill and spend it on some upgraded equipment. Get a standing desk, or a monitor stand, ergonomic keyboard and mouse or a great chair so you can be comfortable. The only person who will be disapointed is your chiropractor.
What are the things you miss about going to work?
How are you dealing with it? Tell me in the comments.
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