Body and psyche in the home office

Working in the home office: this is how you escape the warehouse fever

Watching Netflix on your laptop, working in sweatpants, taking a nap or two after lunch: home office can definitely have its advantages. We also know from various studies that working from home for a long time has an impact on us. Sure, we save time because we no longer have to drive to work every day. At the same time, we are almost only sitting at home and the ceiling falls on one or the other's head. High time to tackle the home office blues with targeted strategies.

The effects of working from home on the body and mind

Many studies deal with the consequences of longer home offices, as we experience in times of Corona. We have summarized the most important findings for you:

• The separation of work and private life: Not having to commute anymore is of course an advantage. But did you also know that for many people exactly this time of driving a car or subway is important for the psyche: When you commute home from work, you can mentally release yourself from the stress that you may have had at work . If you work from home, this transition no longer exists and the line between work and private life becomes blurred. It's just hard to leave work to be work when your workplace is right next to your bed.

• The social life: While working from home is free from the distractions of other people in the office, this point can be quite tough for your social life. If you spend eight hours of your day with little to no human interaction, you will inevitably feel isolated at some point and find that taking a walk with colleagues during your lunch break is also worth a lot.

• Motivation problems: When work and leisure at home blur, motivation disappears for many at some point. Precisely because everything feels the same, you are no longer in direct contact with your supervisor or are exposed to social control by your colleagues. Our tips in the next chapter will help you here.

• Lack of teamwork: New findings show that working from home can have a negative impact on your creative thinking skills. When you are surrounded by people who think differently from you, it is easier to innovate and come across new ideas. Teamwork and the exchange with your colleagues will make you more successful when it comes to finding creative solutions. And let's be honest: Unfortunately, an online meeting cannot yet fully compensate for this aspect. But there are now many tools and applications, such as miro.com, with which working creatively from a distance feels pretty good and intuitive.

Tips and tricks for balance and productivity in the home office

Everyone has their own method of balancing things out in the home office. In spite of everything, most of them follow three general principles that we present to you here.

• Stick to a schedule: Sticking to a schedule is important when working from home. Otherwise, it can easily happen that you postpone your work or schedule too many appointments. Therefore: also take fixed break times to structure your day. Your routines may also include waking up at a set time each day, showering, and getting dressed. You will notice: The home office is much more organized and efficient.

• Take care of you: Make time every day for exercise, meditation, or other activities that help you balance. This also includes leaving the house and getting some fresh air. Incidentally, here you will find further tips for work-life balance in the home office.

• Set up a workspace: Setting up your own work area at home is crucial for your productivity and concentration. Even if it's just a place at the kitchen table or a small desk in a corner of your living room: reserve this place exclusively for work and leave it when you have finished work. In this way, you avoid blurring work and leisure time.

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