Which pill is it to “Exit the Work Matrix”?
The UK has been on Lockdown since 23rd March. As such we as a nation have been forced to change our lifestyles drastically. We have been forced to become a nation of “home workers” or been asked to embrace “working from home”. Working from home used to be a benign concept, but I think after COVID-19 it will be seen as a more deeply personal experience of what “working from” has become in time of world wide global health pandemic.
So to paraphrase the undeniably attractive pop princesses of 5th Harmony,
“You don’t gotta go to work!
But you gotta got to work.
“We can work from home!”
So let’s talk about what does it mean to “work from home”, in these times and how do we “exit the work matrix” that is our home? “Work From home is a concept where the employee can do his or her job from home.” So great, now we know that the concept is as simple as it sounds! However, what is not simple is the blurred lines of your home being both your “captor”, “place of work” and “place of leisure”. That’s where you need to make a conscious effort to create boundaries between “work life” and “leisure life” at home. So let’s take a look at some ways that we can create some clear “working boundaries”. Take a look at the list below:
Create a good morning routine - So you can be “at work” for the start of your “working day”
Create “working hours” - You know the times that you are “working” - 9am - 5pm
Working Behaviour: you are “at work” mentally remind yourself of that!
Clothing: Wear clothing that you would wear when you are in the “Office”
Work Area: Create a space that is your “working area” - ONLY use it for working
Having clear break times: Tea breaks, and lunch hour, exercise hour etc
Close down your working equipment and applications: Close ALL the Work Tabs DOWN! (Or use blockers)
Leaving Work: Clear away your “work area” or leave the “working room”
So now we’ve got some ideas about how to create a working area and routine. Let’s look at some issues that can hamper creating a good working routine.
Not having defined “working hours” - leading to working ALL THE TIME!!!
Not having a clear working morning routine
Not have a clear “working area”
Not having clear break times
Not closing down working applications and devices at the end of the day!!!
Insert your own BAD HABIT HERE!!!
Let me break it down. Your experience of “the working from home matrix” is really personal! Just like stress, it’s a deeply personal experience. Here’s where we have to get a little bit deep. Your mindset has a large bearing on how you experience “working from home”, you can use it as an opportunity to have more time for self care and work life balance. Or can it become an albatross around your neck and you get stuck in the “workaholism trap”.
Let’s pause for a moment and talk about that! What is “workaholism”? Psychology Today describes it as as follows:
“a workaholic as a work-obsessed individual who gradually becomes emotionally crippled and addicted to power and control in a compulsive drive to gain approval and public recognition of success. These driven men and women live a Gerbil-wheel, adrenalin-pumping existence rushing from plan A to B, narrowly-fixated on some ambitious goal or accomplishment. Eventually, nothing or no one else really matters.”
At its worst it sounds pretty horrible and a serious affliction that you SHOULD NOT IGNORE!!! Here’s where I say if you are experiencing the above please seek professional medical help, speak to a GP or a qualified therapist.
Just looking at that definition is making me feel a bit shell shocked! So, if we know that we have tendencies around “compulsive working” and “we can’t switch off”, What CAN we do to break the cycle? Thankfully there are many things that we CAN DO! However, I am gonna get real with you, this is deep stuff and you will need to do some internal work. It’s not an easy fix and you’ll really need to work at breaking the habits that you have.
Let me share my personal experience of workaholism. I used to work from 7am - 6pm. Not only that, I also used to respond to emails after I had “finished working”, it was a compulsion. I would think nothing twice about starting some “work project” in the middle of the evening or trying to do it in the middle of making dinner or on the weekend. I showed physical signs of tiredness, which I initially shrugged off. I am still working on changing my “working habits” to achieve a better work life balance. It’s still “work in progress”, but I am actively seeking to make sustained changes.
So today, I am going to give you 3 tips for managing workaholism.
1 Schedule to take “Time Out”
Put it in your diary, calendar, list or however you organise yourself. Block out time where you are “resting”, where you remove yourself and unplug from devices. You actively take a break, to pause, breathe and do other things. Like what, you ask? Read a book, clean, do DIY etc. Just not a “working activity”. Block this time out and Commit to it at a frequency that works for you. I would recommend starting with once per week and then increasing to daily if you can.
2 Exercise
You know the benefits of exercise are good for your mental and physical health. So all I am going to say is find an activity for you: running, cycling, martial arts, boxing, HIIT, Circuits
3 Get an Accountability Buddy!
You know what, we have someone holding us accountable, we tend to try harder to stick to our goals. Find a trusted friend, your spouse or someone in your network that you can talk to about it and let them know of your plans to change. Agree regular check in points so that you can talk about progress. Finally don’t be too hard on yourself or get discouraged if you find it really hard to begin with. Just know this, every little step you take to change is helping you.
P.S. Anyone techy? Feel free to let me know if these commands to shutdown your computer work? My recommendation would be 5pm or 6pm, if not earlier! Try It NOW!
Resources
Address Stress - Mental Health First Aid England
Mind Mental Health Charity - How to manage stress
Contact the Samaritans - Confidential advice