IT Center Blog

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Over the past year, much of the population has spent more time than usual in their own homes: lockdown, quarantine, homeschooling. Public life has been scaled down and working from home has become commonplace for many professionals. But how do you stay motivated in a home office? We asked our team and share our tips and tricks with you.

After more than a year in home office, we have all learned a lot and gained different experiences. We have adapted to the unusual situation and developed our own routines in the process. Some of us have come up with tips and tricks, tried them out, and perhaps discarded some. Last year, we already presented some tips for the home office. Now we’ve asked our employees again: Which of these tips have caught on? What helps them work well at home and stay motivated in the home office?

1. Prevent distractions

Distractions lurk everywhere at home. Checking social media on the fly? Leave the TV on in the background? Here, everyone agreed: unless you’re blessed with iron discipline, it’s best to keep your personal cell phone out of reach during work hours. The TV stays off, too. Set up your workstation so that you are distracted as little as possible.

2. A nice workplace

Setting up your workstation is the heart of a productive workday. There are (almost) no limits to what you can do. It’s always better to work in a light-flooded room with a beautiful view. But if you don’t have this privilege at home, don’t despair. With the right lighting, you can get going. So you should choose your desk lighting carefully. Make sure you use a bright daylight lamp. It keeps you awake, active and promotes concentration. You should also air your area regularly. Plants can also help you with this. Some houseplants have the great property of purifying the air. Plants that are very easy to care for are especially recommended. Monocots, dragon trees, arching hemp and birch figs are true office superheroes. They actively provide an improved indoor climate and are also beautiful to look at.

3. Snacks and drinks

Actually, working at home is the best setting for all those nutrition tips you’ve been wanting to implement for years. Five servings of fruits and vegetables a day, drink two liters of water, or cut down on convenience foods? Nothing easier than that, right? Prepare some healthy snacks in the morning, your favorite fruits, some raw vegetables and drinks for the work day. When the snacks and water are on the desk ready to be consumed, we tend to eat them throughout the day. Better stay away from the candy drawer, though. Unhealthy snacks disappear just as quickly in front of the screen.

4. Fresh air and exercise

If you sit all day, you quickly become listless and tired. This can quickly become a problem, especially in the home office. You don’t have to walk back and forth, you don’t have to get up to discuss things with colleagues, and even the trip to the bathroom is much shorter. So it’s especially important to get some exercise into your daily routine. Get up more often, stretch your legs, do a few stretches now and then while sitting, and use your breaks to take walks in the fresh air, for example. In between, feel free to get some fresh air on the balcony or in the garden. You’ll definitely be more alert and motivated afterwards, because a moving body is a moving mind.

Source: Own illustration

5. Develop a routine

Find out what makes you relaxed and happy and stick to it. Do you need a big cup of coffee in the morning and five minutes of quiet on the balcony to really start the day? Do you like to start the day with a little walk around the apartment and greet your pet? Or do you only really get going with a little exercise? Then you should definitely take this time. Keep fixed work and break times. Spend your breaks away from the workplace as much as possible. Find small rituals, such as a daily walk during your lunch break, to keep you motivated throughout the day. Don’t neglect your after-work routine either. Put away your laptop and work phone, allow yourself five minutes of absolute quiet, go for a half-hour walk, or set aside screen-free time to relax. Your routine is something very individual. Find out what does you good and use it actively.

It turns out that experiences in the home office are individual and vary in the surveys. What one person sees as positive may be perceived as a burden by another. Anyone who suffers from a lack of regulations regarding time limits, general time recording, unrealistic workload targets, poor technical equipment or similar in the home office should first and foremost seek a discussion with their employer. You can also find further suggestions in our tips for the home office.

Responsible for the content of this article are Stéphanie Bauens, Dunja Gath and Marlen Helms.

Kategorie: General, Fun & Facts, IT-Managers, Employees, Students
Schlagworte: homeoffice, Organisation, Tipps & Tricks
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