{"id":3705,"date":"2020-11-25T11:00:35","date_gmt":"2020-11-25T10:00:35","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blogs.kcl.ac.uk\/editlab\/?p=3705"},"modified":"2020-12-09T16:14:23","modified_gmt":"2020-12-09T15:14:23","slug":"the-edit-labs-reflections-on-effective-strategies-for-working-from-home","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.kcl.ac.uk\/editlab\/2020\/11\/25\/the-edit-labs-reflections-on-effective-strategies-for-working-from-home\/","title":{"rendered":"The EDIT lab’s reflections on effective strategies for working from home"},"content":{"rendered":"

As we approach the halfway point of the UK\u2019s second lockdown, EDIT Lab members Ellen and Jess reflect on the strategies that have and haven\u2019t worked for them while working from home in 2020.<\/strong><\/h2>\n
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Jess<\/p><\/div>\n

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Ellen<\/p><\/div>\n

<\/p>\n

\n

 <\/p>\n

Shortly after lockdown commenced in March 2020, we received an email from our Head of Department which outlined a clear message about how we should view the coming period. The message was simple: <\/span><\/p>\n

“You are not working from home; you are at home during a crisis, trying to work”<\/i><\/strong> (Cathryn Lewis, 03\/04\/2020).<\/strong> <\/span><\/p>\n

This important sentiment was something that helped us greatly as we transitioned into our strange, new working world.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

As we approached the second lockdown at the start of November, an incredibly useful <\/span>article<\/span><\/a> by the Harvard Business Review, entitled \u2018<\/span>How to \u201cactually\u201d save time while working remotely<\/span><\/i>\u2019, was similarly circulated around our department. After reading this, we were inspired to share our lessons learned in maintaining a healthy work\/life balance, and here we propose four healthy working behaviours to take forward into lockdown 2.0.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Top tip 1:<\/strong> Jess\u2019 goal setting<\/span><\/p>\n

When I think back to the lockdown 1.0 all those many months ago, the following comes to mind: professional-looking sourdough breads popping onto my instagram feed, 30-day yoga challenges, and impressive (and daunting) half-marathon PBs plastered all over Strava. It seemed like everyone was on a mighty mission of self improvement. Or were they? Whilst slumped on my sofa at home, with only a glimpse into the lockdown lives of others through my phone screen, it appeared that everyone was up to something new and exciting. The many hours saved by ridding our daily routines of commuting does present us with the opportunity to take up the hobbies we\u2019d always wanted to try. However, even with this extra time afforded to us, research by the Harvard Business Review suggested that many people failed to achieve everything they\u2019d hoped and dreamed they would during their lockdown lives.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

For me, a much-needed realisation has been that setting myself unachievable goals only left me feeling disappointed rather than fulfilled. Being locked down, spending hours and hours indoors each day, plays havoc with our emotions at the best of times. So, the last thing we need is constantly feeling like a failure for not reaching targets we\u2019d set ourselves. I certainly experienced this during the first lockdown. I clearly remember telling myself I wanted to go on a run everyday until I managed a 10k, teach myself French and learn to paint. Whilst these activities might have benefited my wellbeing, it quickly became clear that putting pressure on myself left me feeling flat when I didn\u2019t manage to achieve the daily goals I had set.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

To overcome this, the Harvard Business Review suggests identifying a \u201cmust win\u201d during each working day – one thing you need to achieve no matter what. However, I think this \u201cmust win\u201d should be extended beyond work-related goals. For me, my \u201cmust win\u201d might be reading a chapter of my book in the bath, taking a brisk walk in the evening, or spending 15 minutes learning French. It\u2019s hugely important that we engage in non-work-related activities to refresh our minds and to support wellbeing during lockdown. Setting these small, daily goals will hopefully allow me to continue practising my newly adopted hobbies, stay focused on the present, and put a stop to setting unrealistic and unattainable long-term goals.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Top tip 2<\/strong>:<\/strong> Ellen\u2019s \u2018commute\u2019<\/span><\/p>\n

As we\u2019re approaching the second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic the likelihood of working from home for the coming months is becoming increasingly apparent. Although many of us miss our working environments, it\u2019s not all doom and gloom as. For many of us, the break from a busy commute has not been a wholly unwelcome one!\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Despite the perceived benefits of not being able to commute, it has brought the noticeable challenge of not having the traditional switch between home and work, since both are now in the same space. The Harvard Business Review article pointed out that many of us use our commute to enter this wonderous thing called \u2018work mode\u2019. This transition is met with particular challenges when attempting to do this at home as we have to inhibit the urge to do everyday tasks (often referred to by millennials as \u2018life admin\u2019), not get distracted by the (in my case) cats and well\u2026 work. So, with the absence of physical commuting \u2013 how do we do this? One thing I\u2019ve found particularly helpful is \u2018creating my own commute\u2019 by going for a short walk before my workday begins. This has a multitude of benefits (including moderate physical activity and exposure to daylight) and allows me to have some physical and mental separation from my home\/workspace before starting the working day. This works well for me, but others might have alternative ways of creating their own commute, such as practicing yoga, mindfulness meditation. For those, who aren\u2019t fans of walking, research suggests that the optimal commute is only 16 minutes!\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Top tip 3:<\/strong> Jess\u2019 end-of-day rituals<\/span><\/p>\n

During the first lockdown, being unable to go out and socialise, led to an unhealthy habit of late-night working. Being a PhD student, there is <\/span>always<\/span><\/i> more work to be done, so I assumed that working a few extra hours into the evening would help me stay on top of my workload and be a bonus of this period at home.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Looking back, I now realise that those evening working hours were far from productive <\/span>or<\/span><\/i> efficient, and actually negatively impacted my wellbeing in lots of ways. For one, I felt (unsurprisingly) sleepier than I did during the daytime, so the evening work wasn\u2019t completed to the standard I would have achieved in the day. Additionally, on the evenings off where I\u2019d decide to relax instead, I’d feel unable to\u00a0 fully enjoy my rest time. Creating the expectation of working late into the evening was clearly unhealthy, and yet it appears to be a common trend among many of us who are now working from home.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The Harvard Business Review article talks about the German concept of <\/span>Feierabend<\/span><\/i>. This is an evening celebration which marks the moment when the working day comes to a close, and is often accompanied with a beer. While I won\u2019t be drinking a beer at the end of <\/span>every <\/span><\/i>working day, I am going to make a habit out of adopting a behaviour to mentally distance myself from work, which might be yoga, a winter walk, or having a cup of tea and a chat with my housemates. Similar to the \u2018commute\u2019 that Ellen has adopted, I hope this will add some much needed structure to my working day and help me \u2018switch off\u2019 in the evenings. So, as we enter the second lockdown, I am making a <\/span>conscious <\/b>decision to close my laptop at the end of the working day and not allow myself open it again until the next morning (unless I’m watching <\/span>Derry Girls<\/span><\/i> on Netflix).\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Top tip 4:<\/strong> Ellen\u2019s passive vs. active leisure<\/span><\/p>\n

The Harvard Business Review also distinguishes between \u2018passive leisure\u2019 (e.g. watching TV) and \u2018active leisure\u2019 (e.g. volunteering, socialising and sports). This distinction is important as evidence has shown that active leisure is more likely to increase happiness. Moving forward, engaging in some down time is important, but keeping active and staying socially connected is also key.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

During the spring and summer months, as the previous lockdown eased, the amount of time spent doing physical and active leisure activities exploded! From online yoga to \u2018Couch to 5k\u2019, there was a noticeable increase in the number of people engaging in both indoor and outdoor activities. Initially, this was great! For me personally, my sports team met twice a week (in groups of 6) in a local park to do a half-hour workout, and I spent almost every weekend hiking over the south downs. However, as the nights are drawing in and the weather is becoming increasingly colder in the UK, I\u2019ve noticed my ability (and my motivation) for active leisure has gradually decreased, whereas the amount of time I\u2019m spending binge watching series has increased. The winter weather means it will be more difficult to engage in active leisure outdoors, however there are many creative ways to do this at home. Some of the favourites from our team include: having a chat with a close friend, making macrame plant hangers; getting stuck into a puzzle, baking, making clay earrings and getting on with that DIY that has been on the to-do list for ages.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

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Helena’s funky clay earrings<\/p><\/div>\n

 <\/p>\n

Final thoughts\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The conclusion of the article says this: <\/span>\u201c<\/span><\/i>Around the world, shifting to remote work could save billions of hours \u2014 but it\u2019s up to us to spend that time well.\u201d <\/span><\/i>While this is a sentiment we both agree with, we wanted to end our blog post on a slightly different and perhaps more uplifting note. We are in the middle of a global pandemic. Life is not normal and we are all learning to cope in different ways. While time is precious, focusing on spending our time \u201cwell\u201d can lead to a spiral of unhealthy and negative thinking where we are constantly trying to fill our spare time with activities that we perceive to be productive, whether work or leisure. Resting is also incredibly important for our mental health. During this month of a second lockdown, prioritise yourself and do whatever makes you happiest. Adopting our suggestions will hopefully bring some balance into your lockdown lives, but try your hardest to resist the urge to make every single day as productive or \u201csuccessful\u201d as possible. Some days will be harder than others, and sometimes you might feel like you haven\u2019t achieved anything. This is perfectly normal and many people all over the country will be having similar thoughts. Be kind to yourself. Your lockdown experience will not be defined by your productivity.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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