Breaking Bad Work Habits
Whether you are working from home or in the office bad habits still occur usually caused by a lack of motivation or not settling into your new normal.
Some of the most commonly identified habits are:
Taking too many breaks
Most people forget to keep track of how much time they are working. If you track how long your breaks are and give yourself a set time to do a particular task this prevents feeling the need to keep taking long breaks and stops us being burnt out.
Stress-eating
Finding comfort in food is normal but when this becomes a daily occurrence it can impact your concentration and motivation levels. Replacing your snacks with healthy alternatives and practicing mindful eating can help with this.
Distractions
Social media, the people we live with, and technology can distract us from our work and make us less productive. Putting your phone away whilst working and sitting in a place away from other people or even wearing noise-canceling earphones can help to stay focused.
Procrastinating
Work out what your most productive time of the day is and aim to do the majority of your tasks or the most difficult tasks at this time. If you are most productive in the morning then make sure to use this time to do your work and then do something you enjoy after as a reward. Doing things you enjoy during the day such as exercise breaks up the day and means you have something to look forward to.
Breaking bad habits when you are stressed can be difficult but prioritising your tasks and incorporating rewards helps you to maintain a work-life balance and replaces them with healthier behaviours.