Leaner staffing, 24/7 technologies and growing expectations to move faster have contributed to many of us not being able to leave work at our workplaces. We frequently bring work home with us on nights, weekends, and even on vacation. Work life bleeds into our home life. But maybe there’s an advantage in doing the opposite: practicing things at home that bleed into work.
Productivity writer Stephanie Vozza believes that what you practice at home can positively influence your professional life, which she highlighted in her recent Fast Company feature. Promotional Consultant Today shares Vozza’s five specific things that you can do at home that can improve your time spent at work.
1. Practice Happiness. Leaning on research that shows that happy people perform better at work, choose to make time between the chores and obligations at home for activities that lift you up. In addition, take a few minutes each day to reflect on what is going well and what you are grateful for. Practiced happiness and gratefulness will often transfer to work.
2. Schedule micro-recovery moments. Everyone has moments at work when they struggle with focus and energy. When moments like these occur at home, it is more natural to take a break, get out for a walk, or read a few pages of a good book. These strategies elevate calm and serenity and restore energy. The same can be practiced at work. You can even build these micro-breaks into your day at the office.
3. Lead from your core strengths. Recognizing and using your authentic qualities can build engagement and provide a source of energy at work. At your core, are you creative, optimistic, compassionate or prudent? Finding ways to leverage your talents can help provide more meaning in your work.
4. Create tech boundaries. Burnout is a real threat, and not having adequate time to recharge your batteries at home impacts your productivity in the office. Mobile technology that keeps employees tethered to work is one of the biggest offenders in diminishing necessary time to reenergize. The best thing you can do is set aside intervals where there is a physical boundary between you and your mobile devices. Keep them in a drawer in another room or leave them in your car for a dedicated time while you are at home.
5. Get enough sleep. According to studies, insufficient sleep can have the same cognitive effects on the body as drinking too much alcohol. Lack of sleep can also cause you to react to small nuisances that normally we wouldn’t even notice. Getting enough sleep can keep you mentally sharp, emotionally balanced and ready for the next day.
Source: Stephanie Vozza is a writer for Fast Company and Inc. with a focus on productivity, business and design.
