May 24, 2020 12:00:00

How do I switch between work mode and private mode when working from home?

Many people should have introduced work from home due to the epidemic of the new coronavirus infectious disease (COVID-19), but some people feel that it is difficult to switch between work and private when working from home. I will.

Wladislaw Rivkin , an Instructor Psychology Lecturer at Aston University in Birmingham , England, explains the importance of switching between work and private mode and tips for switching between work mode and private mode when working from home.

Working from home? Why detachment is crucial for mental health
https://theconversation.com/working-from-home-why-detachment-is-crucial-for-mental-health-135986

Mr. Rivkin seems to have been working from home before the COVID-19 epidemic, and his friends often said jokes, 'Don't you drink gin from the morning and work in your pajamas?' That. However, among those who forced many people to work from home due to the COVID-19 pandemic, 'working from home is not as graceful as you might imagine, and it's hard to work from home.' Rivkin pointed out that many people realized that.

Offices and other environments are designed to allow many employees to work efficiently, but homes are generally private spaces. Therefore, working from home requires a high level of self-control ability to suppress thoughts, actions, and emotions unrelated to work. According to Revin, the self-control ability needed to work from home is similar to the ability to refrain from eating a chocolate bar during a diet or to keep on training for a marathon. It is said that.

Although self-control

brings benefits such as career success and stable relationships, Rivkin said in a 2016 study (PDF file) that he imposed too much self-control on mental health and well-being. It is clear that it may have an adverse effect. Psychologists argue why self-control is a mental burden, as self-control consumes mental energy, just as muscles cause physical fatigue. ..

Working from home is a temptation to adapt to new technology and changes in communication styles, resist distracting things like family, pets and daily housework, and be free to go out whenever you want. You need to overcome. However, Rivkin pointed out that while working from home requires strict self-control, self-control consumes mental energy.

'The important factor that replenishes mental energy and reduces the negative effects of self-regulation is what is called' psychological separation, 'Rivkin said. Psychological separation means mentally switching off work at rest, requiring all activity and no thoughts about work. For example, if you are working in the office, the act of 'going out of the office after finishing work' is useful for psychological separation, but when working from home, this switching becomes difficult.

Therefore, Rivkin thinks that 'proactively managing work time and other time' is important to achieve psychological separation when working from home. Since remote workers

tend to work longer hours than office workers, they intentionally cut off communication about work and immerse themselves in hobbies that require concentration to clarify the boundary between work and private life. Rivkin argues that it helps.

Rivkin also lists 10 tips that are important for improving mental health and well-being when working from home.

◆ 01: Secure a dedicated work area that does not get in the way.
◆ 02: Create a work schedule that includes hours and breaks to work intensively.
◆ 03: If possible, do not care for children or pets at work.
◆ 04: Secure a dedicated time for replying to emails.
◆ 05: Establish a simple routine, such as starting a coffee break or starting a simple daily task.
◆ 06: Strictly adhere to the work and leisure hours specified at the beginning.
◆ 07: Do not set a deadline to think of “when this work ends” as the timing to finish the work.
◆ 08: If possible, separate the room in which you spend your leisure time from the room in which you work, and avoid working in the bedroom. If that's not possible, clean up all the work-remembering items when you're done.
◆ 09: Block all types of work communication outside of working hours.
◆ 10: After work, engage in engaging activities such as exercise, cooking, mindfulness, playing with children and pets.

In general, self-control is essential to adapt to new environments such as telecommuting, but consciously check if your mental resources are exhausted during lockdown. is needed. Rivkin said that people at work need to regularly recover their mental resources through experiences that include psychological separation.