You might want to set yourself break times before you even start work, just as breaks are often allocated in the workplace and strictly adhered to. Put your break times in the diary just as you do meetings and appointments. If you are an in-time person and lose track of time, you could set your mobile or an alarm clock to ring and remind you to take a break. It is tempting to think you can just keep on working, but you will become less and less productive. Bear in mind the human brain is apparently only able to concentrate for 20 minutes at a time! I find that two hours is about the most I can manage before I feel myself starting to run out of steam.
I find it essential to get out of the house at least once a day, even if it’s only to pop down the road for a paper. You have the flexibility your office-bound friends are so envious of, so use it! You are now in the position to be able to combine business and pleasure – after a meeting, have lunch out, meet a friend or have a walk in the park. Most of us are not very productive immediately after lunch, so this is a good time to have a walk and get some fresh air and a fresh perspective. It’s all too easy to forget there’s a whole world going on outside your workroom door. While you are out, make a point of talking to other people.
I know many people are unwilling to take naps during the day as they feel guilty about wasting time. I actually associate naps with working hard, as when I ran my cleaning business, I often had to go out early in the morning to check the office cleaning. After completing my admin. and organisation, I had a break in the afternoon before going out in the evening to see my cleaners while they were at work. I was sometimes so physically tired that an afternoon nap was essential.
These days I’m not doing such physical work but I still find that a nap can be a good way to rejuvenate my brain. It gives my unconscious mind a chance to come up with an idea while my busy conscious mind is switched off. I believe that the work ethic many of us have absorbed during our upbringing can in fact have a detrimental effect on our performance. We simply cannot work all the time; we need time to absorb and assimilate information if we are to use it in the most efficient way.
What about the ‘fat’ part of the ‘fat, depressed and lazy’ fear expressed by those taking part in the Australian magazine survey on homeworking? It’s so easy to get up and make a coffee when work is not going well, and OK, just a few biscuits as well, and maybe a piece of that pie left over from last night. Healthy snacks are good for keeping your energy up throughout the day, so have a full and tempting fruit bowl. A handful of pumpkin seeds will provide your daily recommended amount of zinc, which helps your thinking ability and memory, and nuts are a source of Vitamin E, also linked to memory enhancement.
It helps to recognise the symptoms that you are getting tired of a task and would benefit from a break or moving on to do something else for a while. I’ve noticed while writing that a recurring use of the word count button signals I am running out of inspiration and it’s time to stop. If I go off and do some reading or tidy up the house, I can come back later with renewed brainpower.
You may like to set a finishing time in advance when you are planning your daily schedule, perhaps at around the time that your office-bound peers are logging off and joining the queues of commuters.
Their journey home signals the end of the working day, but you may need a similar routine to your morning one – perhaps another walk with the dog or a bike ride – to emphasise that the business of the day is done and domestic concerns can now take over. Getting out of the house and putting some physical distance between you and your tools or the computer can really help you to switch off from thoughts of work.
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05252010
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