4 pitfalls to avoid when teleworking

Telecommuting has been part of our daily lives for several months now, and for some almost a year.

A change of habits, a change of pace, but also a change of mentality. Today, it's hard to know exactly when we'll be able to come out of it. That's why it's best to stay on track and stay motivated.

Good habits are often highlighted, but it's also important to know what pitfalls to avoid if you want to make the most of teleworking.

4 pitfalls to avoid when teleworking :

#1 Mixing personal and professional life

No doubt your first reaction when telecommuting was granted was to rejoice at being able to do household chores during the short breaks granted during the working day. Unfortunately, not having a break from your personal life during your working hours adds a huge mental burden.

Take no real breaks

In fact, you'll be more likely to multi-task by starting a laundry just before one of your calls. The feeling will be that you'll never really be concentrating on one task at a time, and at the end of the day you'll feel both overwhelmed and unable to finish your to-do list.

If you don't take a real break, you'll soon feel overwhelmed. Successfully separating your private and professional life will enable you to be more productive and enjoy working from home.

Constant interruptions

It's essential that you set yourself a specific place to work, so that your family and friends know that you can't be interrupted while you're there. If you move from the living room to the office and then to the dining table, your family and especially your children will find it harder to understand when you are working and when you are not. So reduce the chances of them demanding your attention by setting strict rules for your workspace.

#2 Don't plan work routines

To be able to concentrate throughout the day, it's important to have routines. Even if getting stuck in traffic or taking public transport wasn't the most fun part of your day, the advantage was that you could clearly separate work and private life.

Today, when we telecommute, we're lucky enough not to have to travel, but we do have to set ourselves a routine to keep us motivated.

Morning routine

It's best to avoid falling out of bed and turning on all your screens straight away. All you'll feel like is working and sleeping. This could be a blow to your morale. Instead, take the time to enjoy a leisurely breakfast, read a few pages of your favorite book or challenge yourself to a few minutes of meditation.

A trendy morning routine is called the miracle morning. It's all about recreating the experience of waking up enthusiastic and full of energy, no matter how much sleep you get. Get up earlier than usual and devote yourself to all those things you don't know how to do in your normal day. This routine, though difficult to integrate into your daily routine at first, is worth trying out to help you realize all your desires and boost your work.

End-of-day routine

I'm sharing my ideal end-of-day routine with you. It forces us to end the day at the same time as if we were at the office. It's important to teach our brains to gradually switch off so that we can get through the evening without them running riot. Preparing your workspace for the next day is a key step in motivating yourself to get back to work.

The advantage of your routines: Stay focused and efficient all day long!

#3 Temptations

At home, it's easier to face dangerous temptations. You have a strong friendship with your fridge or your bed. However, for your own good, set yourself some rules and don't give in.

• Make sure you're not facing your kitchen.
• Don't bring food back to your desk - it won't stay there long.
• Don't get into the habit of working from your bed or sofa - your back won't be very happy if you repeat the habit.
• Turn off the TV when you're working. If you can't stand complete silence, put a playlist on in the background.

Keeping fit is as much a consideration as mental health, even if the damage is not always directly visible.

#4 Isolating yourself in your tasks

This is the trap to avoid at all costs. Already isolated by distance, avoid reducing your contact with your colleagues. Even though face-to-face contact is sorely lacking, don't forget your virtual meetings. On the contrary, maintain your relationships by organizing virtual cafés, games or teambuildings.

The consequences of isolation have a detrimental impact on your health. The consequences are loneliness, pessimism and loss of motivation. Even if you feel surrounded at home, give yourself a virtual moment with people outside your household.

Keep in frequent contact with your company and colleagues to guide you in what you need to achieve.

Often, the problem we face is to be immersed in habits that are difficult to change. The first step is to realize that they're bad, and then it's up to you to change them little by little to keep them going over time.

Don't think of telecommuting as "work, sleep" - take some time for yourself. Do what feels good to take your mind off things.

Tell us in comments what you do on a daily basis to avoid the pitfalls of telecommuting!

‍