​Busting work from home myths from 2020 that will shape our 2021 working habits

By Guidant Global Marketing Team

There’s no denying the fact that 2020 was a year of unexpected challenges. Across global businesses, parents had to juggle between work tasks and online learning classes, those who were new to home working found it much harder to switch off at evenings and weekends (with the laptop sitting on the dining table!) and others faced the uncertainty of being furloughed. It’s safe to say 2020 has left us all dreaming for a more positive 2021, as well as a decent holiday abroad!

Even though we’ll be working a little while longer from home in the year ahead, 2020 has taught us some defining lessons about our own misconceptions around working from home. So, we’re sharing some of our work from home myths that we’re busting in 2021 so you can start fresh with us:

“I’d better respond to emails ASAP or people will think I’m not working as hard as I would in the office.”
We get it, without a physical presence in the office, it’s hard to show that you’re poring over a spreadsheet and not lazing in bed, so you’ve become reliant on using emails as a way to show that you’re actively ‘on it’.

This is, however, an ultimately futile approach. It only puts more pressure on yourself to do things at lightning speed and making the pace of work untenable. Don’t be so hard on yourself – simply check for confirmation of when the task needs to be done so you can set yourself clearer and more realistic timescales to prioritise appropriately.

​“I’m working from home so taking a lunch break doesn’t feel right.”
We’ve all had some level of anxiety when we’ve quickly nipped to the shop for lunch while trying to make it back in record time before our “Away” status is on for too long. Stop. We need to realise that spending 8 to 9 hours solidly in front of a screen isn’t actually very healthy!

Taking a break in the middle of the day is so important for your eyesight, wellbeing, productivity, quality of work and motivation. Book a lunch time in your calendar – it keeps your diary free of having back-to-back calls throughout the day and reminds you to take a break too.

From there, make your lunch break the best it can be. Whether it’s cooking, taking a walk, changing rooms (if possible), reading a book or doing a home workout – simply do whatever it is that shakes up your day and gives you a good break from the screen.

If you can’t manage to catch a break during the day, perhaps follow our idea of holding a virtual coffee break once a week. We schedule 30 minutes in the diary for a video call with another team member, which as well as giving us a break from work, enables us to keep in touch with team members that we may not be working with day-to-day at the moment.

​“I can’t stop thinking about work even when I’m done for the day.”
The biggest change that comes with working from home is not having to commute – yay! That being said, when you’ve finished for the day, it’s hard to get your head out of work, especially if you haven’t left your home all day.

It might sound silly but try “commuting” home. Whether it’s doing a lap around your nearest park or running to the shop for dinner, this will help you break away from associating home with work and vice versa. Trust us, give it a go.

​“Even after working for the day, I feel like I have to be available in the evening because I can see others are.”
While you might have all the tools to easily view every email that comes through at 9pm, 10pm or 11pm, resist the temptation to check your inbox. Now’s not the time. Switch your work phone off and store your work laptop away so the temptation to send a quick email is erased.

Instead, occupy yourself with an activity. Explore cooking a new recipe, learning a new language (wouldn’t that be a great addition to the CV?), or even hosting a virtual pub quiz – it’s likely that many of your friends or family members will also have no plans!

​“As a working parent, juggling work and parenting with no childcare is unnerving.”
With classes now moved back online and childcare being out of the question, having to step away from work to manage online classes and entertain the kids during the working day feels impossible at times – especially when there are days you need to get your head down and focus.

However, don’t be afraid to have a transparent conversation with your team about managing your new daily routine. Block out times in your diary to sort online classes out. If meetings are cutting it close, put in a request to speak at a particular time so you can better organise your day.

Remember, everyone’s own personal daily routines have been turned upside down too, so you’re likely to be met with understanding than friction.

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Working from home has made it so easy for anyone to pick up bad working habits and increase the potential to burn out quickly, so we hope some of our work from home myth busting will empower you to start 2021 with better working habits too.

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From all of us at #TeamGuidant, we wish you a happy and healthy new year and a better work-life balance in 2021!