Due to the current situation, many permanent employees are now regularly or permanently taking "off days" from the stressful everyday office life and working from home. The advantages are obvious: no travel times with grueling traffic jams and controllable rest without permanent distractions from the colleagues. However, due to the close spatial connection between work and home, it is important to adhere to clear boundaries and to create a strict separation between working hours, relaxation phases and leisure time. There is a great temptation to do a quick dusting or to hang up the laundry when you are busy with an important task that requires concentration. On the other hand, there are hardly any breaks and the working hours are stretched because the computer is right next to lunch and the last e-mails are answered before falling asleep in bed.

The workplace in one's own living space can make it difficult to focus clearly on the tasks and lengthen working hours so that there is actually no end of the day. Therefore, the following applies: In order to work efficiently and create freedom, a few clear, individually tailored rules should be set and observed.

Consistent time management

In order to fully exploit the positive aspects of the home office, it is important to develop a personally adapted time management and to ensure that working hours are strictly observed. These times should also be communicated externally. Not only to other team members, but above all to bind yourself to this time management and thus create reliable routines. Communicating times and availability to the team or the boss is also important for the occasional home office days. Otherwise it will be difficult to work undisturbed. A fixed time frame also allows you to work after your personal energy high without having to forego fixed closing times. This also has an impact on the work performance itself and increases efficiency.

Spatial separation

Even if the work in the home office is naturally done at home, it is still important to create a spatial separation. The work equipment should not be distributed throughout the household. It's not just about better organization and overview, but about the clear separation of job and private life. Taking the computer to bed should be avoided in the long term. But even working in pajamas at the kitchen table is not very helpful for a good work-life balance. The following applies: It is best to close the door from the study. If there is no separate work area, the documents should at least be stowed away in storage boxes or drawers at the end of the working day so that the upcoming tasks do not spoil the enjoyment of the well-deserved end of the day.

Take breaks

In the home office in particular, people tend not to take breaks at all. The fridge is right next door, so you hardly leave your desk, even for lunch. The home office in particular is ideal for a healthy break rhythm. The concentration phase of the brain should not be overstrained, otherwise a feeling of fatigue and being burned out is inevitable after just a few hours of intensive work. It is very important for the body to take a little breather every 90 minutes and to give the brain time to breathe again: For example, go out in the fresh air for 20 minutes and with the help of stretching exercises, such as neck and shoulder circles, you can relieve tension caused by sitting be resolved. The following applies to all breaks: a small change of location can be very beneficial. A short walk in the open air and in the countryside brings relaxation and new energy!