After working from home, you may notice that you miss the proverbial “water cooler breaks.” That’s when Jen from Marketing stops by your desk to tell you about a show she saw last night or you overhear a funny conversation in the adjacent cube and you chime in over the wall.
Little interruptions like this break up your day and help the time pass more quickly. If you are working from home by yourself (no kids), you may notice a lack of interruptions and monotony in the day. One way to combat the monotony is to inject these interruptions into your day yourself.
If you are an introvert (like me), you may find just standing up to stretch and walk around the room or get a drink of water is enough of an interruption to reset and get back to work. If you are more of an extrovert (you get energy by being with others), you may want to coordinate quick social check-ins with co-workers or friends. For instance, maybe you plan that at 10am every morning, you’re going to do a 5-minute FaceTime with Jen from Marketing. Or maybe you create a social Slack channel that you and your co-workers always pop into for 10 minutes at 10am every morning.
It may not happen organically any more, and you may have to put in a little effort to your “water cooler break,” but it’s worth it. You and your mental health are worth it.
Cautious Cheers,
Jeralyn