Hybrid working is the future, but how do you do that in a relaxed way? It requires a completely different mindset. With these basic principles from psychologist Elke Geraerts you take control of your hybrid work situation.
Hybrid working allows for flexible switching between home and office, and as an employee you suddenly have much more space to make your own choices in the field of work. That can feel very free, but it is also a big change for many people. Suddenly the boundaries between home and work are a lot more vague and you maintain your contacts largely digitally, for example. The Belgian psychologist Elke Geraerts describes in her book The mental reset how the corona crisis can bring about a lasting positive change in our personal and professional lives, as well as mentally. Turn the crisis in your favor, in other words. "I hope that after this crisis we will have enough reflection as an individual, as a family and as an organization to proactively make the right choices and take ownership of our own lives," she writes. So not bouncing back , but build back better .
Hybrid working
Maybe you are already completely used to hybrid working, or you just don't know how to stay productive and happy. Take care of yourself with these three basic principles for brain-friendly hybrid work.
Schedule focus time each day
Research tells us that our brains are not made for multitasking, and that multitaskers are even 40 percent less productive. After a distraction, your brain needs 25 minutes to return to deep concentration. Make sure you can perform certain tasks in depth and focus by thinking about what your "big" and "small" tasks are. Plan focused focus time for your big tasks of the day, by eliminating all distractions.
Dare to be unreachable from time to time
In office life there are secretly a lot of micro moments when your brain can switch off for a while:in the car between appointments, at the coffee machine, a walk between meetings. While working from home, we suddenly found ourselves sitting in front of the computer for three or four hours in a row. The result is a brain that is continuously in work mode. Breaks allow the brain to 'reset', which is indispensable if you want to continue working in a relaxed manner. Therefore, consciously plan short breaks so that your brain can go offline:this is crucial.
Create rituals
Routines and rituals give you something to hold on to in life. By giving your brain certain recurring signals, it can switch more easily from work to private life and vice versa. For example, Geraerts has a certain piece of music that she listens to when she performs a focus task. Replace your commute time with a short walk, or change rooms or music stations when you switch from one task to another.
By:Emma Verweij
More tips?
Read the book The mental reset – How hybrid working and living increase your resilience by Elke Geraerts.
