Work habits to help you keep your new year’s resolutions

Work habits to help you stick to new year’s resolutions – tl;dr

• Work habits that support your resolution for better physical health: a “movement break” every 1-2 hours, the 20-20-20 rule for eye health, or walking/standing meetings in place of sitting ones

• Work habits that support your resolution for better work-life balance: no after-hours emailing or team messaging, no after-hours notifications, or a “work shutdown ritual”

• Work habits that support your resolution for better productivity: no personal social media use during the workday, one microbreak every hour, or more time working in a private workspace like hushHybrid

Want better physical health?

How much time do you spend working each week? The average person spends roughly 90,000 at work over a lifetime, or a third of their life. Luckily, there are a few solid habits that can help you do right by your new year’s resolution for physical health.

3 work habits that support your resolution of better physical health…

Which one seems most doable? Most appealing? Pick just one.

1.    Take a “movement break” every hour or so

So you want to be more active. Know that moderate movement throughout the day is just as beneficial as traditional exercise. A brisk walk around the floor. 5 minutes of stretching. Set an hourly timer and get creative. Moving for just 3 minutes every half-hour can counter the ill effects of sitting.

2.    Implement the 20-20-20 rule for eye health

Every 20 minutes, look at an object or wall at least 20 feet away for at least 20 seconds. You’ll alleviate the symptoms of digital eye strain, like fatigue, discomfort, dryness, and redness. If taking a break every 20 minutes is impractical, start with a break every hour.

3.    Make one of each week’s collaborative meetings either a walking or a standing meeting

Walking meetings are shown to increase divergent thinking by 81-100% (spontaneous, non-linear, creative thinking). Similarly, groups are shown to be more collaborative when they stand during meetings. So the benefits of active meetings extend beyond the physical realm.

Tip: form one habit at a time for steady progress.

As you tune into your body at work — whether by giving your eyes a rest from the screen every hour or by holding more standing meetings — your body awareness will expand, piquing new curiosity in other ergonomic hacks

– lends Mateusz Barczyk, Senior Brand Manager, Hushoffice.

This is how one habit can be catalytic, kicking off a full-fledged journey of tweaking your workspace and work patterns for better physical health. The important thing is to commit to adopting one habit at a time.

Want better work-life balance?

It’s clear that work-life balance equals well-being. Balance gives your brain daily rest, curbing stress and preventing burnout. By safeguarding downtime, it also improves work relationships, allowing you to meet each day, each person, with energy rather than exhaustion. The benefits are many

– adds Mateusz Barczyk, Senior Brand Manager, Hushoffice.

Like any balance, work-life balance takes a continual finesse.

The desired divide between home and work life is maintained only through constant awareness. And one thing’s certain: we can tell when the balance is off. When work has bled into life, we fixate on tasks or stress about deadlines, or check messages off the clock.

The right boundaries (or habits) can maintain work-life balance in a hybrid landscape.

Stress isn’t inherently bad — it’s the pressure that compels us to get things done. It’s necessary. There’s even a word for the good kind: eustress or the helpful stress felt taking on a stimulating challenge. Stress only causes harm when we have more of it than we can handle. Which is where boundaries come into play. Or healthy work habits. They’re critical, especially for remote working, because at home, the line between “work” and “life” can become dangerously ambiguous

– offers Mateusz Barczyk, Senior Brand Manager, Hushoffice.

3 work habits for better work-life balance…

Small but mighty, each of these habits is essentially a personal boundary — a line that isn’t crossed. Adopt the one that appeals to you. Drawing the line is half the battle; I’m sure you’ve experienced work bleeding into life simply because you didn’t draw a hard line between the two.

1.    No after-hours emailing or team messaging

Weekends included! After-hours emailing leads to emotional exhaustion, ultimately costing us in well-being and productivity. Consider the following quote from a study on the link between after-hours emailing and wellness. It sure sums it up well:

“Email is notoriously known to be the impediment of the recovery process. Its accessibility contributes to experience of work overload since it allows employees to engage in work as if they never left the workspace, and at the same time, inhibits their ability to psychologically detach from work-related issues via continuous connectivity”-Lehigh University, After-hours email expectations negatively impact employee well-being

2.    Turn notifications off

Program your phone and computer to stop sending work-related notifications when you’re off the clock.

3.    Start a “work shutdown ritual”

A leading study on psychological detachment at work finds that people who disconnect from work at the end of the day have less fatigue, less procrastination, more engagement, and more satisfaction with their relationships. That’s quite the laundry list of positives.

A work shutdown ritual is something you do every day at the end of it that mentally unplugs you for the evening. Common rituals include shutting down your laptop or signing out of your work programs, jotting out a quick summary of the day’s progress, or saying goodbye to colleagues. Any basic, easy task that gives the day a sense of finality

– says Mateusz Barczyk, Senior Brand Manager, Hushoffice.

Want better productivity?

Spending less time on social media. Setting aside more free time for random ideation. Successfully resisting the temptation to multitask. Meeting deadlines a day early. Productivity is a popular theme of new year’s resolutions.

3 work habits for better productivity in the new year…

Again — pick just one.

1.    No personal social media use during the workday

Of course, for some, 5 minutes of scrolling during a brief break puts an ice pack on their brain, letting them recharge. But if you’re not one of these people and, instead, are someone who gets sucked into mindless scrolling, consider laying down the law.

2.    Take 1 microbreak every hour

A microbreak is a quick break from work of no more than 10 minutes. They are proven to increase well-being and performance.

3.    Spend more time working in a private workspace like hushHybrid to limit distractions

Office distractions are irritating and stressful. They derail focus. Give your mind a leg up in the new year and spend more time working in peaceful environments. Are your projects integrative? Complicated? Go for a quiet, private workspace like hushHybrid that promotes concentration.

One closing tip: journal all your progress.

Journaling works. Especially when you’re changing ingrained behavior, like a habit of powering through instead of breaking. Know that it takes just two months of persistence to make a new habit automatic. And habits are what run our lives. So the formation of good ones is well worth some effort 🙂

Work habits to help you stick to new year’s resolutions – summary

• Work habits that support your resolution for better physical health: a “movement break” every 1-2 hours, the 20-20-20 rule for eye health, or walking/standing meetings in place of sitting ones

• Work habits that support your resolution for better work-life balance: no after-hours emailing or team messaging, no after-hours notifications, or a “work shutdown ritual”

• Work habits that support your resolution for better productivity: no personal social media use during the workday, one microbreak every hour, or more time working in a private workspace like hushHybrid

Hushoffice pods – frequently asked questions

Is there a wheelchair-accessible office pod?

Yes! HushAccess.L.

What is the best office pod for hybrid working?

HushHybrid is one of the best pods for hybrid working because it’s acoustic and complete with face-illuminating video call light strips for excellent video calls.

How many people does an office meeting pod fit?

The standard office meeting pod fits four people comfortably. Consider hushMeet, with built-in furniture, adjustable ventilation, and a power outlet. It’s sized and equipped for convenience.