Weeks into working from home, many British Columbians report they are fighting boredom

VANCOUVER (NEWS 1130) – It has been weeks of working from home for many British Columbians and, as social isolation measures drag on during the coronavirus pandemic, a survey finds a majority are fighting boredom.

“About 21 per cent of us are still working from home – 26 per cent are working less than what we normally do, 42 per cent the same, and 33 percent are working more,” says Steve Mossop with Insights West.

“We also know that 60 per cent of those working from home are more bored than they usually are.”

Mossop adds that, anecdotally, he is hearing the main stress for those toiling away at the kitchen table is trying to manage young children at the same time.

So, what to do?

The folks at a major staffing firm suggest routine is key, starting first thing in the morning.

“The main thing I’ve seen with people who’ve had a successful work-from-home setup is to start each day strong,” says David Bolton, Metro Market Manager for Robert Half.

That means starting the workday at home the same way you would as if you were headed for the office.

“Don’t set your alarm for 7:59 and crawl out of bed for the 8 a.m. conference call. Get up, get dressed, start your normal morning routine. Have breakfast and maybe get a bit of exercise or some fresh air so that, whenever your day starts, you are coming at it from a point of strength, hitting that reset button before you get into the day and not meandering into an extension of your home life.”

Bolton also suggests dressing for work, not for lounging.

“A large part of it is psychological. If you have a role that is client-facing, maybe you are on lots of video-conferencing calls, I think putting in some effort certainly makes a difference,” he tells NEWS 1130.

“If you can operate at 100 per cent in your pajamas, then go for it. But from what I’ve seen, people who put a little effort into getting ready for the day notice it in terms of what they get out of the day.”

For home-based employees who feel they are now doing more work, Bolton says it is important to set limits.

“I think one of the biggest challenges is people have the home office as almost the whole home, so wherever they are, they feel they can work. Maybe it’s sitting on the couch, at the kitchen table or in the bedroom so they always feel like they are on the job.”

He recommends setting up a specific space as a home office and ensuring that is the only place where work is done.

“Go there at a certain time, step away for breaks through the day and finish at a specific time. Working around the couch can often roll into the evenings because they are still in the place where they’ve been working all day. Now they’re maybe relaxing and watching television and it’s easy to pull the laptop out and do the two things simultaneously.”

And with parents often saying it is a struggle to balance caring for young children with working from home, Bolton has a tip – treat them like distracting coworkers.

“In the office, in the normal world, people come up and ask you things and interrupt your workflow. It’s almost what your partner or kids do in the day,” he says.

“Embrace those little interruptions and maybe give your kids the five minutes they need and maybe they’ll give you another hour of focused time. If you keep pushing them out, they’ll probably pop back in five minutes later.”

Bolton suggests it is the same with your colleagues.

“It’s what you would do with your peers or teams at work – people pop in every five minutes but you know that by giving them a bit of attention you will then get more time to get on with things.”