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Psychologist tips: Reclaiming your home from work-from-home

February 14, 2022 Leave a Comment

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By psychologist Jaimie Bloch

With hybrid and remote working continuing to be the norm in 2022, never have our personal and our professional lives become so blurred – in fact new research from Allianz reveals that two in five Australians admit that switching off has become increasingly difficult for this exact reason. 

With a third of Aussies saying their home office has infiltrated their homes, this year more than ever, Australians need to prioritise creating mentally healthy workspaces. So rather than just dive back into the working year, I am encouraging you to reclaim your homes as exactly that, your homes. 

We can feel more productive and create mentally healthy workspaces through simple and small adjustments, such as these:

Try to create distance between your workspace and your personal space

After a lovely holiday break, you may have found yourself working from the same spot as last year. While this spot may feel fine as it worked ‘okay’ for you last year, it may be time for an update, in fact the research from Allianz shows that over a third are unhappy that their office space is in a communal part of their home. 

If possible, create distance between your work and personal space. If you’re unable to create physical distance, create mental distance. You can do this by using the Eisenhower matrix. In this technique, you create psychological distance from stress by creating a 2 x 2 matrix. The columns should be labeled Urgent and Less Urgent, and the rows Important and Less Important. At the end of the day, assign the tasks that are still needing to be completed into the matrix. 

This way you can create a distinction to switch off for the night and when the new day begins tomorrow, you already have a mapped-out plan of what should be tackled first; the urgent and important work. This will allow you to take the load off once work ends, and give you space to unwind and enjoy being in your home rather than feel stressed and anxious and continue working throughout the night.

Remove the clutter

Clutter and mess can be stressful and overwhelming – in fact there is a link between mess preventing you from being fully productive. While it’s not possible for all of us to have a private room to work from, it’s important that our space is tidy, and maximising our communal areas. 

According to the Allianz research, Australians describe their current office space as cluttered or busy. With so many admitting this, try to remove excess clutter or pop away items in drawers (or better yet, discard the papers if you can!). A tidy space creates fewer distractions and provides mental clarity which will allow you to focus when at work.

Limit the distractions

Working within a tidy area promotes a sense of calmness, which reduces stress and anxiety and leads to a higher level of productivity. 

When looking at one’s office, distractions aren’t limited to physical items – it can also be digital. An example of this is having too many notifications coming through, having too many tabs open, or having too many files sitting on your desktop. This can be a distraction while you are working, so turn off notifications periodically throughout the day, reduce digital clutter by clearing your desktop and exit out of browsers when they’re not needed. 

The research shows that 62% do not turn off their notifications when they are not working, making it near impossible to switch off. People are actually more productive at work if they have a mental break. So, over the weekend and during the evening, try to limit yourself or refrain from checking work-related notifications. This clears your mind when you’re not at work and allows you to fully switch off. 

Pack down your work desk at the end of the day

If you’re like the majority of Australians and unable to physically separate your work from home, try to pack down your desk at the end of the work day. While at the time it may feel like a lot of effort, taking the time to do this will ensure you are mentally shutting down from the day gone by and resetting your mind for the day ahead. 

Find out how you can reclaim your home

Single mum achieves amazing home makeover on a budget
They say first impressions count and we were so blown away with the difference Kat Marshall made to her entry recently for well under $1,000, we just had to share…

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Is there a more decadent and delicious soup than F Is there a more decadent and delicious soup than French onion?

I think not!

Grab the recipe on the blog this morning via link in bio.
Get to know me! I haven't done one of these in YE Get to know me!

I haven't done one of these in YEARS so there's possibly thousands of you who don't know my back story. Here's a few things you may not know about me!

✔️ I'm English 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 and I moved here (just for one year) back in 2008😆 

✔️ I can't end the day without a bath, even if I get home really late or on a really hot day. It's a mental health thing and my happy place. 🛁 

✔️ Before becoming a blogger and running my own small business, I was a journalist from the age of 18. My favourite news gathering times were as a newspaper crime reporter (bit different to interiors!) 📓 

✔️ I once worked at New Scotland Yard in London 🚔 

✔️I had an interview at Oxford (didn't get in!) but chose not to go to uni at all after being offered a job on the local paper #universityoflife 😁

✔️ My mum died when I was 3, I have an excellent dad and one sister (younger) in the UK ❤️ 🇬🇧 

✔️ At school, my favourite subject was French 🇫🇷 and I was head girl 🤓🤓

✔️ I'm addicted to ☕️ , long hot baths and💄 (been wearing it since I was about 14!)

✔️ I'm not a phonecall person and will never ever pick up an unknown number. Ever. They can leave a message 😁

✔️ My favourite cuisine is Japanese 🍣 🍜 and Damian and I honeymooned in Tokyo and Venice 

✔️ I have zero design qualifications. I just started blogging about my passion, which is trying to persuade everyone to #heartyourhome That was 11 years ago...

✔️ My favourite tipple is a good GnT or🍷 

✔️ Cheesy as it sounds, 💁‍♀️being a mum is my absolute biggest joy in life 🧒👦

✔️ I will never give up my old school paper diary! Has to be A5 and week to view 📖 

✔️ My official surname isn't Bishop. I kept my maiden name for work after I got married but changed it for everything else. Often confuse myself!

✔️ I didn't get my Ps until I was 37 and I'm still a terrible parker 😯 🅿️

Hope you feel like you know me a bit better 😘

📸 @vanlowvanlow
Blue, green or lilac? 🎨 @nood_co coloured con Blue, green or lilac? 🎨 

@nood_co coloured concrete basins is a great Aussie business success story. Although co founder Matt Di Costa first found fame as one half of Matt and Kim on The Block, he hasn't relied on this to build his brand.

“We are very honoured to have been a part of The Block, and all they have done for us. I am, however, a believer in letting the product take centre stage,” he says.

Read our interview with Matt via link in bio now.

🙏Share your favourite colour basin in the comments!

#colouredconcrete #noodco #colouredbasin #blockheads #the block #bathroomtrends2022

Pic 1 by @naibudesign_ and 2 by @twostyleinteriors
I'd love to see more colour in Aussie interiors! I'd love to see more colour in Aussie  interiors! 🎨 

At the end of the day though, it's a matter of personal taste. I love pops of colour but it's not for everyone. 

We couldn't resist featuring this Canadian house tour today. The amazing Kelly Green  hutch (swipe) was an upcycled $200 find 🤗

Head over to the blog via link in bio to see the rest including one of the best playrooms we've seen in ages!

Project by @in.house.design
📸 @philcrozier
Create an unexpected city oasis with an emphasis o Create an unexpected city oasis with an emphasis on light and nature.

That was the brief for the conversion of a corner shop and a warehouse bakery into a luxury family home in Sydney's Newtown. And how about the library?!

Take the tour of this very special @annacarindesign project on the blog now, via link in bio.

Pic: @justinalexanderphoto
The things that excite me as a 40 year old 🤭 N The things that excite me as a 40 year old 🤭

None of us enjoy laundry (OK, there are a few of you out there who do. Weird!) but we have to do it. And often. So if your laundry bin can be as good looking, functional and space saving as this, then why wouldn't you?!

I've lost track of how many baskets I've thrown out because they've gone soggy or mouldy. They look pretty, sure, but they're not fit for purpose and they're often messy and overflowing.

Here's what I love about his @brabantia_australia one:

✔️ ventilation holes
✔️ no need to remove the lid for small items plus it hides your dirty laundry from view
✔️ easily removable and washable inner laundry bag that velcros back on 
✔️ corrosion resistant so fine in bathroom or laundry 
✔️ Brabantia make things as sustainably as possible
✔️ compact, sleek, European design
✔️ 10 year warranty
✔️ tall and skinny so takes up less floor in my tiny laundry

The Rolls Royce of laundry bins? I think so 👌🏻

TOLD you this was going to be exciting!

Now I need to know, do you have your laundry basket in the bathroom, the laundry, every bedroom? We used to have one in each bedroom but moved to the laundry-only situation which I much prefer (one for colours and one for whites). My boys know to put their used clothes in the bin in the laundry each night and they're 7 and 3!  #raisingfuturehusbands

#gifted
"Living rooms are important spaces where our publi "Living rooms are important spaces where our public and private lives intersect."

So says stylist @nataliewalton in her gorgeous new book Style, the Art of Creating a Beautiful Home.

"They are where we gather to welcome guests and entertain. But they are also where we decompress and relax at the end of the day. Increasingly, they are open-plan spaces and need to work within a greater scheme. Bringing all the elements together cohesively requires care and consideration. And, if you want a space that lives up to its true potential, make it personal and create with conviction."

Read an extract, the chapter on elevating your living room, on the blog today via link in bio.

Published by @thamesandhudsonau Pix by @chriswarnes 

#livingroomdesigns #nataliewalton #coffeetablebooks #designbooks #interiorsbooks #livingroominteriors #elevateyourspace
Kids and husband messing with my vignettes again🤨

PS. The coaster was RIGHT THERE 🤪
#weatherforit 🥶 Need a new blanket? Look no fu #weatherforit 🥶

Need a new blanket? Look no further than these gorgeous South African blankets from @baobabcollective, sustainably sourced, ethically crafted and imported by a Southern Highlands couple.

On the blog now via link in bio.
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Visit Jen's profile on Pinterest.

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About Jen Bishop

Jen Bishop is our owner and publisher and an experienced journalist and editor. Interiors Addict has been her full-time job for more than 8 years. She is married to Damian and mum to Sebastian and Charlie.

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