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How to beat the back to work blues

5 ways to make it easier. - by Rebecca Lowrey Boyd
  • 08 Jan 2020

For many Australians, the summer holidays have come to an end, and the return to work is accompanied by a distinctive sense of dread.

WATCH: How your diet may be affecting your mental health

Got the back to work blues? You’re not alone. Here, Dropbox has come up with five ways to ease yourself back into work, and set smarter working habits for 2020.

1. Try the Pomodoro technique

Allocate 25 mins to complete each task, followed by a 5 minute break. This is an especially useful technique for perfectionists who always spend that little bit longer on a task than they need to.

2. Take breaks and get out of the office

Re-energise by getting out of the office for a break or consider doing a walking meeting outside instead of in the office

Woman reading in park
Getty

3. Know your body clock

know when you work best, and do your best work then. 

4. Minimise distractions

Suspend email and chat notifications so that you can engage in deep interrupted blocks of quality work.

5. Do batch work

Knock out a series of tasks that require similar levels of cognitive output. For example, do a batch of admin work when your cognitive levels are low or a batch of creative writing when your cognitive energy is high. 

Dropbox is asking Australian workplaces to break the cycle by making practical and lasting changes to the way their teams’ work. You can read more about Dropbox’s Enlightened Summer Challenge here.

  • Health
  • Better Life
  • Anxiety
Rebecca Lowrey Boyd
Rebecca is the Digital Managing Editor of Better Homes and Gardens.

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