|
|
||
| Working from home | ||
classes qigong tai chi kung fu about us reviews a-z
Home-based
Working from home may sound like an appealing prospect but there
are serious downsides. Initially, it may seem novel and fun. But quite quickly
people tend to go down one of two routes:
Over-working
Getting distracted
It is hard to sustain
a routine when working from home. You'll either do way too much work, not
take breaks and suffer from over-sitting, or you'll struggle to develop a
disciplined, productive schedule.
Sitting too much
The first danger with working from home is sitting too much. Sitting for long periods of time is not natural, nor is staring
at a TV screen, mobile phone or computer monitor.
The main problem with sitting is gravity, loss of
circulation and the
tightening/shortening of your muscles.
Muscular tension stops your joints and vertebra from moving freely.
When the hips, groin and sacroiliac freeze-up, the overall skeletal
mobility is reduced.
Socialisation
When you are home-based, who do you socialise with? If you
have an active social life, lots of friends, and a well-established social
network, that's great. But what
if you don't?
Online relationships don't count here. Interacting face-to-face is a
complex experience and online chats or video calls are simply not the same.
People need to socialise. Humans are social animals. We need it in order to
be healthy.
Stimuli
Compare the difference between being a worker in a company
where every day you interact with people, talk, share stories/experiences
etc, with being home-based...
If you are home-based, there is a high risk that your stimulation is more
limited.
Perspective
Many people watch the news. They get caught up in world events that are
beyond their ability to influence or control. If you're working from home,
this can be a problem.
Working in an interactive workplace entails an onslaught of stimuli. Even if
you do have bad news to consider, it is no doubt competing with a whole host
of other concerns.
You are innately less inclined to get anxious, blow things out of
proportion. Things are naturally kept in perspective.
Meetings, conference calls etc
Long meetings aren't ideal for anyone. Many studies
show that shorter, targeted meetings are better. And briefings are better
than meetings. The emphasis here is upon brevity.
A good meeting is hosted. Somebody acts as the chairperson. They have an
agenda and they keep things moving. Sidetracking is avoided, and
distractions are curtailed.
Video meetings
Video conferencing is a tricky one. They are artificial. In a face-to-face
meeting the whole dynamic is quite different. People interject, there's more
creativity, spontaneity.
There's also a risk that video meetings are scheduled back-to-back or simply
take too long. A day spent in meetings stagnates the
mind.
Destroying your eyes
Too much screen time wrecks your eyes. Whether it's TV,
computer or a mobile phone. Humans were never meant to stare at a screen for
a prolonged period of time. The focus is fixed.
We are only looking at something nearby. There's no
horizon, no long distance. This makes the eyes weak.
Some people develop black circles under their eyes. Others have permanently
bloodshot eyes.
Routine
It is crucial to develop a home routine. A start time. A
finish time. Break times.
Taking a break
Companies tend to have coffee breaks and lunch breaks as
standard. These allow the individual to step away from their job and do
something else. Working through your lunch isn't smart.
The human brain needs rest. It needs that
break.
By stepping back from the job, moving around, taking a walk and doing
something else, the brain is restored.
Functionality is improved.
If working from home, breaks need to be scheduled,
and adhered to.
Snacking
When at home, the fridge is always nearby and so is the kettle. This is
great in terms of taking a break, but can also pose a problem in terms of
weight gain.
How
we move conveys energy and
youth – not how buff we are.
(Anne Elliott)
Get some fresh air
Going outside is important. Being indoors too much is
unhealthy. Taking a walk at some
point is highly recommended. If you are indoors for a long period of time,
ventilate. People need to breathe.
Tired after work?
It is normal to feel tired after work. You may want to crash.
However, this will probably entail even more sitting. Additional sitting
won't make you energised.
Productivity
If you work at a computer, you arguably have all day to do your job.
You might be sat, immobile all day long.
But what if you
set yourself a time slot? Say 25 minutes? You only have 25 minutes to do
the work, and then you must leave the desk for a 5 minute break.
When your time is open-ended, you are more inclined to waste it or become
distracted. But when time is scarce, you automatically focus more and become
more productive.
Personal deadlines
Setting limits and boundaries stops you from sitting all day
staring at the computer screen. It forces you to make better use of your
time and be far more creative.
When you set personal deadlines and impose restrictions on your time, you
simply have no other choice.
We weren't designed to sit. The
body is a perpetual motion machine.
(Dr. Joan Vernikos)
Conventional exercise
In terms of exercise, attending the gym or going running may
seem like viable options. But how much social interaction takes place
with those activities?
Running the street by yourself may be great fun if you like to run, but
there's no social component as such.
In terms of the gym... exertive, physically
strenuous exercise won't necessarily make you feel good. You may just feel
wiped out.
Isolation
Loneliness is very commonplace nowadays. If a person works
from home and lives alone, they are very isolated indeed. This isn't
healthy.
People need to share the human experience. We need to speak with people who
care about us.
When someone lacks sufficient human interaction/feedback, they become
awkward and uncomfortable with themselves.
Physical contact
We also need physical contact... It is a basic human requirement.
There is a modern phobia of physical contact. People quite often do not
like to be touched. Yet, touch is one of our senses and if we ignore it, our
world becomes far lonelier.
Zero contact
Touch is a form of communication. When a person is afraid or ill, physical
contact can help to reassure them. If you are emotionally calm and open to
other people, this will be transmitted through touch.
We can share our compassion without the need of words.
Positive
social interaction
Picking a good social outlet can be tricky. This is
one of the reasons why tai chi is great.
Students in a tai chi school are encouraged to interact with one another
in a healthy, friendly manner, free from the competitive norms found in
wider society.
There is a supportive atmosphere of trust and care.
The training hall is a safe place to be.
Gentle exercise
Tai chi isn't
exertive. Nothing is forced. People are encouraged to use moderation, and to
do what feels comfortable.
Strangely, the body slowly becomes healthier and the individual becomes
stronger and more resilient.
As they develop stamina, the student finds themselves capable of more
demanding concerns, and they experience an increase in
fitness, but without the level of difficulty
usually associated with exercise.
Partner work
All tai chi classes feature 3 main
areas of study:
qigong, form and pushing
hands. If you are not undertaking partner work, you are not
really training tai chi.
Physical contact is necessary in order to receive feedback (tense/relaxed/connected
etc) and to practice the tai chi skills.
Page created
9 November 2017
Last updated
04 May 2023
▲