Published by ApartmentTherapy.com on March 24, 2020.
If you’re one of the many folks who have transitioned to working from home in recent weeks, it might have felt great at first. No more alarm clocks, cramped subway cars, or pants that aren’t soft. But it can have its downsides.
While it might be fun to work from your bed on occasion, sticking to your normal routine actually has a lot of benefits when it comes to your productivity and wellbeing. Here are a few reasons you should keep your days as regular as possible.
It Lessens Stress
Our brains, powerful as they are, do tire out from making too many decisions. In fact, a study published in the “Journal of Personality and Social Psychology” says that the more decisions you make, the more stressed you get and the less self-control you have.
Ever spent a half an hour going back and forth between the closet and the mirror deliberating what to wear? Stressful, right? A lot of successful people—Steve Jobs, for instance, with his trademark black turtleneck, jeans, and white sneakers—save themselves time and energy by having a standard #OOTD.
“Carrying out routine activities reduces stress by making the situation appear more controllable and predictable,” says Indumathi Bendi, M.D., a physician at Piedmont Healthcare tells Apartment Therapy. “Preparedness is a key way to prevent stress.”
“When you reduce the number of decisions you have to make each day, you’ll have a deeper sense of peace as well as relaxation of the mind and body,” added Dr. Bendi. “Then you’ll be geared up to face your other tasks.”
Schedule changes can also lead to problems sleeping. Whether you’re suddenly working from home, unable to work, or working overtime in an essential service, everything about this time is disruptive. “Sleep is very rhythmic,” [Michael Grandner, Ph.D., director of the Sleep and Health Research Program at the University of Arizona] says. “The body loves predictability.” Gradner continues: “In a time of unbalance, create some balance even if you have to do it superficially.” He recommends getting up at the same time every day, even if you don’t have to, and trying to get some sunlight in the morning. Go outside if it’s possible, and if not, open up a window or go out on a balcony. Maintaining your morning rituals, like showering, changing, and brushing your teeth, can promote that sense of rhythm.