How to survive a ‘screen day’?

You are sitting the whole day behind a screen, maybe with headphones or earphones.

Do you have the feeling that you are extremely busy?

That you are constantly moving from one online meeting to the other?

That your list is endless?

And are you completely exhausted at the end of the day?

That’s is not really a surprise. Working behind a screen and online meetings take a lot of energy. I have four tips for you to make sure you haven’t consumed all your energy by the evening.

Pretend you are going to work

I know, you are trying to work from home as much as possible. You are not spending time traveling, which could be a blessing. However, travel time is a great way to make the transition from home to work and vice versa.

You could try the same at home. Go for a walk or a bike ride before you settle behind the screen and do the same at the end of the day. Great way to define and end your workday.

Make sure your face is not showing on your screen

With all these online meetings you are constantly watching your own image. How do I look? I didn’t know I had such a frown on my forehead. And my hair…

 

Exhausting and it also exaggerates unnecessary self-criticism. Just pretend you are in a normal meeting; you wouldn’t have been able to see yourself. Make sure you adjust the settings on your screen that you can’t see yourself or otherwise make it really small.

An extra tip: move away from the screen in order that people will see your torso and not only your head. Ask others to do the same. It will have a calmer effect and it will also make it easier to read body language. In all, less tiring.

Take regular breaks and move!

Have a break now and then, move around! You know it and still, chances are you stay put behind the screen.

Do you find it hard to schedule breaks in your day? Use the Pomodoro technique: after every Pomodoro you take a break. It is all incorporated in the system.

Another important thing: don’t change your computer screen for another screen: your phone. Move away from your screen, walk around a bit, go outside on your balcony or your garden, and take a couple of deep breaths.

Find a way to exercise. Do some yoga exercises, some skipping, perform a couple of squats or push-ups or join Nederland Beweegt. You can also do it a bit more vigorously and do the exercises from Fit20.

Rest your eyes

Your eyes suffer from sitting behind a screen for a long time. Use the 20-20 rule: after 20 minutes of focusing on your screen, rest your eyes on something in the distance for about 20 seconds. Just stare out of the window into the nothing. Much better and less tiring for your eyes.