Extended Teams meetings, flexible schedules, forgotten lunch break… By experimenting with telework, we better understand its limits.
And what seemed like a new way of working more freely sometimes looks like an internment.
How to tame these tunnel days when you are chained to your armchair, without a change of scenery or a coffee break with your colleagues?
By allowing yourself a few small pleasures that are good for morale and even productivity.
"When you telecommute, it is very reassuring to be permanently behind your computer," notes Caroline Loisel, trainer and career coach, who supports the development of relationships in organizations undergoing transformation. In an anxiety-provoking climate and in this situation which is a form of professional isolation, this hyper connection is a kind of refuge. But it is a sham and in no way the guarantee of being effective. " Indeed, the coach tells us, we are not productive all day long, nor in the same way. "Now is the time to listen to yourself and find out what your rhythm is, what are the niches where you are most dynamic." Me, for example, it's from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., so that's where I'm going to tackle more complex tasks. The rest of the time,I focus on the less complicated files and I spare time for myself, without guilt. ”
Create surprise
Among his list of micro-pleasures? Have a coffee at the window in a ray of sunshine, take a real break at lunchtime, go for a half-hour walk, converse with your neighbors who are also at home, do a puzzle which, while requiring concentration , allows you to create a real bubble ... "It only takes a few things to bring together all our energies. In addition, in a world, where we no longer really have any vacation or travel plans, or meetings are limited, these parentheses are also an opportunity to create the surprise, which we miss so much ”, completes Caroline Loisel. And no question of feeling guilty! “These tiny, non-time-consuming pleasures structure the days, provide breathing space, allow you to take a step back,” says the coach. They ultimately become tools that help us work better.We asked four very active women what their daily happy moments were, which simply helped them catch their breath and enjoy life better.
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Cécile Lochard: "Lunch with my son"
Cécile Lochard, Director of Sustainable Development at Guerlain.
“Two or three times a week I have lunch with my high school son. I order a meal for us on Eatic, a delivery platform that only works with quality veggie and ethical restaurants. Teleworking allowed me to discover this happiness! I also treat myself to a spa break at home. Every Friday morning, before getting behind my computer, I perform Guerlain's Abeille Royale ritual, including a poultice mask. A small corporate gesture that also gives me a good look. With that in mind, I got myself a gift: a lamp with color filters that I use for Zoom meetings and that avoids looking too pale. It gives the morale to feel good in video. Finally, having noticed that it is difficult to put an end to a day of teleworking, I sanctuarized my Tuesday evenings.I stop at 7 p.m. and give my friends a yoga class on Zoom. A true moment of pleasure."
Charlotte Lévy-Frébault: "Beautiful things within sight"
Charlotte Lévy-Frébault, communication director of the BETC agency.
“At BETC we had already implemented teleworking before the pandemic. So I was already a little familiar with the system. But since the first confinement, my companion, restaurateur, brings me breakfast in bed every morning. He decided to do this spontaneously and it puts me in a good mood. My day is off to a good start. What makes me see things in a more positive way is also the environment that I chose to work. I am installed in the dining room in a place from which I can only see beautiful things: on the left, I can admire the sky and the facade of a beautiful building through the window. In front of me, I have my plants and a bouquet of flowers. I even put behind me a poster of the Dolce Vita which is also a nice background for video meetings.All this allows my gaze to escape pleasantly when I need it: it is a very accessible little happiness! Every afternoon, I also treat myself to an organic herbal tea with ginger and lemon. Finally, I have anti-stress rituals. As soon as I have too many meetings, that I feel the tension rising, I offer myself a session of breathing exercises, I visualize positive images. It does not replace face-to-face meetings and exchanges, but it helps you feel better! ”It does not replace face-to-face meetings and exchanges, but it helps you feel better! ”It does not replace face-to-face meetings and exchanges, but it helps you feel better! ”
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Constance Dubois: "Punctuate your day with rituals"
Constance Dubois, Marketing and Communication Director of Tranoï Trade Shows.
“From morning to evening, I make sure that I punctuate my telecommuting days with small rituals.
First of all, I don't spend my usual transport time on my files!
At a time when I am usually compressed in public transport, and with my daughters at school and my husband already behind his computer in his office, I take the time to savor my coffee, listen to the radio , read articles online.
It's half an hour just for me.
I had never experienced this before.
This parenthesis is a gift!
At lunchtime, I also take a real break.
I'm going to stroll for half an hour in the bookstore next to my house.
I leaf through books, I look at the latest publications.
I will also sometimes buy myself flowers or choose a good bread or cheese.
I have fun, I see people.
And this is also a first for me!
Another new happiness: very regularly, I set the table in the kitchen for a one-to-one lunch with my husband.
We laugh, we discuss, and everyone returns to their respective neighborhoods happier. "
Séverine Menut: "Get up early"
Séverine Menut, director of international sales at Reed Midem.
“I don't know what office life is like anymore. And I love that. In the morning, I wake up at 6:30 a.m. and start my day by driving my son to school. We watch the city come alive, both in our shared bubble. It's very nice. When I get home, I walk around my neighborhood in Montrouge. I get to work full of energy at 9:30 am. I obviously take a lunch break and if the weather is nice, I go to the window to have my coffee. This little winter sun, just a little hot, it's really delicious! During the first confinement, I stopped everything at 6 p.m. to give a zoom yoga class. It allowed me to find my friends. This friendly initiative resulted in a project since I am launching my online yoga site: Yog @ aUm. During the second confinement,before curfew, I would turn off my computer at 6 p.m. sharp, precisely to go for a 10 km walk with a friend. It was also the opportunity to stop in small restaurants that sold to take away and buy something to start a family aperitif, back home. It's less easy today! Another pleasure set up with my friends: we regularly invite each other to work for each other. We take our computers, we each sit in a room but we meet all the same to take breaks and chat and for lunch. It feels really good! ”It was also the opportunity to stop in small restaurants that sold to take away and buy something to start a family aperitif, back home. It's less easy today! Another pleasure set up with my friends: we regularly invite each other to work for each other. We take our computers, we each sit in a room but we meet all the same to take breaks and chat and for lunch. It feels really good! ”It was also the opportunity to stop in small restaurants that sold take-out and buy something to throw a family aperitif, back home. It's less easy today! Another pleasure set up with my friends: we regularly invite each other to work for each other. We take our computers, we each sit in a room but we meet all the same to take breaks and chat and for lunch. It feels really good! ”
Originally published on February 21, 2021, this article has been updated.
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