1 00:00:05,440 --> 00:00:09,799 Speaker 1: Good morning. This is Laura. Welcome to the New Corner Office, 2 00:00:09,920 --> 00:00:12,600 Speaker 1: the podcast where we share strategies for thriving in the 3 00:00:12,640 --> 00:00:15,840 Speaker 1: new world of work where location and hours are more 4 00:00:15,840 --> 00:00:19,400 Speaker 1: flexible than in the past. Today's tip is about how 5 00:00:19,400 --> 00:00:22,319 Speaker 1: to avoid the urge to work on household chores during 6 00:00:22,320 --> 00:00:26,840 Speaker 1: your designated work hours. You aren't Cinderella, and just because 7 00:00:26,880 --> 00:00:29,640 Speaker 1: you're working from home doesn't mean you should structure your 8 00:00:29,640 --> 00:00:33,480 Speaker 1: time to take on the whole household's work. Working from 9 00:00:33,479 --> 00:00:36,720 Speaker 1: home has a number of undeniable benefits, including the fact 10 00:00:36,760 --> 00:00:39,720 Speaker 1: that it often allows complete or near complete control over 11 00:00:39,760 --> 00:00:44,479 Speaker 1: one's immediate work environment. Want a warmer temperature great, Want 12 00:00:44,479 --> 00:00:46,880 Speaker 1: to burn a cinnamon scented candle or paint the walls 13 00:00:46,920 --> 00:00:51,400 Speaker 1: bright pink awesome. However, this control can sometimes have a 14 00:00:51,440 --> 00:00:55,760 Speaker 1: time stealing flip side. When household messes, dirty dishes, and 15 00:00:55,880 --> 00:00:58,360 Speaker 1: unfolded laundry are part of the view from your workstation, 16 00:00:59,000 --> 00:01:01,480 Speaker 1: it can be tempting to take breaks and tackle chores 17 00:01:01,480 --> 00:01:04,400 Speaker 1: through the day. Many people also assume that because they're 18 00:01:04,440 --> 00:01:07,680 Speaker 1: skipping the daily commute and thus saving time, they should 19 00:01:07,680 --> 00:01:09,880 Speaker 1: have no problem keeping a clean house and getting more 20 00:01:09,959 --> 00:01:13,160 Speaker 1: chores done during the day. If other family members are 21 00:01:13,160 --> 00:01:15,960 Speaker 1: not working from home, they may not mind you turning 22 00:01:15,959 --> 00:01:19,959 Speaker 1: into Cinderella. This temptation seems noble. After all, cleaning and 23 00:01:19,959 --> 00:01:23,520 Speaker 1: tidying feel productive, but it can also undermine your ability 24 00:01:23,560 --> 00:01:26,160 Speaker 1: to work on the things you actually want to get done. 25 00:01:26,319 --> 00:01:28,880 Speaker 1: When we fall prey to the Cinderella effect and spend 26 00:01:28,920 --> 00:01:31,720 Speaker 1: prime work hours flitting back and forth between our desks 27 00:01:31,720 --> 00:01:35,080 Speaker 1: and other household distractions, the result is often a feeling 28 00:01:35,120 --> 00:01:38,040 Speaker 1: of tiredness and dissatisfaction. At the end of the day, 29 00:01:38,600 --> 00:01:40,600 Speaker 1: we feel as though we've been working for hours but 30 00:01:40,720 --> 00:01:44,880 Speaker 1: haven't gotten much done. Psychologists have a term flow for 31 00:01:44,959 --> 00:01:47,039 Speaker 1: the state in which a person is in the zone 32 00:01:47,480 --> 00:01:51,920 Speaker 1: adequately challenged and performing at their best. Distractions prevent us 33 00:01:51,920 --> 00:01:54,120 Speaker 1: from being able to enter a flow state while we work, 34 00:01:54,720 --> 00:01:56,440 Speaker 1: so if you want to perform at your peak during 35 00:01:56,480 --> 00:01:59,760 Speaker 1: the work day, it's best to minimize them. One way 36 00:01:59,760 --> 00:02:02,280 Speaker 1: to combat the Cinderella effect is simply to set up 37 00:02:02,320 --> 00:02:04,920 Speaker 1: your workspace so that messes are out of sight and 38 00:02:05,000 --> 00:02:08,160 Speaker 1: therefore out of mind. This can be as easy as 39 00:02:08,280 --> 00:02:10,440 Speaker 1: closing the door to your office or even setting up 40 00:02:10,480 --> 00:02:13,800 Speaker 1: your desk so that it faces away from key distractor areas. 41 00:02:14,360 --> 00:02:17,600 Speaker 1: Put the laundry elsewhere. If you're working at the kitchen table, 42 00:02:18,000 --> 00:02:21,239 Speaker 1: do not face your sink. My desk faces a window, 43 00:02:21,280 --> 00:02:23,359 Speaker 1: which is great for many reasons, but one of them 44 00:02:23,480 --> 00:02:25,320 Speaker 1: is that I do not see the mess my children 45 00:02:25,320 --> 00:02:28,760 Speaker 1: have created in the house behind me. Clear communication with 46 00:02:28,800 --> 00:02:32,240 Speaker 1: your family or roommates can also be helpful. Set designated 47 00:02:32,280 --> 00:02:34,320 Speaker 1: work hours and make sure the people you live with 48 00:02:34,520 --> 00:02:36,960 Speaker 1: understand that you will not be doing any household chores 49 00:02:37,040 --> 00:02:40,320 Speaker 1: during those hours. Ask them to hold you accountable by 50 00:02:40,360 --> 00:02:42,639 Speaker 1: reminding you of this rule if they see you folding 51 00:02:42,680 --> 00:02:46,440 Speaker 1: laundry at two pm. And reach an understanding with household 52 00:02:46,480 --> 00:02:49,760 Speaker 1: members that just because you're working at home does not 53 00:02:49,919 --> 00:02:53,760 Speaker 1: automatically mean all housework is your job. It is definitely 54 00:02:53,800 --> 00:02:56,639 Speaker 1: not your full time job. You have another job. If 55 00:02:56,680 --> 00:02:59,680 Speaker 1: other household members do not routinely dust the baseboards in 56 00:02:59,720 --> 00:03:03,600 Speaker 1: their offices, then this shouldn't automatically be on your plate either. 57 00:03:04,480 --> 00:03:07,480 Speaker 1: You may decide, for practical reasons that it makes sense 58 00:03:07,480 --> 00:03:10,280 Speaker 1: for you to start dinner if other parties commute, but 59 00:03:10,360 --> 00:03:13,520 Speaker 1: then those folks could be responsible for the dishes afterwards. 60 00:03:14,200 --> 00:03:16,679 Speaker 1: Over the long run, it might make sense to outsource 61 00:03:16,680 --> 00:03:20,040 Speaker 1: some housework too. Yep, even if you're working at home. 62 00:03:20,840 --> 00:03:23,200 Speaker 1: That way, if you see a carpet that needs to 63 00:03:23,200 --> 00:03:26,240 Speaker 1: be vacuumed, you might feel a bit more relaxed knowing 64 00:03:26,280 --> 00:03:29,160 Speaker 1: that it isn't your job. The cleaning service will get 65 00:03:29,160 --> 00:03:32,520 Speaker 1: to it when they come tomorrow. Finally, you can counter 66 00:03:32,600 --> 00:03:36,839 Speaker 1: the Cinderella effect by lowering your standards. This will look 67 00:03:36,840 --> 00:03:38,960 Speaker 1: different for each of us. Perhaps you want the kitchen 68 00:03:39,000 --> 00:03:41,839 Speaker 1: tidied every day, but having clothes folded and put away 69 00:03:41,880 --> 00:03:45,200 Speaker 1: at all times is less of a priority. In any case, 70 00:03:45,520 --> 00:03:48,040 Speaker 1: the house will just get dirty again, but you will 71 00:03:48,040 --> 00:03:50,560 Speaker 1: never get that hour back. You don't want to live 72 00:03:50,560 --> 00:03:54,280 Speaker 1: in squalor, but no lived in house ever looks like 73 00:03:54,280 --> 00:03:57,680 Speaker 1: a magazine. I once had my house staged for something 74 00:03:58,080 --> 00:04:01,760 Speaker 1: and the designer removed the waist past. Trust me, you 75 00:04:01,800 --> 00:04:05,360 Speaker 1: still need those when you're working from home. In the meantime. 76 00:04:05,800 --> 00:04:09,360 Speaker 1: This is Laura. Thanks for listening, and here's to succeeding 77 00:04:09,640 --> 00:04:16,520 Speaker 1: in the New Corner Office. The New Corner Office is 78 00:04:16,520 --> 00:04:21,239 Speaker 1: a production of iHeartRadio. For more podcasts, visit the iHeartRadio app, 79 00:04:21,520 --> 00:04:24,600 Speaker 1: Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your favorite shows.