When you work as an office manager, there are many tasks to keep track of. The office needs to be tidy, lunch needs to be ordered, there needs to be soap by the sink and alcohol by the door. It requires a good overview.
Everyday life after Covid-19 looks somewhat different. It can be stressful and exhausting because your routines are not the same. In such volatile times, it's hard to establish routines for yourself and your colleagues. But if you learn to take control of your habits, you can rediscover an everyday life based on routine and structure.
When navigating around the office, you don't have to think about where everything is, because you've learned to do that. You probably don't think much about what you do when you arrive at the office or start your day at home. You probably have a set routine, made up of certain habits. It could be getting your first cup of coffee of the day or answering emails.
Our brains are so smart that they can do most things on autopilot. Part of our survival instinct is to save energy. One of the ways we save energy is when our subconscious mind learns habits so that we don't have to use mental energy on repetitive actions. You don't have to think about where the coffee cups are, where the D key is on the keyboard and how to take a sip of water without spilling.
The brain is smart, but it's also a bit lazy. Up to 90% of the actions you take are on autopilot. This also means that your brain gets tired when you suddenly want to change your habits. So if you want to start getting up an hour earlier, running 5 km or eating healthier, your brain just wants to stick to the old familiar patterns.
Can you build new habits?
Like I said, your brain is mostly set on just carrying on as usual. So building new habits requires patience and diligence. However, it may be necessary after a year and a half with Covid-19.
Covid-19 has brought with it a number of restrictions in most workplaces that need to be adhered to. Although most people have gotten used to sanitizing their hands, it's easy to fall back to pre-COVID-19 times. As an office manager, you need to be aware of how to maintain and create new habits. And the answer is simple, you have to repeat it and articulate it.
You can easily take control of your habits and create new routines in your everyday life. That way, you'll flow more easily through tasks that you repeat from day to day and have the energy for those things that require a little extra thought.
Sources:
https://www.lisbethfruensgaard.dk/derfor-er-det-sa-svaert-at-aendre-vaner/
https://samvirke.dk/artikler/droemmer-du-om-nye-vaner
http://www.onmind.dk/nyheder/2015/8/15/ny-viden-om-hjernen-og-vores-vaner