Making remote working our daily routine has been an adjustment for everyone during COVID-19. In the blink of an eye, we’re exchanging the break room for trips to the fridge, trading in our suit shirts for our tracksuits and endlessly fiddling with the Wifi. So how do we practice remote working more effectively as we ease into the new normal? Kavita Singh breaks down key tips.
1. Cover the basics
If you’re already struggling with staff symbiosis, make sure the basics are covered. It’s easy to feel overwhelmed and distant from your team right now, so if you’re already feeling disorganised among your staff, make sure these questions are all answered:
- Is everyone supported wherever their new home office may be?
- Do staff have access to all relevant home/mobile numbers?
- Does everyone have all password and log-in access for relevant platforms?
- Is everyone using the same platforms?
If the answer to any of these is ‘no’, then there might be a simple solution to the panic. Overcommunication is key, so sit down with anyone who might be out of the loop and reassess. If you’re the one feeling out of the loop, then schedule a Zoom meeting with the appropriate colleagues.
2. Get dressed
The temptation of doing work in your pyjamas in bed is definitely there when you first wake up. However, research shows that this has the potential to lower efficiency and productivity.
The Journal of Experimental Social Psychology performed a study that found that doctors were more focused and performed better at work when wearing a lab coat. They saw that professionals performed significantly better on tasks when they wore clothes with some sort of ‘symbolic meaning’ otherwise known as enclothed cognition.
Cara de Lange, burnout expert and founder of Softer Success, said: “One of the most important things you can do to work from home efficiently is to get up and get dressed for work as you normally would. This gives your brain the message of starting the work day.”
Additionally, getting dressed out of your pyjamas will force you to go about your morning in a healthier way whether that means setting some time aside in the morning to shower or taking a walk during your breaks.
3. Stick to the office hours
Cara says once you’ve gotten dressed, find a designated workspace and stick to the working hours. You can take more frequent breaks every 90 minutes or so, but make sure you’re starting your day at the same time and ending it at the same time you leave your office normally.
Going over your daily limit (because you can) can lead to feeling burnt out. Because you’re in one spot at home, the lines between work and your personal life can be easily blurred. You don’t have colleagues to give that little shove to stop working, so make sure you’re not changing that pattern.
4. Limit the screen time
When you take your periodical breaks, take some time to get away from the screen. We’re glued to all types of technology at the moment, so Cara suggests putting away the phone and laptop at any chance during the working week.
Setting boundaries with technology can help alleviate the stress when you have 50 tabs open and several spreadsheets glaring at you during your lunch break. To help achieve this, you can use an app such as Smart Break for Windows and Timeout for Mac to lock yourself out of your laptop for a set time. You can also just set a timer on your phone to make sure you’re making the most of your breaks.
In addition, staring at screens can strain your eyes or make the symptoms of existing eye conditions worse. Make sure you’re looking away every 20 minutes or so. Doing so can give yourself that extra recharge you might need.
5. Use tech tools to your advantage
We live in an age where technology can make project management possible. You can use a whiteboard app to jot down new ideas. You can use Zoom for meetings with your team and you can even host digital events using a virtual platform. Using these types of platforms allows you to break down the additional wall to already established silos. There’s several free apps available to make remote working easier, and having everyone on one platform might make for better communication in the long run.
6. Check in with your team personally
Ben Williams, director of advocacy at software company Eyeo, said: “Besides offering different tools for communication, it is important for companies to offer the right resources to support employee wellbeing when working remotely. Even before the pandemic, our teams would regularly collaborate over our intranet sharing content relating to wellbeing, innovative working practices, or even movie and Netflix recommendations.”
Much like chats in the office kitchen, it was a virtual space where employees could come together to engage with one another on topics outside of the working day.
During these uncertain times, it’s important to support one another on a daily basis. Have your team put their videos on during conference calls, not only to have that extra human interaction but to also check in and see how people are doing. If you’re having a hard time as well, it can be cathartic to be able to share that with your team because chances are, you’re not the only one feeling this way.
7. Take advantage of the perks from working from home
Don’t forget that working from home does have its perks. You can go for walks, stay more connected to your family and flatmates, and save tons on commuting. You’ll have plenty of moments of feeling frustrated with the constraints but there is always that stray silver lining. If that means taking every Friday afternoon to try a new recipe, so be it. Maybe that means doing a virtual yoga class in the morning that you’ve been meaning to try or listening your favourite tunes while working in your garden. If you can make remote working that much more exciting, then your strive for productivity will come as well.
