For most of us, work life has changed this past year. Instead of heading to the office each morning, we logged onto our computers and tried to keep things going from the isolation of our separate living spaces.
According to an Upwork survey, 7% of civilian employees had an option to work from home in 2018. In 2021, more than 26% are working from home. The shift represents an enormous cultural change that has affected the way we live.
If you haven’t quite adjusted to the changes, you’re not alone. Let’s look at some of the many differences in our lives.
Blurring Boundaries
Before covid hit, most of us could draw firm distinctions between our work lives and personal lives. “I don’t like to bring work home with me,” was a common phrase, and it really meant something.
Home was home, and work was work, and the divisions were firm and distinct. Commutes created transition time in which to gear up for the workday or cool down after an intense day in the office. The workplace offered a spot for forgetting about personal life and focusing on business matters. It also provided in-person interaction with coworkers and friends.
At home, all the boundaries have been blurred this past year. Kids are trying to “go to school” from kitchen tables. Parents are trying to work, keep kids on track, and run their households all at the same time.
Challenges of Remote Working
The blurred boundaries mentioned above have caused stress. Do you relate to any of these challenges?
- Getting distracted by everything
- Communicating with your coworkers
- Dealing with housemates (some of whom may be children)
- Maintaining motivation
- Overworking
- Feeling lonely and isolated
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In the past, we’ve had externally imposed schedules that provide guideposts to our days. We had the luxury of compartmentalizing different aspects of our lives. Now, many of us have to build those structures for ourselves, and that’s hard work. Additionally, studies are showing that many people may not return to the old ways of getting work done.
For Many, Remote Working is Here to Stay
A Gartner survey found that 82% of responding industry leaders intend to allow remote working some of the time as employees return to the workplace. And 47% said they plan on permitting employees to work remotely full time in the future.
Whether you return to the workplace full-time or adopt a hybrid schedule, dividing your time between home and the office, you can improve your workdays and productivity levels by adopting some of these habits.
Habits for Thriving in a Remote Work Situation
We don’t pretend that remote working can be easy with a few simple lifehacks. It’s hard. There are no simple solutions, and we’re all just trying to do our best. That said, incorporating some of these tips into your days might make a difference.
Set up a dedicated workspace (if possible)
Space is tight, especially here in NYC. But if you can set up a dedicated place to work, you will have created a boundary between your personal life and your work. Even if you just sit in one particular chair while you perform your business tasks, you will have created some mental distinction between the different areas of your life.
Block the Noise
Between kids, neighbors, and traffic noise, concentrating can be tough. Try using ear buds or headphones and an app like Noisli to control your sound environment.
Work in Bursts
A four-hours stretch between breakfast and lunch can seem like an eternity when you’ve been looking at the same four walls for months on end. Break up your tasks by setting a timer for 25 minutes and then taking a 5-minute break. During your 25-minute work period, work full-out. Don’t check your email. Don’t glance at Instagram or Twitter. Just work, work, work. And then when you hit your 5-minute break, stand up and do something active. Walk down the block and back or water your houseplants. Stretch your arms and legs. Then set your timer again and get that work done!
Detach from Your Phone
In the days when we were out-and-about and always on the go, smartphones saved the day. We could connect with clients, coworkers, and kids no matter where we were. Today, though, we’re living a landline lifestyle in many ways, and our phones tend to provide more distractions than conveniences.
If phone distraction has been a problem for you, check your notifications just a few times a day, at scheduled intervals. And if you want to scroll through headlines or social media feeds, set a timer to rein in the distractions.
Use Video to Communicate with Colleagues
Whenever possible, use video calls for meetings so you can have a full conversation that includes tone, facial expressions, and gestures. Text and emojis only go so far when you’re hashing out complicated issues.
Virtually, that is. Using video calls for meetings is the closest you can get to being in the same room, and allows you to have a full conversation (complete with tone, facial expressions, and gestures) instead of hashing things out over text.
Image: Christine Hume
Stick to a Routine
Many of us have depended on external factors to shape our days. If we needed to open the office at 8:00, we set our alarm accordingly, giving ourselves enough time to eat, exercise, get ready, and commute. But when we work remotely, schedules get fluid, and we might end up working into the evening to make up for a slow start or disruptions during the day.
Avoid this by setting times for the beginning and end of your workday. Stick to your times like you used to. If a new task comes in at 4:58 (and you were planning on working until 5:00), draw a line and switch off from work. Tomorrow is another day. You can take care of it then. And when you’ve had some personal time in the evening and a good night’s sleep, you’ll be ready to tackle it with fresh vigor in the morning.
This is a big topic for our company, our clients, and our entire industry, so we’ll be talking about it again in a subsequent blog post. In the meantime, know that we’re here for you and still working hard to provide you with the resources you need to accomplish your work. Give us a call to book a production vehicle or any of our rental equipment and services. Together, we’ll conquer today’s challenges.