With more than 90% of the population working remotely, managers and employees around the world are dealing with concerns about productivity, motivation, and finding innovative ways to connect and collaborate. Fortunately, there are a few ways employees can shift habits to support work-life balance, and make telecommuting both productive and enjoyable:
- Loneliness: For some employees, especially extroverts who relish the social atmosphere of an office environment, working from home can be isolating — which can reduce inherent motivation and drive to achieve success. To help employees feel a little less alone, consider new ways to connect: a regular Monday morning meeting to check in with your team and start the week off right, or a virtual Friday team lunch via Zoom. You can also use this time to discuss your priorities and goals for the week ahead.
- Stress: Given the ever-changing landscape of Covid variants, Risk Managers across the insurance industry are constantly reevaluating both known and unknown risks to their clients at lightning speed. This kind of pressure can be overwhelming for even the most experienced among us. Learning how to identify your own stress triggers and manage your emotional reactions is crucial to long-term success, as these techniques will prevent you from burning out. Find a stress relief tool that works for you — and then practice it daily. Whether you walk around the block, call a coworker or meditate, a mid-day stress management practice will help you incorporate new healthy habits into your routine and diffuse anxious energy.
- Routine: A solid daily routine will make you feel more energized, productive, and motivated while working from home — just because you can sleep until noon, does not mean you should! Make time to separate from your designated office space to eat meals on a regular schedule, and try to end your day around the same time you would if you were working from an office. If you normally used the drive home to decompress and process a stressful day at the office, consider walking around the block after your workday ends to clear your mind and provide some buffer between the work day and family time in the evenings.
- Designate Office Space: The best way to separate work from home is to designate a specific part of your home as “reserved for office use only.” It could be a corner of your studio apartment or a separate room in your house — all that matters is that it’s free of clutter and distractions, and provides a quiet place to focus on your work.
It’s clear that the Coronavirus pandemic will have a lasting impact on the way we live, work, and play. Remember, we’re all in this together as we navigate the new normal!