One Year Later – 4 Lessons We’ve Learned About Working From Home
It’s hard to believe that it’s already been more than a year since the declaration of the 2020 Pandemic! The last year was one filled with many changes – we learned as a society how to be adaptable and how to find new, creative ways to do things in a way we haven’t before.
Being forced to stay home caused some industries to change in such a way where it may never be the same, and as a result, many of us have had to shift the ways we work. With so many companies shifting into remote work, 2020 marked an exciting new time for employees. The thought of working from home was initially so enticing; freedom and flexibility, not having to commute, and in many cases having the luxury of working in sweatpants!
With over a year of remote working behind us, it’s safe to say that we’ve learned some valuable lessons to carry forward. In this article, we’ll discuss some of our biggest lessons learned from a year of working from home and what we can take on as best practices moving forward.
Structure is important.
Although it’s great to imagine a life where you can roll out of bed, head to your computer and start your day – a lack of daily routine or ritual will start to take its toll on just about anyone. 2020 surely taught us that in order to balance the freedom that comes with work from home life, it’s important to implement proper structure to stay on task and keep mental wellbeing a top priority.
Creating structure in a work from home environment can look like:
- Having a healthy morning routine that includes some exercise or a meditation
- Creating healthy boundaries surrounding your work day. This can look like having a start and end time and shutting down your computer at the end of your work day.
- Prioritizing work tasks. Without a thoughtful to-do list, it can be easy to get overwhelmed which may cause you to overwork
Take time to prioritize relationships.
Even with the constant notifications, the Zoom calls and the emails, social communication in a remote work environment can still feel a little lackluster at times. We don’t have the same spontaneous “how was your weekend” conversations that you otherwise would when visiting someone’s desk. Without the comfort of social chatter, it can start to feel a little lonesome working from home.
This is why it’s important to make space for intentional relationship building outside of the office as well as in digital communication. Pencil in your friends for a happy hour once your work day is done, or lead with a thoughtful question in a messaging or communication channel – one that will promote a feeling of true connection as opposed to the typical “how’s it going today?” Leading with questions that are vulnerable and emotionally centred will leave both you and the person on the receiving end feeling more connected.
Having a designated workspace is key.
Working from your laptop is great, right?! It most definitely can be, until your neck is sore and you’re feeling disorganized and distracted by all the chores you could be doing. While it seemed at one time appropriate to work from your kitchen counter, it became apparent that it’s not the most sustainable choice.
When it comes to maintaining a healthy and productive work life, it’s so important to have a space that can support you to do your best work. Not only does it support you ergonomically, but it will ensure that you stay focused on your tasks at hand while maintaining boundaries in your work life. Consider investing in a proper desk set up, a second monitor and any other technologies you feel will support you in having a proper work space. Your neck and your mental health will thank you!
Work life balance is essential.
Many employees reported this year a feeling of extreme burnout due to feeling overworked and out of balance. It can be so easy to find yourself in a narrative of “I’ll just do this one more task” and before you know it, you’ve missed lunch and haven’t had a break in hours!
2020 taught many of us who work from home just how vital it is to create a healthy work-life balance. It solidified for many employees what priorities are really important and how to manage time more effectively to make space for what matters most. If you’re a workaholic, you likely learned just how necessary it is to create alarms, priority lists and healthy boundaries to unplug each day. If you’re more of the distracted type, you likely learned how important it is to create structure, routine and to do-lists to stay focused on your “must dos” each day.
What’s next?
Although 2020 brought it’s fair share of lessons in the remote working environment, one that we can all likely agree on is that it created many benefits and opportunities to grow. Overall, we’ve come out the other side much more resilient, self-sufficient and productive as a result of the work from home life.
Working from home may last for some businesses and for others, employees will eventually return to the office. For those returning to the office, remember to bring these lessons back to your desk.
Those staying at home, we hope you continue to use these lessons to make your work space feel like work and your home space and time to feel like home.
Support for employers.
Alternative work arrangements and the challenges of bringing employees back to work has been forefront in our client conversations lately. Some employers are looking forward to a full return, while others are allowing more flexibility and encouraging a staggered or gradual return to the office. Whether you are an employer that wants to allow employees to continue working from home or you need support on assisting with a smooth transition back to the workplace, we have lots of great resources, articles, education, seminars and emotional support to share with your team.
