It’s been over a year since lots of Canadians started working from home, and although there may be an end to the pandemic in sight, it looks like remote working is here to stay. Not only do some studies show that remote work has increased productivity and provided a number of benefits to employees, but the sheer amount of Canadians working remotely has increased massively. In 2016, only 4% of Canadian employees worked from home — that figure now stands at 32%. Remote work has also allowed for the inclusion of skilled professionals that previously faced barriers, such as disabled workers who have benefitted from an accelerated digitalization of the workplace.
To make the most of working from home, and to make it a viable option for the future of work, employees and employers need to work together to maximize its benefits. In this blog we’ll look at some of the best ways to reach your full potential while working from home, and what the new normal of remote work might look like.
How to be productive
Working from home means nobody is there to check if you’re being productive, and there are hundreds of little distractions that can easily derail your concentration and impact the amount of work you do. Here are some of our top tips to stay productive throughout your work from home day:
Stick to a schedule
While some people find the flexibility of working from home to be beneficial, it can be detrimental to your productivity levels. Creating a clear work schedule with established “log on” and “log off” times is fundamental if you want to keep your work schedule on track and avoid extending your workday by several hours.
It’s also important that you communicate this with your coworkers. Do not accept meetings outside of regular work hours, during your lunch break or on weekends. Respecting your own time and that of others will skyrocket your productivity and allow you to concentrate on work without it leaking over into your personal life.
Take regular breaks
When you worked at an office, you probably took several short breaks throughout the day without even realizing it. Making yourself a coffee, chatting with Jeff from Accounting at the photocopy machine, going to the store for a pack of gum. These regular short breaks help you reset your focus and stay productive throughout the day.
Now that you no longer take these kinds of breaks, it’s important to do something similar at home. Every hour or two, stand up and move around, take your dog out to the garden, make yourself a coffee, have a chat with your family, and make a point of getting away from your desk for a few minutes. Taking these steps will lead to increased productivity and concentration!
Have a designated workspace
While it’s tempting to work from your bed or the sofa for the first few hours of the day, this is one of the worst things you can do for your productivity. Try creating a work-only space where you don’t engage in any activities that aren’t related to your job.
This can be done by placing your desk in the corner of the living room or bedroom and making it as distraction-free as possible. Keep your workspace clean and organized, and train yourself to only engage in work activities within that area. If you have an office space in your house, this will make everything a little easier as you can easily separate your workstation from other more leisure-focused spaces in the house.
Leave the house
Staying in the house all day every day will damage your productivity and concentration levels like nothing else. Try leaving the house a couple of times a day to help lower stress levels and reset your focus after a long day of sitting down at a desk.
On the weekends, spend as much time outside of your home as possible. This creates a clear definition between workdays and rest days while reinforcing your weekday routine for maximum productivity and focus.
How to protect your emotional wellness
Staying on top of your mental health should be a fundamental part of your approach to remote work. Start with these tips:
Socialize with your coworkers
Staying in touch with coworkers through virtual meetups or video coffee breaks is a great way to keep on top of your mental health, as this is one of the main things that people miss about working in an office. These virtual social meetings should be informal and focused on topics that aren’t work-related. Regularly checking in with your team can help you stay motivated, and reinforces your sense of belonging and purpose even if you’re physically far away from your coworkers.
Reduce the number of meetings you have
Despite its many advantages, remote work tends to overload people with unnecessary meetings. This can increase stress and anxiety while worsening fatigue. Limit the number of meetings you attend and use your work calendar to block off chunks of your day where you can work peacefully without being interrupted by a barrage of incoming calls and meeting requests.
Exercise regularly
Exercise is a remote worker’s best friend. Not only can it help you stay active and avoid a sedentary lifestyle cooped up in your home office, but it can boost your energy levels. If you have a garden or green space nearby, try visiting it regularly, as studies show that spending time outdoors and in nature can reduce stress and anxiety.
The future of the office
So, what does the future of office space look like? Will everyone work from home for years to come? Different companies appear to be taking different approaches. Most employers seem to be offering either complete freedom for their employees to decide where they work from or a hybrid model where employees only come into the office sometimes.
Some leaders believe that offices will act as “community hubs” focused on collaboration and socializing. This would mean that the office may be used for team activities and as a coworking space, while individual offices and cubicles could be phased out in the future.
Either way, it looks like remote work has gained a strong foothold in the world of work, and it’s unlikely that we’ll return to pre-pandemic work routines. To learn more about the
future of work and how to get ahead of the competition in a rapidly changing job market, take a look at the rest of our blog where we regularly post insightful content!