If one of your New Year’s Resolutions for 2022 is to successfully transition into full-time remote work, you are not the only one.
When the pandemic hit, the UK job market underwent a period today named “the Great Resignation”. Millions of workers decided to become their own boss, transition into remote working, or find a more suited workplace for their skills and goals.
These changes might have started before the pandemic, but the restrictions that came with Covid-19 caused a fast transformation. Today, just under two years after the pandemic hit, 80% of leaders and 70% of workers are convinced that the future of work can be found in hybrid work models.
Thanks to this transformation, today, you can find all the resources, community, and experience needed for a smooth transition into working from home. If you are not sure how to get started, you can find everything you need in the sections below.
Design a dedicated home office space
If you were one of those professionals forced to work from home when the pandemic hit, you might have turned your kitchen table into a makeshift office desk and your bedroom into a temporary conference room. However, if you are planning a permanent change in your work life, this is the right time to invest in a dedicated home office space.
Luckily, you won’t need a large room – but here are some must-have elements of your new office:
- Enough space for a desk and multiple workstations
- Plenty of fresh air and natural light
- Located away from the noise of the kitchen or living room
- Can be closed for silence and privacy
- Is not part of your bedroom or living room
Understand how your work will change
When transitioning into remote working, your location is not the only thing that will change. Indeed, your work schedule and way of completing your tasks will undergo a thorough revolution!
If you and your colleagues are working from home, there are some extra tips to keep in mind to make sure that productivity levels and outcomes aren’t affected. These include:
- Over-communicate
- Use phone calls when messages need to be delivered fast
- Invest in a communication tool – such as Slack – for your team
- Understand that people work in different ways
- Use video when communicating with others. You might still not be so comfortable with it, but it can truly help your communication!
Invest in ergonomic furniture
Working from home will drastically reshape your entire routine, and can make it extremely easy to fall into bad habits. So, if you wish to stay healthy while working from home, there are some adjustments that you’ll need to make – starting from your furniture!
There are some main aspects to keep in mind to look after your mental wellbeing, physical health, and levels of productivity.
Firstly, you should consider investing in a high-quality ergonomic chair. This piece of furniture might be expensive, but it can truly prevent severe health and posture issues later on!
Additionally, consider buying an adjustable or standing desk. While, in the office, you might have gotten used to sitting down, if you are working from home, you might consider the benefits of a standing desk for your health, posture, and productivity. Lastly, don’t forget that you can enhance your productivity and creativity by planning for a range of workstations!
Focus on creating the right routine
When working from home, it is easy to forget about the importance of a strict work routine and schedule. However, a lack of fixed work times can cause you to be working at all times, achieve less, and miss out on important moments with your family or friends!
So, before completing your transition into the world of working from home, consider experimenting with a few different routine schedules and find the one that works best for you. Then, write it down and use a habit tracker to make sure you are living a fulfilling and successful life at work!
Invest in the right tech – and don’t stop learning!
Whether you are an accountant, video maker, marketer, or business executive, there are a few pieces of tech and devices that you shouldn’t skimp on. Of course, you will need a laptop, a camera, a microphone, a printer, and a phone – and a strong Internet connection!
Unlike your office furniture or home office design, the devices and technology you have invested in require constant updates, upgrades, and maintenance.
Make sure you are keeping up with the latest innovations, systems, and upgrades to make the most of your day at work! For example, a guide like this one can help you set up your upgrades and ensure that your tech is working harder for you.
Network and fight loneliness
Remote working comes with many benefits including a more flexible work schedule, better work-life balance, reduced commuting time, limited expenses, and better productivity. However, this lifestyle has its downsides – such as loneliness and a feeling of being isolated.
Indeed, 46% of UK workers who work from home have experienced loneliness since the start of the pandemic. While this is also due to the fact that the pandemic has made relationships and social events difficult, there is a lot you can do to avoid feeling lonely.
Some tips include:
- Network with your colleagues
- Make sure you are seeing your friends often
- Use video call apps to strengthen your work and private relationships
- Make time for an after-work drink – virtually, of course!
- Continue creating a warm, inclusive workplace culture
Expect a trial-and-error period
Even with the tips above, transitioning into remote working can have its challenges. For example, you might struggle with keeping up to a schedule, making time for self-care, and avoiding procrastination. You might also find yourself fighting loneliness and looking for co-working spaces to meet other remote workers.
Just like in the case of any other lifestyle changes, all of this is normal and expected. If you are planning on completing your transition in 2022, make sure you are dedicating the next months to finding a routine that works for you. Start changing one thing at a time and don’t be afraid to experiment with different routines and schedules!
Bear in mind that if you are working from home in an ‘office-based’ role that you are now in a global employment market, where your employer could pay someone in South Africa, for example, to undertake the same role from home, for a lower salary. Also, when you lose that direct in-person social interaction with colleagues, you fail to find about what is happening on the grapevine, you also don’t build up the same networking with other people in different areas of the same company to broaden your knowledge, such as you might get from car-sharing for your commute, or using employment based amenities such as a gym or restaurant, if provided. And the only real pandemic has been that of mind control, utilising methods that Aldous Huxley described more than sixty years ago in ‘Brave New World Revisited’.
Lots of great tips!
Great advice, I especially like the point that it may take experimentation to find out what works, and that’s ok.