With almost every country now affected by Co-vid19, almost everything about our lives have changed. One of the marked differences is that many more people are being forced to work remotely in order to best protect them and their families. While working from home can have many upsides, such as being able to work in your PJS and not time spent commuting, there are plenty of ways it can be challenging, too. Here are 4 tips for improving remote workers’ wellbeing:
1. Communication
Good communication is going to be more important now than ever. We all know how easily text messages or emails can be misconstrued. Without the normal office environment, we will have to choose what topics should be left to Zoom meetings or phone calls, and what can be handled over email. Likewise if you’re an employer and have staff members on your team, then you’re going to want to think about how transparent you want to be with your staff. Letting them know what’s going on, while still putting them at ease is going to be a fine balancing act during this unprecedented time.
2. Being Intentional About Breaks
If you’re an employee, then it can be easy to get a bit lazy about breaks when working from home. Some of us might find ourselves spending too much time staring at the fridge, while others might forget to take breaks all together. If you can, try to follow a similar working schedule as you might do when in office. This can be more challenging if you’re also trying to juggle childcare at home, but having clear times for work and relaxing will make a huge difference, especially when your working environment is your home environment.
3. Work Station
One of the biggest ‘mistakes’ you can make working from home is not setting a clear work area. It can be harder right now with many stores closed and budgets tighter than ever, but try to find somewhere in your home that can be your work area and try to confine work stuff to that area. It can be tempting to work on the couch, or even from bed, but most of us are not that productive there and it can also be horrible for your posture and health.
4. Consider the Social Aspect
Sometimes we might not realise how social our working environment is, and many of us are mourning our normal social lives and missing out on the work aspect makes it even harder. It could be a nice idea to set up a social call every week or two, so that your employees can check in on each other. This can be a really lonely time and many people’s mental health is suffering, so small things like this can really make a big difference.
If you’re looking for more ways for Improving Remote Workers’ Wellbeing, check out this helpful guide by Utilitybidder.