Thrive in a Work-From-Home Culture

You can enjoy a lot of benefits in a work-from-home arrangement, such as avoiding heavy traffic or commute going to the office, discovering a more realistic work-life integration, exhibiting better time management, practicing self-discipline, and saving more money for yourself and your family.?However, you need to have a proper mindset and clear expectations from your employer in order for you to succeed. Otherwise, you may experience unproductivity, isolation, or even work burnout.

These 10 helpful tips will explain what actions you may take to help you thrive and enjoy the benefits of a work-from-home environment!

1. Find an Empowering Leader

A leader or manager who takes time to build trust and empowerment in a team is an important ingredient for all professionals who are working remotely. Your leader must be able to promote trust within your team and empower you to take on tasks independently while ensuring that communication lines are open for any guidance or questions. Equally important is to have a leader who will respect your boundaries and your work ethics while not shying away from correcting or coaching you when needed.

If you are not getting this from your boss, take the initiative to propose your ways of working or by soliciting and providing feedback to your immediate head. It may be just a communication gap.

2. Stick to your Work Commitments

While you expect your boss to trust and empower you while working from home, you also need to meet your end of the bargain, as trust is a two-way stream. In a virtual set-up, it’s crucial to always stick to your commitments and the agreed output within the deadline set by your stakeholders, as this is your avenue for building your reputation and confidence with the people you work with. In effect, that commitment will be reciprocated with trust and support from management.

3. Establish a Strong Support System

Create meaningful work relationships with your peers, as they will be your support system in your work journey. Take time to get to know your officemates by regularly engaging in non-work-related conversations through post-shift drinks, team dinners, or engaging in online group or 1-on-1 discussions. Having a friendly chat or video call to take a breather from work will make a huge difference in your day-to-day WFH routine and may lessen the risk of experiencing burnout.

4. Organize In-Person Catch-Ups/Meetings

Even in a remote work setup, it’s still important to organize face-to-face meetings with your teammates or peers just to break your virtual fatigue. You can schedule monthly or bi-monthly in-person engagements to connect more with your team or dedicate that entire day for planning, alignment, or problem-solving activities. You can even invite officemates to co-work at a local café to help strengthen and promote collaboration.

Occasional in-person meetings are most essential for extroverts who need to regularly feed off energy from other people or groups.

5. Maintain Strong Visibility to Management

It’s easy to get lost in the crowd, especially in a virtual work environment. To help you stand out and increase your visibility to your boss and to your stakeholders, don’t be afraid to take on additional responsibilities or high-impact projects that are outside of your BAUs. By volunteering to take on key initiatives, you not only increase your face time with management but also get the chance to upskill your competencies and upgrade your portfolio.

Aside from special projects, you can also improve your visibility through simple BAUs such as attending virtual meetings. Whenever you are attending meetings, make sure you are present and in tune with the agenda so that you can speak up or provide your insights or comments when needed.

6. Clarify and Communicate Expectations

Getting the support that you need from your employer, whether it’s your productivity equipment, air cover in dealing with a difficult stakeholder, or guidance needed in a task, can only be addressed if you clearly communicate your needs to the proper channels.

In a work-from-home environment, non-verbal cues between the boss and the subordinate are not that apparent, so it’s more difficult to predict the emotions and feelings of employees. It’s recommended not to shy away from communicating the help that you need from your leader so that appropriate interventions and guidance can be given.

7. Set Your Boundaries

Sometimes the line between work and personal life gets blurred a bit. In most cases, the time allotted for your work bleeds into your personal time, which can leave you feeling drained or stuck. To avoid this, you must set and stick to a clear work schedule that is within an 8-hour shift period. It’s alright to extend beyond 8 hours occasionally, especially if you are catching up on some deliverables, but this should not be a regular habit. Multiple studies show that constant overtime in a remote work setup can lead to emotional exhaustion, creativity block, and even mental health issues.

Don’t try to continuously work for 11 hours daily. Knowing when to stop working is crucial for your work longevity and productivity. Taking 15-minute breaks within your shift is also advisable so you can practice self-care.

8. Avoid Work Distractions

Distractions are pretty normal for any employee. Even on-premise workers experience this. But distractions can be amplified when you are working from home, which impacts your focus and your ability to deliver results.

The number one culprit for work distractions is social media. You can limit your media consumption by putting your phone in silent mode or focus mode so that you won’t get unnecessary notifications from your smart phones. In addition, doing house chores simultaneous to your work can also take time away from your work schedule and can decrease your output quality.

9. Define Your Workspace

Dedicate a corner, a space, or even a room as your work from home station so you can recreate a workplace environment that can be your identity in your daily routine. It’s advisable not to do this set-up in your living spaces, such as your bedroom, living room, or dining room, as you want to create a clear separation between your job and your home. Take time to also invest in proper equipment such as an office chair and office desk to avoid posture issues.

Having a dedicated office space in your home will make it easier for you to set work boundaries, as discussed in tip # 7

10. Enjoy Life Outside of Work

Relish the advantage of not spending 2 to 3 hours of travel time to and from work. With the time that you have saved, you can dedicate more time to your personal goals and discover hobbies that will help you break the monotony at work.

You can even spend this time taking online courses or even pursuing further education to continuously upgrade your knowledge.

You have the luxury of spending more time with your family or your friends to connect with people.

You can engage in physical activities like exercising or playing a new sport to keep your strength up.

Or maybe just using the extra time to take a pause and to relax from the daily grind.

In summary, always remember that a work-from-home setup is a gift and should neither be abused nor taken for granted. When done correctly and smartly, you can reap the full benefits of this type of work arrangement, which will enable you to perform better and be more productive at work and at the same time manage your personal life and self-care better.