Working from home? Yes.
Telecommuting? Most definitely.
Has the cabin fever caught up to you? Maybe.
As we continue to adapt to the ever-changing global landscape, working remotely (or working from home) has been a common theme in most of our lives. And there’s no hard and fast rule on how to best navigate this. But if we don’t manage ourselves properly, we could be in for a rocky couple of months.
The State of Remote Work by Buffer revealed that 20% of workers cite loneliness as their biggest struggle with remote working. While some of us may enjoy the perks of not having to travel two hours just to get to the office, others are longing for the comforts the office brings: comical colleagues, the smell of fresh toast in the morning and the positive vibes in an office environment.
Here at Lark, we know exactly what you’re going through. We’ve created a guide to help you stay happy, motivated and connected as we continue to be disconnected in these trying times.
Spreading positivity from within
Follow a Schedule
As the lines between personal and professional continue to blur, setting guidelines on how you want to work can help differentiate the two, even if your workspace also happens to be your nap zone. Start your day early (not five minutes just before a meeting) and take a shower, make a cuppa or throw on a presentable top. It helps reboot your mind into work mode. Schedule breaks whenever you can too. Remember, it’s called ‘work-life balance’ so set some time for the ‘life’ part of it. On Lark, our calendar function lets us set working hours, so our teams know when we’re online and when it’s me-time.
Work Techniques
Finding motivation in isolation can be tricky. You want to get work done but what’s five more minutes lying in bed, right? Well, we know some helpful ways to bring your productivity levels back up again.
The Pomodoro technique is all about mixing work and rest together. Set a task to work on for 20 minutes, followed by a five-minute break. Repeat it three more times before you take a much-deserved half hour break. What this does is, it segments the day into manageable chunks while motivating you to make the most of the time you have for work. Of course, if you’re ‘in the zone’, push on, but don’t bury yourself (and your morale) by forcing yourself.
The Batching technique is about grouping short and similar assignments together to maintain your train of thought rather than switching continuously between different tasks. However, some planning needs to be considered especially if your job requires you to wear multiple hats all at once.
Try these techniques out — we did, and we recommend trying it at least once! Most importantly, do what best suits you to stay positive and motivated.
(Keeping your phone in another room helps too!)
Keep Moving
No one’s forcing you to bust out your exercise mat for a HIIT workout midday, but simple stretches or even push-ups can be a huge morale booster. They get the blood pumping for those happiness-inducing endorphins. Plus, no one’s going to judge you when you do jumping jacks in the middle of a meeting! (Just make sure you turn off your camera.)
Family Time
There is a bright side to working from home; increased family time! More often than not, work keeps us away from our families more than we’d like to admit. Irregular work schedules, rushed deadlines and just overall tiredness play a part in how engaged we are with our family members. Now is the perfect time to open up and communicate with those at home. Enjoy home-cooked meals together or have some family fun by recreating activities you used to do when you were a kid.
Spreading positivity to others
The Wonders of Exercise
While exercising alone may work for some, having a workout buddy can keep you motivated in the long run. For a small fee, look out for virtual workout classes you can join, hosted by your local gyms and fitness centers. Schedule a time and mark it in your calendars with your buddy to keep each other accountable. You can even organize a company-wide fitness class for your entire department to bond over a non-work-related activity — finally. With Lark, you can host up to 100 participants in one video call, more than enough for everyone who wants to get a sweat in together.
Work Buddy
We’re used to having our colleagues beside us, their presence silently motivating us to push on. As social creatures, we’d still want some form of human interaction as we continue working from home. And while you can have a conference call with your closest colleagues, it might not be the most ideal situation with everyone talking over one another. Instead, grab the colleague who works the same way you do and have regular check-ins. It will brighten your mood especially if you need to work into the night. Lark gives you unlimited minutes on every video call. This saves the trouble of you having to always rejoin a call especially when you’re online for hours.
Share Joy
We aren’t aware of the ramifications that remote working has on everyone. Giving a colleague a virtual pat on the back for a job well done can brighten their day. Go the extra mile by sending gifts to a colleague you’re appreciative of. A small gift is all it takes; it’s the thought that matters most. Everyone has a part to play to keep team morale high even when we are apart.
Staying Positive
Think positive and positive things will happen. It starts with your mindset.
Stay motivated with a routine and work style that allows you to be at your productive peak. Share a funny joke with a family member or throw in some simple stretches during your day. And when you’re feeling positive, let your joy brighten someone’s day — celebrate their successes, have a chat over work breaks and even exercise together through video calls.
Positive thinking can shape the way we handle this difficult situation. And Lark is here to help you with that through seamless collaboration with your colleagues, all-day productivity with our all-in-one platform and endless motivation throughout the day with your work buddy on video calls for unlimited minutes.
To top it off, Lark is completely free.
Give it a go, you can thank us later.
Click here to get started.
