A concept has been emerging regarding remote work that predates the widespread need for social distancing. This concept posits that we should have embraced it to some extent for a long time, not just for the current reasons but because it is inherently more effective.
The current situation is challenging for everyone, as we are missing essential aspects of life. We yearn to engage with our families, socialize with friends, explore the outside world, and be surrounded by others. Life becomes noticeably less enjoyable without these connections, and we all face this struggle. However, if you equate “office life” to these essential connections, it’s likely a result of societal conditioning that suggests it is a necessity.
Naturally, there are circumstances where physical closeness is vital for team collaboration or business objectives. Such situations are frequent in specific sectors, occasional in others, and quite rare in many. Yet, some companies may artificially create a need for presence through mandatory meetings or by requiring certain resources to be located on-site.
Speaking from my experience, having worked in various office settings as well as enjoying the freedom of being an independent contractor who sets my own hours, I find it imperative to state this plainly: I believe the prevalence of office settings in many industries stems from corporate control and underlying anxiety. Recall the last instance you were the first to depart the office at the end of the day. Did you feel the stares as you left? Is this kind of environment conducive to well-being?
Traditional office settings often create hierarchies reminiscent of academic environments, where colleagues resemble classmates and supervisors act as educators or principals, possessing larger offices and superior parking privileges. Close proximity allows managers to oversee their teams, yet it can also inflate the perceived necessity of such surveillance and exaggerate the importance of their roles.
This is not to imply that your manager, whom you may regard as a genuine friend, is malevolent or manipulative. These dynamics have been entrenched for years, and fear-driven motivations occur naturally within it. It is widely assumed that productivity improves when individuals are in restricted spaces; however, research indicates otherwise. A two-year Stanford research study involving a company of 16,000 employees in 2017 showed that remote work led to significantly higher productivity, alongside an average savings of $2,000 per employee for the company due to reduced office requirements.
Your employer might seize this situation as a chance to foster a more reasonable compromise than a full week in the office. Or you might disagree with the overall concept I’ve presented. Regardless, it’s essential to shift your mindset during this time. Therefore, exploring what advantages you can capitalize on while working unnoticed is worthwhile.
Your tasks and your schedule are now in a relationship.
Successful relationships demand flexibility and experimentation. You may believe you are at your best between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m., or perhaps you just think that because it’s the only routine you’ve ever experienced. After years of office attendance, various tasks can start to blur into a singular category of “work.” Remove the confines of being “clocked in,” and consider each task as a separate entity with a specific deadline.
Your creativity is needed when executing tasks, so why not also be inventive in how you approach them? Perhaps you discover that a brief break every 45 minutes sparks newfound ideas. Or maybe you find that late-night sessions can sometimes yield hours of progress. And I know this may sound unbelievable, but should you work late, you can afford to sleep in the following morning (!).
Your work obligations inevitably encroach on your personal time. Why not take charge of determining which hours are affected? If you’re meeting deadlines with satisfactory output, there will be no one around to object.
Mental health doesn’t have to take a backseat.
Ultimately, you’re the best judge of what enhances your mental well-being, and it is crucial to start recognizing that now. Your work can be adjusted according to these revelations. Maybe it’s a small ritual, like enjoying a cup of coffee and a snack at 2 p.m. daily. Perhaps you appreciate working outdoors or engaging in reading during midday. If you can manage that without falling behind, embrace it as much as possible.
Consider turning on speakers to play your favorite music while working? That’s entirely feasible now. Would weekly video calls or therapy sessions benefit your well-being? You can do that in the middle of your workday. While we owe our employers our work, they do not have the authority to dictate what is best for us.
No commute means banked time.
Transitioning to working from home can be challenging, and I completely understand that. You might have children at home distracting you or it may simply be difficult to adjust to your new workspace. Therefore, when you sit down to work and realize you’ve wasted 45 minutes without making progress, please don’t be too hard on yourself. Remember, you could still be stuck in traffic on your way to the office if you had to commute.
The absence of a commute saves you money, returns hours to your day, and alleviates stress. Research indicates that prolonged exposure to highway or subway noise occurs at volumes that our bodies weren’t built to handle, leading to long-term health consequences.
If your commute provided a moment to unwind, don’t rush straight from your desk to your couch at the end of the day. A leisurely 10-20 minute walk around your neighborhood can significantly aid in restoring balance to your life.
Your colleagues aren’t gone.
It remains essential to occasionally connect with your colleagues, and hopefully, that will soon be possible again. However, until then, we have numerous resources at our disposal for maintaining contact. Zoom and Skype can easily replace regular meetings, but on a more personal level, your colleagues are just a phone call away. Both of you are striving to accomplish your unique duties and may even be able to assist each other.
For instance, I usually meet with my manager/editor a couple of times each week. In the past month, whenever a misunderstanding has arisen, we simply communicate through phone calls, which have become quite casual. We typically spend the first few minutes catching up and joking before addressing any issues, always concluding our talks on a positive note.
Your manager’s role traditionally included oversight and motivation. With that dynamic altered, merely reaching out with questions or scheduling brief calls can ease their concerns about your motivation levels. Additionally, checking in with peers or offering your support for their workload can be a much-appreciated gesture in these times.
