As we are entering another lockdown, we round up 3 ways to stay motivated and connected while working from home
With remote working continuing to skyrocket, the trend towards a more hybrid style of work is here to stay. A Stanford study of a 16,000-employee Chinese travel agency has found that remote work increased employee satisfaction and helped halve the agency’s previous employee attrition rates. If working from home makes us happier and more productive, how do we then continue to stay connected to our colleagues and celebrate company culture? Read on to discover three simple tips.
1. Use video as a way of connecting
While it’s sometimes easier to drop your colleague a quick message via Slack or email rather than call, do try and make the most of video functions too on communication apps like Microsoft Teams or Zoom as a way to keep company culture alive. Not only is video conferencing here to stay in 2021, but video is also a great way to stay connected with colleagues and clients especially if you live alone or work remotely as a freelancer. Simply schedule in a coffee catch-up during lunchtime or in the morning when you would normally commute to work. Managers, meanwhile, can make the most of these channels by recognising individuals for accomplishments or celebrating specific milestones in a more personal way with weekly or monthly virtual meetings.
2. Create a feel-good lunchtime playlist
Whether you work with or without music, your favourite tunes have the power to soothe and motivate alike, as music is intrinsically linked to mood. While we all continue to battle with uncertainty, we can use music as a way to alter mood, mindset and perception by choosing songs that elicit a particular emotional response within us. Use music to connect, stay optimistic, or to inspire focused work. Compile a list of your favourite, feel-good songs using an audio streaming provider like Spotify and share it with your colleagues via Microsoft Teams, Zoom or WhatsApp during lunchtime or in the morning to deliver hits of dopamine before the work day has even started.
3. Share a story or video of the week
If you’re connected via WhatsApp, sharing an entertaining story or video of the week will keep spirits high among your team. Numerous studies have shown the benefits of laughter in the office, from reducing stress to lightening the load mentally, “laughing induces physical changes in the body by enhancing our intake of ‘oxygen-rich air’ and increasing the brain’s release of endorphins.” Interestingly, another group of researches has found that “after watching a comedy clip, employees were 10% more productive than their counterparts.” Take advantage of these findings and share that funny story or video with your colleagues from time to time – because whether it is stress or the uncertainty of the pandemic, humour has the power to ease Covid-19 anxiety.
Image by Daniel Barreto, submitted for United Nations Global Call Out To Creatives
