According to a Gallup poll, a majority or 56 percent of American employees were working remotely from home in January 2021. The current state of technology allows this as only those who can work online can work away from the office.
The 2021 State of Remote Work report by Buffer shows that almost all or 97.6 percent of employees want to work remotely throughout their career, and 97 percent will recommend this to others, as well. Forty-six percent stated that their employers plan to allow remote work permanently.
Those who like working remotely cite the benefits of having a flexible schedule, working from home and anywhere else with connectivity, having no need to commute, and having more time with the family. On the other hand, 27 percent expressed difficulty with not being able to disconnect from work at the end of work hours. Other problems they mentioned were home distractions, less motivation, loneliness, struggles in communication and collaboration, and being in a different time zone from their teammates.
Stay Focused
If you are working from home and are also encountering these problems, you can address distractions from home by creating an enclosed home office. If you have a spare room, a basement, or an attic, you can convert this into your office and have a strict “do not disturb” policy while you are at work. If there is no extra room in the house, locate your office in the bedroom and shut the door while working.
Wherever you put your office, make sure you have strong and uninterrupted Internet connectivity. Install a Wi-Fi booster, repeater, or extender to expand the coverage of your Wi-Fi signal.
Boost your motivation by decorating your office. Have a real desk with shelves or a bookcase for your work stuff. Post inspirational quotes or art that feeds your soul. Have a plant on or beside your desk to refresh your eyes with greenery and to give you a boost of oxygen. Make sure your lighting is optimal not only to avoid eyestrain but also to keep your mood up.
Connect with Family and Friends
Address loneliness by spending your time after work with the rest of the family at home or your housemates. Connect with your relatives and friends who live elsewhere through regular video chats and phone calls.
You can set group dates and game nights online with separate small groups of family and different circles of friends. There are many free online group games to choose from and enjoy. You can also celebrate special events through online parties.
Set Personal Time for Leisure
You must also allocate time for yourself and your enjoyment. This can be the motivation for you to disconnect from work at the end of the work period.
A lot of people enjoy video games, whether online or offline. If your personal computer or laptop is capable only of basic office needs like creating documents and e-mail, you can upgrade to optimize it for the best gaming experience. Add an efficient solid-state drive with a matching SSD program that hardcore gamers swear by because of speed and performance. To be future-ready, make sure that your system is prepared for more additions as you progress in your gaming.
Work Out After Work
Having a regular exercise regimen with aerobics and strength training is vital to your health, especially after sitting at work for long periods. Look at this as part of your playtime, only more physical.
There are many workout videos online that you can learn from and follow. For a real gaming type of workout, you can invest in virtual reality and play sports like boxing, tennis, and many more.
Have a Balanced Life
It is essential to have balance in your life – between work, relationships, and play. Work sustains you financially and gives you a sense of purpose and satisfaction. You need relationships, though, to deepen that feeling of fulfillment and make it more meaningful. You also need to play to recapture your childhood sense of joy and exhilaration, reenergizing you for the next workday.
Similarly, you need to keep a balance between technology and humanity. Technology is the tool that enables you to function even amid the pandemic, working remotely, keeping in touch with others, playing online. Technology is only as good as the way you use it, though. For instance, connectivity is there, but communication and collaboration with colleagues depend on how you engage and interact with each other as people. You can call and chat with others, but you need to be present in the moment to make each conversation genuine.
You must also make time to go out amid nature because it will remind you of your place in the planet and the universe, giving a holistic perspective of how you and whatever you do are connected to everyone and everything. You are an essential part of the whole, and you help keep the balance for everything else.
