Many people are still adjusting to a new work environment, one that requires a much shorter commute. Since the start of the pandemic, going to work might mean never leaving home.
But working remotely doesn’t mean you have to keep your distance. There are ways of staying connected to your work life, your social life and to your own peace of mind.
Working from home is a practicality that businesses have been adopting for themselves at increasing rates, particularly since the onset of the pandemic. This is the case for Emily Douglas-McNab and her company, Experience Management Institute, an HR management firm which has employees and clients all over the country.
McNab-Douglas co-founded the business with her work partner Kate Heynoski right as the pandemic hit and they incorporated remote work as a necessity. McNab-Douglas had already been interested in remote work as she felt she needed flexible time to be with her children. She quickly realized the benefits remote work was bringing to their business.
“COVID has really allowed our organization to be remote, because all of our clients are remote,” McNab-Douglas says. “What that means is less travel, so our expenses are lower. Our costs to our customers are way better. We don’t have an office, so overhead is minimal. All of those things allow us to really focus on the services we deliver and making them much more cost effective.”
In addition to accessibility for clients, remote work has allowed more options for the types of people they are able to hire.
Benita Jackson-Smoot found herself in a similar situation when she started working remotely. She works as medical director for Humana but needed to remain in the New Albany area with her family.
“If you’re limited to only people that want to relocate to where you’re offering employment, then that limits your talent pool,” Jackson-Smoot says.
McNab-Douglas likes to ensure that new employees feel welcome early on, so they’re not isolated and can avoid feeling like it’s “us vs. them.”
“We were very clear with people when we hired them as to what the expectations were about what remote work is and what remote work isn’t,” McNab-Douglas says.
In addition to working remotely, the firm has been advising clients on how to run their own remote working environments.
“To have a successful remote work environment, you have to be able to make a decision about what level of control you need,” McNab-Douglas says. “Not just about over your business but over people. You have to decide, am I OK? Can I trust people? If the answer is no, then remote work is probably not for you.”
For their own employees, McNab-Douglas says they have freedom but touch base consistently. They get together for weekly team meetings, meet at work conferences and have a yearly retreat that allows them to meet in person and go to dinner together.
“We intentionally plan time together,” McNab-Douglas says. “I try and check in with everybody to know what’s going on. Everybody else has also formed those friendships, to know when to check in with other people. It’s a lot of communication.”
Communication is also important for Jackson-Smoot.
“I feel connected to people that I work with, just like everything else. We do it electronically, but we still feel connected,” she says.
Jackson-Smoot also keeps up a social life by spending time with her neighbors, many of whom also work from home. She regularly meets up with people while walking her dog around her neighborhood, Hampsted Heath.
“You find people (who) work from home have a schedule, so they kind of schedule their breaks. Whether it’s to walk the dog or to do whatever they need to do,” Jackson-Smoot says.
This break time is a chance to recreate the social environment of a workplace.
“For my neighbors that work from home, I had organized once a month for us to get together and have lunch,” Jackson-Smoot says. “(We) bring our own bag lunch so that we had almost like a break room in different people’s houses.”
Experience Management Institute utilizes similar way to socialize. Employees are welcome to join a virtual alcohol-free happy hour for anyone who wants to hang out and unwind.
“Most of the people on our team will talk about how they’re introverts,” McNab-Douglas says. “A lot of times people who are introverts like interaction with people, but then they need time by themselves. So it just so happens that for remote work that’s perfect.”
Staying connected when working from home
As people transition to remote work, they have to adjust to new customs.
“Something that you have to be able to understand is flexibility is great, but it’s dangerous,”
McNab-Douglas says. “You’ve got to become very good at managing work and life.”
Here are some ideas to help you stay on top of your work.
Keep home life separate from work life
“Is one of the positives of remote work that your world is more flexible? Yes. Is one of the negatives that it’s more flexible? Yes,” McNab-Douglas says. “Those lines get blurred very quickly.”
One way to do this is to keep a designated office space separate from the rest of your home if you have the space.
Stick to a routine
“Having some form of routine, you don’t have to be regimented, but having some form of routine and being able to separate home from work, that is important,” Jackson-Smoot says.
Plan out what you need to do that day and try to keep designated hours to work, which will help keep you productive.
Break time
Just like how you need to keep to a time when you are working, you have to ensure a time when you are on a break. You don’t want to exhaust yourself or feel overwhelmed. Plus, this break time is a great chance to connect with local friends.
Communication is key
A business cannot work unless everyone is on the same page professionally and socially. Keeping up with your fellow workers is important. Always ask for clarification if you need it and always be ready to talk if someone needs information from you.
Take care of yourself
Your work is an extension of you. If you aren’t feeling your best, then your work won’t be its best. Don’t let yourself fall into bad habits; keep active and stay fresh.
Lindsey Capritta is a contributing writer at CityScene Media Group. Feedback welcome at feedback@cityscenemediagroup.com.
