21 Jul Hybrid Work Routines You Should Adopt
Working from home has been on the rise for the past few years, and with it comes its fair share of comforts and challenges. There are two common models that are adopted in the industry right now: remote work and hybrid work.
Remote work is when an employee works outside the boundaries of a physical office space, ie their home or wherever they can find internet access. Hybrid work, on the other hand, is when a worker commits to working some days in the office and the rest at home. Both models were a fantastic response to the Covid 19 Pandemic, what with social distancing measures and strict personal restrictions.
We are writing this article to help new and seasoned workers alike in adapting to the challenges and distractions that come with working outside of personal supervision. The tips and routines mentioned here are a combination of everyone’s lived experiences, and we hope they help you establish a routine that allows you to succeed.
A routine that works
From the moment you wake up to the seconds right before you drift back to sleep, your life is but a series of routines. You might not notice them, but there are definite patterns that our bodies and our minds go through on a daily basis. The best way to get the most out of your day is to create a routine that encompasses all the important segments of your work and personal life. Check out the following sample routine and see if this could work for you:
- Wake up early. Waking up early every day prepares your mind and your body to embrace each day with the same level of productivity and relaxation. Setting aside a few hours before you start your work day can go a long way towards mentally preparing you for whatever you come across.
- Create a structured schedule. And stick to it! Working remotely can easily lead to some people slacking because of the lack of supervision. Making a set schedule helps keep remote workers accountable for their time, as well as helping them achieve important goals and metrics throughout the day. Using the right scheduling software like Asana, for example, helps you itemize your projects. This is a proven way to improve your completion rate and gives you that extra dose of dopamine!
- Dress for the job you want. There’s a certain energy boost we get when we wear fresh, clean clothes. It goes without saying that this also encompasses some of the more basic hygiene demands that come with dressing up for work. Taking a bath and taking the time to prepare your work clothes before starting your shift (yes, even if it’s just in your home office) can have so much positive results that can affect the rest of your day.
- Maintain easy communication with your team. Nothing beats the feeling of being included in a group with a purpose! It keeps you motivated to be productive and can counteract any feeling of loneliness that comes naturally with a remote work setup. Most remote companies conduct simple daily briefings to share updates on individual and shared projects, keep up on memos, or simply just as a means to catch up. Companies like Zoom and Nautilus makes it so easy to set up conference calls if and when you need to talk to someone. Their software even comes with a “Call Presence” feature which especially comes in handy in a remote work setup.
- Create a separate workspace. It can be as simple as a small desk at the corner of your studio apartment, or (if possible) a spare bedroom. The idea is to bring the office environment into your home, but separate it from your personal living space. This creates an atmosphere where you can get work done that’s separate from where you get comfortable. This technique tricks your brain into thinking that as long as you’re in your office space, you have to be productive.
- Step away from your desk during your scheduled breaks. It’s important to create this barrier between work and personal space when both are located in the same area. On your plotted break times, it helps to go for a quick walk around the neighborhood or to simply just get out of your home office workspace. The feeling of cabin fever can easily set in during the course of an eight-hour shift if you’re staring at the same screen the entire time.
- Get some exercise. It can be as simple as a simple stretch every hour or so. Or it can be a quick 15 minute walk during your lunch break. Whatever it is, just move. Sitting down for long periods of time has been linked to obesity, higher than usual blood pressure, weight gain, and other health factors.
- Change it up. On some days when you feel like you’re unproductive at your home office, go to a coffee shop to work. Researchers have found that people are finding much success while working in co-working spaces as they are able to feed off of others’ energies.
- Head to the office (if possible). As we’ve discussed earlier, hybrid work is a model that allows for workers to work at home or at a physical office space. If your company allows for it, try heading to the office on days when you think you’re tapped out at home and in need of a boost of inspiration. Simply meeting workmates and your supervisor might provide the extra push that you need to survive another grueling work day!
- Keep improving. Put the extra hours in your day that you’ve earned back to good use. In a research conducted by Mexico Autonomous Institute of Technology’s Jose Maria Barrero, Stanford’s Nicholas Bloom, and Chicago Booth’s Steven J. Davis, they found that the average American gains back 54 minutes of their day working from home. They also found that “Those without children were far more likely to devote newly freed-up time to leisure activities such as reading, watching TV, and being outdoors. The researchers find that those with children devoted 18 percent of their time savings to their kids.”
- Build a support system. It won’t always be easy. Some days are going to be much, much harder than others. Find people you can talk to on days when you’re struggling; they can be friends, workmates, or even family. Just remember that you are not alone — and that you’ll get through this.
Key Takeaway
We’re just at the tip of the iceberg with remote work. It is projected that about 25% of industries will be transitioning to remote work at the end of 2022, and that this growth will rise as we enter 2023. Everyone’s still learning how to cope, thrive, and others — just survive.
This article was written with the intention of helping those who are new to remote working, to help them create a set of routines that others have found success with. And though it might be hard to stick to everything we listed above (and some may not even be completely applicable to your situation) we believe that there lies the beauty of remote work:
Flexibility and freedom. These are the two benefits of hybrid work. You choose and build a routine that works for you, as there is no cookie-cutter way to success just yet. Good luck!
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