It’s been more than a year since most of the world has moved to working from home. This has been a period of continuous learning – about ourselves and the new way of working. Ipek Kaymaz and Denisa Novac are part of Majorel’s Feel Good Community, ensuring the well-being of our teams. Based on their experience and findings, they share with us 6 key lessons learned on how to make remote work actually work.
Ipek Kaymaz – Content Moderator & Feel Good Ambassador in Majorel Berlin
- Mindset shift is important
“You may face the stress of the office invading your own and free-spaces at home. You need to be emotionally and mentally prepared for this shift from the beginning.” Ipek
Your mindset plays a major role in how happy and productive you’ll be in your home office. It is essential to realize that your home is also your office from now on (and not just the kitchen table anymore).
- Switching off can be difficult, BUT work-life balance is not a myth!
“In my lunch break, I prefer to go outside for a short walk, to disconnect, get some fresh air and admire nature. This helps me.” Denisa
Our homes have now taken on so many new roles: they are our offices, classrooms, gyms and spaces for entertainment. When working from home, boundaries between your personal and professional life become more blurred. Try to do something different each lunchtime or dinnertime to distance yourself from work. No matter how difficult it may seem, work-life balance is attainable. It’s up to you. Instead of checking your emails before bed, ask yourself: what’s more important?
Denisa Novac – Content Moderator & Feel Good Ambassador in Majorel Berlin
- Prioritization of tasks does wonders
“I prefer to start mornings, making a list of all the important tasks that I have to do. This helps me stay focused and get everything done.” Denisa
Each day, evaluate your workload and prioritize tasks based on their value and urgency. This helps better allocate and manage your time and resources, overall boosting your productivity and engagement throughout the day.
- Little distractions: you CAN’T get rid of them
“Putting away my phone is something that I find very helpful. It can distract and impact my work. Keeping my desk clean is my go-to every morning.” Denisa
Whether your emails, texts, or your pet climbing all over you while you are on a video call – distractions always pop up. You CAN’T always control what’s going on around you. But what you CAN control is how you react to surroundings.
- You can still be productive (and even more!)
Working from home can make you more productive. You just need to learn how. Experiment with what makes you comfortable in your home office, what boosts your engagement and what motivates you. With that in mind, you can read our article and get useful tips on working from home or just watch this video.
- There is no alternative to in-office interactions, BUT…
“Working from home connected me with fabulous people from all over the world. I engaged with colleagues with talents in the fields of arts, sport, Astronomy, Astrology, science and many more. This new way of working enlarged my network and further diversified our Feel Good Program.“ Ipek
There is no real substitute to spontaneous office encounters or team activities. Social interactions just don’t work the same virtually as in office. You may feel lonely at the beginning. It’s normal. Be active in reaching out, engaging and interacting with your community. You might even end up making new friends online! You never know until you try.
If you have made this far, thank you and let’s make sure that the lessons learned stay with you. Let’s have a recap:
- Have the right mindset
- Learn how to switch off
- Prioritization is key
- Distractions are a given. Cope with them
- Experiment on what makes you productive
- Be social online
Read here more articles with helpful tips from our HR experts.
- Improve Mental Health and Cultivate Happiness
- Parenting in the Age of Pandemic: Guide for Working Parents
