Make the most out of remote work
As you may have noticed, many workplaces currently recommend remote working as the coronavirus spreads fear around the world. For many people, tapping a laptop at home may feel like a distressing thought, but remote work does not have to be dull or lonely. It can also be efficient, creative and very liberating! That’s why we have listed below the positive sides of working at home and tips on how to make the most out of remote work. Enjoy!
- Feel free to be creative with use of time. If you need to commute to tune yourself for work, make an imaginary trip to work and take a morning walk before you sit down at your computer. Or if you are brimming with ideas as soon as you wake up, you can step directly from the bed to the desk.
- If you have items on your to-do-list that feel sticky, you can be sure that your home will be spotlessly clean. Take breaks to do small chores at home, which will provide you with much needed exercise, and your thoughts will start to flow without noticing.
- You need not clean at home for a remote conference, though, as many video conference applications offer the possibility to blur the background, and no-one will notice, if you have dirty socks lying on the floor.
- Click the camera on for a remote conference and be yourself. It’s OK to walk around in sweatpants or without make-up or a shave on a remote working day. Adjust the exposure and the camera angle a little. Gestures enhance communication, and the discussion is easier to follow.
- Learn to use the microphone for a video call. Keep the microphone muted, if you do not actively participate in the discussion. That way you will not bother others with vague rustling sounds. But do remember to open the microphone when you are going to say something!
- Meetings can also be taken over the telephone. So put on your headphones on and sneakers and head to the jogging trail for a telephone meeting. Remember to keep your eyes on the track, though, not on the notepad, and write down the notes when you get back home.
- Agree with your team on a shared virtual coffee break. April without unhealthy goodies is easier to accomplish, too, as the coffee buns of the colleagues will stay safely on the other side of the screen.
- If there are other people at home, enjoy their company. Detach yourself from work, have a talk, read a fairy-tale to your child, or ask boldly for an opinion on a matter you are thinking about.
