Tips For Working Remotely In A COVID-19 Impacted World
Experts in the region advice us on how to stay motivated as we embrace a digital world
With the quick migration to working remotely during this time, millions of employees have faced a heap of challenges in order to maintain productivity while implementing a logical workflow system in a structured manner. From the digital means required to having the right environment, each element is essential for a working effectively during this pandemic.
However, working remotely might be here to stay for years to come, so why not focus on the benefits and hear from the experts in the region on what their advice is to adapt to the current situation.
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Mohammed Amer, Vice President and Regional Manager at Xerox MEA said “The COVID-19 pandemic has certainly stimulated digital innovation and accelerated the digital transformation of companies. Businesses are prioritizing investments in technology that can draw data, automate workflows, personalize at scale and powerup a flexible and adaptable workforce.”
Adding that as per the Future of Work survey results, “56% of businesses surveyed are expanding their tech and IT budgets to account for the technological advancements employees need when working from home. However, 72% of them are not fully prepared technologically for a work from home approach.”
The challenges that come with this new norm are plenty, however, adapting to a new way of life is essential for growth in all the industries at present.
“The top technological challenges include remote IT support, inadequate workflow solutions, lack of communication and collaboration tools, and lack of cloud-based solutions. In a COVID-impacted world, technological investments and advancements are irreplaceable for a stable and sustainable remote work environment. The future of work in a post-COVID era is certainly challenging, but by adopting and investing in the right technological advancements businesses and employees can pick up the momentum more easily and go forward.” said Mohammed Amer, Vice President and Regional Manager at Xerox MEA
Dr. Saliha Afridi, a clinical psychologist at The Lighthouse Arabia, shares with us her top tips for working remotely during this time and how we can stay motivatied despite the circumstances.
Saliha Afridi, PsyD - Clinical Psychologist and Director of The Lighthouse
#Tip 1: Repurpose your home: Have a dedicated space where you work. Do not think that it’s not worth it to repurpose or redecorate at this time because all this will be over soon. That might as well be the case, but you will at least have had a few good weeks.
#Tip 2: Have a routine. In times of uncertainty, people need as much predictability and consistency as possible for their anxiety to be under control. Having a daily routine that you discuss the night before at dinner, as well as a weekly routine that is agreed upon on Saturdays will be a good way start your week. Be realistic as you consider your routines, and don’t be overly ambitious. Make sure you get daily fresh air, exercise, reading time, and you work in 45-50 min blocks. If you and your partner are both working from home, do your best to coordinate schedules so that you both don’t have critical calls at the same time so that one of you can be on standby if kids need you. Your routine should include all your priorities: Physical, mental, social health, as well as academics/work obligations.
#Tip 3: Buy blue light blocking screen protector or glasses. Guard your eyes and your sleep. All the screen time is disrupting our sleep hormones and can result in long term damage to your mind and body.
#Tip 4: Get dressed: The Enclothed Cognition Theory in psychology states that your outfit communicates subliminal messages to your brain, so while no-one else knows that you are wearing a dress shirt with pyjama bottoms, your mind knows, and it will perform accordingly. When you dress the part, you feel the part, you act the part.
#Tip 5: Connect with people at work. It can be easy to get into your work schedule and lose touch with the people at work. Schedule check-ins, have video lunch dates with your colleagues, don’t just have formal meetings but also create communities where you are connecting and supporting each other. And make sure to go out of your way to check in on the colleagues that are living alone.
#Tip 6: Turn off the work at some point—now there is literally no boundary between work and home, in order to avoid overworking or burnout, you have to be very disciplined about ‘being done with work,’ especially if you love what you do. One way to do this is to change out of your work clothes into your leisure wear…or PJs.
For more information visit lighthousearabia.com or call +971 4 380 2088
It’s very important to avoid the common pitfalls when rapidly shifting to an all-remote workforce as we all are navigating towards unchartered waters with the pandemic.
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