This blog is not another post on tips to working from home, being productive while working remotely, or the unified communication features you need to connect with your coworkers. No, we already did that.
The post you are now reading is about what everyone is feeling and thinking but are too afraid to say—working from home is a challenge.
As we approach our one year anniversary of working from home, I can confidently say it’s been challenging. Of course, we have all the tools to do it and do it well, I might add. Thanks to UCaaS, from home we can attend conference calls on our mobiles, video chat with our colleagues, and continue business as usual. But is it what we would prefer to be doing?
A large percentage of people who have been working from home long before this pandemic hit will disagree but for the rest of us, who got thrown into this new lifestyle without warning, it hasn’t been ideal.
Let’s not be negative here. Of course, some days are super productive! You did the laundry, wrote an article, filled the dishwasher, attended a meeting, caught up on your favourite show, and approved some graphic designs. But other days, 5 pm hits, and you realize all you accomplished was one thing off your to-do list!
Regularly people get asked, “Do you enjoy working from home?” And the truth is, working from home can be lonely, or in some cases way too crowded! You no longer have the escape of going to work every day. For some, that escape is either being away from your family or the frequent silence.
Sure, you can work in your pyjamas, and you are saving money on gas. Not to mention the thrill of the “do what you want because no one is watching you” aspect. But in reality, someone is watching you – your conscience.
Working from home has caused many to develop lousy work habits. Such as:
- Rolling out of bed ten minutes before your shift starts
- Napping on your lunch
- Watching TV while you ‘work’
- Poor personal hygiene
- Working all day without breaks
- Working late
- Not moving enough
When (or should I say if) we get out of this lockdown and back into the office, we have to leave the bad habits and pyjamas at home. To wrap up, the honeymoon phase of working from home is definitely over! The novelty has worn off, and we need to find ways to keep the momentum of staying motivated going.
Let’s wrap up on a positive note. As mentioned above, this post is not about tips or our UC solutions like gloCOM and gloCOM GO that has been keeping us connected throughout COVID-19. They have been amazing!
Look at what we have been doing internally as a company for our employees! Maybe this will shine some light on what you can do at your company as we make the final push through this trying time.
Our CARE Team presented a ten-minute guided meditation session during our final meeting in our January BiAgile Week. Participants were able to take the time to relax, reflect, and de-stress.
Travel restrictions and COVID-19 regulations did not allow for a global team-building exercise this year. However, individual departments participated in their own COVID-friendly team building.
Check out our Facebook – BA page to see the PBXware shredding the slopes.
- Stress Management
- Coping with Stress
- Stress Relief Techniques
Shout out to our CARE team for supplying weekly training sessions on stress and how to manage it.
We realize that every employee’s home life is different, so we created some hybrid work options. Employees were able to rotate their work schedule by splitting time between their homes and the office.
Our team has been working hard on developing new features and products. We have been hiring to fill new positions, promoting interns to full-time employees, and participating in local events. Who knows when we will go back to ‘normal,’ so the best thing we can do is stay on track and adjust when needed.
Learn more about what we’ve been up to by following us on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and Instagram. Visit our website to explore our work from home solutions.
