Extroverts: Here’s How to Survive Remote Work

Working remotely certainly has its perks, but in the current circumstances with a pandemic still raging, it is becoming harder to turn work off and turn life on. For most knowledge workers, remote work experiences have been less than rewarding. As WFH becomes more mainstream, BELAY’S CEO Tricia Sciortino says organizations need to learn how to create a virtual workplace that reflects their company culture and keeps employees (even extroverts) engaged, happy and productive in these unprecedented times.   

With much of the workforce currently working from homeOpens a new window —many for the first time in their careers—stories are emerging around the unexpected challenges accompanying the change.

In fairness, the current situation is nothing like normal remote work circumstances. Ordinarily, leaving one’s home carries no threat of health or legal complications. What we’re currently experiencing is closer to house-arrest than a voluntary and often preferred professional arrangement. Nobody wants to be forced into any situation. 

As a result, there are unique strains on professionals’ workstyle and the morale that underpins it. For those once considering working from home at least some of the time, many are now having second thoughts. And many employersOpens a new window who had begun to think about staffing remotely are beginning to wonder if it’s the best option.

Even in the best of times, remote work does present unique challenges…just as working in an office can (not to mention commuting!). These challenges can include maintaining routines, Zoom fatigue and multiple distractions when working from home. 

Learn More: 3 Ways Tech Can Make Remote Work a Success

Check out three tried and true techniques to overcome common challenges faced when working from home.

WFH On Purpose

A common misconception about working from home is that it is a more naturally relaxed work environment. After all, you’re in familiar surroundings at your own personalized work set-up, probably wearing some of the most casual clothes in your wardrobe. But the fact is that a person’s home routine and their work routine are very different. 

It takes deliberate attention and a certain amount of training to be able to shift between a work mindset and a home mindset. For those people currently forced into working from home, changing between those two mindsets has grown increasingly stressful and exhausting. The biggest reason is that workers know their situation is temporary, but they don’t know when it will end. So they haven’t devised the basic pattern to establish a work/life balance. For example, many parents are working from home without the option for daycare which can add to anxiety and exhaustion. 

Pro Tip: When remote work is a permanent arrangement, workers can fully commit to it. It’s easier to develop a pattern for deliberately switching between the two modes. In fact, it’s even easier to switch between a work and a home mindset when your time is more under your control and you don’t have to factor in a physical change of locations. Even if the situation is temporary, committing to a routine and training yourself to follow it through makes a huge difference in productivity and satisfaction.

Learn More: 3 Ways Collaboration Tools Can Help Pandemic-Era Managers Level Up

What It Means For Extroverts

Another element of office work that many are now missing is the social aspect. Whether one’s relationship with co-workers is close or superficial, many need the company of other people to fuel their own energy. This is a natural and healthy phenomenon. The casual interactions that keep the mind engaged while it is disengaged from tasks allows us to sustain our productivity without burning out. 

While there is no substitute for working alongside other people, there are other ways to enjoy many of the same benefits. Taking some time to participate on your social channels, handling some personal email, or having a quick video chat or text exchange can bring some outside life into the workday. Some people even prefer the more substantive connections they have with good friends to the (sometimes) idle chit-chat of office conversations. And the effect on stress and productivity can be just as positive.

Of course, too much time on screens can also wear you down. “Zoom fatigue” is real. The issue is not that the over-reliance on screens, but the imperfect nature of the communications. It’s harder to read body language or understand the context of someone’s reaction when all you can see of them is their face.

Pro Tip: An easy solution is to make sure you engage with colleagues on a range of platforms. A phone call can sometimes be more fruitful than a teleconference. And a chat thread is an excellent break from relatively long and focused conversations. Ultimately, face-to-face interaction with co-workers is vital to making a personal connection. While that may not be possible during a period of social distancing, it will be possible at some point… whether a person works remotely on occasion or full-time.

Learn More: 3 Pro Tips for Managing a Remote Workforce

Managing Change By Managing Time

The overarching challenge of working remotely is time management. As with the other issues, how that should work ordinarily is very different from the circumstances of those people forced to work from their own homes now. For one thing, in the current situation, many households are locked in together. This can generate a range of distractions that don’t exist under a typical work-from-home scenario. 

 In the same way that deliberate planning is required for managing one’s personal routine, the same commitment is required for setting “the rules of the house” for the entire household. While that might be easier said than done, if you are also looking after young children, such circumstances are unique to the current situation.

 On the flip side, stepping away from “office” can lead some people to focus too much on work. 

Pro Tip: The best practice is to take scheduled breaks and maintain reasonable working hours. This applies whether your remote work is temporary or a permanent work style.

Learn More: Working Through COVID-19: Best Practices for Remote WorkOpens a new window

Making Remote Working ‘Work’  

The ability to work from home has proved to be literally a lifesaver for many companies. But the fact that it has been forced on us has made it seem more disruptive than it actually is. The consensus is that there’s more remote work in our future even after this moment is past. If your experience with it so far has been less than rewarding, it may just be the circumstances.

The recent experience is a blip compared to the years of experience in managing remote staff already clocked by a whole host of companies. When approached deliberately, remote work can be everything you—and your team—imagines it to be.  

Let us know if you liked this article on LinkedInOpens a new window , TwitterOpens a new window , or FacebookOpens a new window . We would love to hear from you!