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Mitigate challenges working from home

The brave new covid world has resulted in many of us working from home for quite some time. As the pandemic winds down, many of us will continue to work from home  For a number of reasons, people often find it difficult to work from home. Scheduling your day is the primary obstacle for many individuals due to competing roles as parents as an example.  Also, distractions can occur with other family members present.  People tend to fill time no matter whether they are on a schedule or not. So it is important to map out your day and week in advance. Make a plan and stick to it. If life comes at you and obstacles arise during the course of the day, a plan in place will help you to know where you left off before the interruption. You then can continue on track and according to plan.

Communicate through Social Media

Social media can be a great way to communicate and see what has worked and not worked with others in a similar situation. The most important thing is to budget your time so you can reasonably complete your work tasks. Leave time in the bank for obligations and things that come up.  Extra time is often available from not commuting to and from work. A good strategy is to use this time to build your affordable home gym and exercise.

Transition to workplace

The habits you build during this pandemic will enable you to make a smooth transition back to the workplace.  As many have already returned to the workplace, it may look and feel a lot different than when you left it. There may be barriers and stations denoting a safe social distance. Mask wearing and vaccination may be mandatory or suggested. Communicating with others can be challenging while wearing a mask. The non-verbal communication component will be hampered as a result of face covering, barriers, and social distancing.

New Reality

So what are your expectations for re-entering the workplace in this brave new covid world? Certainly, it is not the same place you left prior to COVID. The point is to not look back. You should assess the new reality and make an informed decision whether to continue at you present job.  The current 2021 labor shortage suggest that COVID has resulted in a life-style reset. The convenience of working from home affords a balance of family-life on a flexible schedule. Cost savings such as child care and transportation are important factors in your decision to return to the traditional workplace. The demand is up for higher pay and more benefits from companies to lure employees back.  Many companies are offering a hybrid workplace of remote work and limited time at the company workplace. So this is the new reality in the Brave New COVID World.