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How To Stay Connected While Working From Home
DotActiv TeamMar 29, 2022 4:10:10 PM8 min read

Isolation Station: How To Stay Connected While Working From Home

“Pulling into the isolation station”. There is a new reality for employees working in today’s post-Pandemic world. Many companies have shifted to remote working environments or a hybrid version. That includes DotActiv. And, while some enjoy it, many others grapple with the consequences of being isolated from a “normal” working environment. 

It is evident that whatever we define as 'normal' has been replaced by a rapidly changing “new normal”. Extroverts (myself included) long for the office banter used to lighten any mood and help them through the day. Meanwhile, introverts might be rejoicing at the opportunity to finally make it to the end of a scheduled day, on time and in peace. 

Whichever one you might relate to, it's clear that we all need to feel connected to stay positive and be the best we can be, both professionally and personally. If you're currently struggling with this new normal, here are a few tips that you can use in your daily life.

Talk About How You Are Feeling

1. Don't be afraid to talk about how and what you are feeling

From my personal experience, I found the transition to a remote working environment to be daunting. However, I found that reaching out to people I know to talk helped.

Whether it’s reaching out to a friend to have a glass of wine or venting to your trusted confidant at work, discuss your troubles, release the pressure.

 

Voicing my emotions to a friend about work-related stress or anything personal helped me regain the energy to take on a new day.

 

Staying connected does not necessarily only refer to conversations between yourself and your colleagues. It's also the connection between yourself and your job role and responsibilities, the brand you represent, and your well-being and mental health. Yes, I said it, Mental Health!

A topic that used to be taboo, it's becoming increasingly acceptable to talk about mental health and especially its influence on work productivity. In reality, it’s necessary because of what the world has gone through these past two years. COVID-19 has had a significant impact on the mental well-being of everyone.

According to a November 2020 report published by McKinsey, 62% of employees globally considered mental health issues as the top challenge during COVID-19. Because COVID-19 still lingers, it's an issue that we still need to keep top of mind. 

Turning back to remote working environments, Oracle, a multinational computer technology corporation, explored specific themes related to it, productivity and employee well-being in an ebook.

The company articulated these themes in six trends to guide organisations in assisting employees during this uncertain time. Published in 2020, it’s titled ‘Trends Guiding HR Leaders Through the New COVID-19 World’.

The first of these trends spoke directly to the intent of this article:

 

Trend One: Prioritizing health, well-being, and psychological safety in a people-first culture.

 

“80% of respondents to this year’s Global Human Capital Trends survey identified well-being as an important or very important priority for their organization’s success, making it the year’s top-ranked trend of importance.”

The well-being of our employees is of the utmost importance where the growth and innovative spirit of a company is concerned. The transition into remote or hybrid working environments has further emphasised the need to be in-tune and informed to ensure quality work experiences for our employees and the quality of services they deliver in meeting brand promises to customers.

Treat Each Day As If Youre Going To The Office

2. Treat every day as if you are going into the office

There is no shame in saying this. During the five weeks of hard lock-down that South Africa experienced, we all slumped into the pattern of staying in our pyjamas or considered loungewear to be a work outfit. I include myself in that.

Of course, I believe that self-discipline has always been one of my better traits. However, I now have to work on it daily. Thus, while I work from home, getting dressed and ready as I would have to leave for the office is something I do to shift my mind into work mode. 

When you look good, you feel good. And it’s not a hollow statement.

The Kentucky Counseling Center, a mental health agency that specialises in counselling and psychiatry, published an article that echoed this statement that I’ve lived by for many years. 

There are two parts of this article that resonates with me:

 

“Self-care is not vanity; it’s about finding the balance of inner and outer beauty.”

 

“The look-good feel-good connection works in reverse ways. When you look good, this will make you feel good. When you feel good about yourself, it will radiate to your natural beauty. This is a two-way street and will always go hand in hand.”

We all might have found a way of adapting to the transition and coping with a different environment, which is why I decided to reach out to a few of our DotActiv family members to share some additional tips on what they found have helped them to stay connected while working from home.

Stick To A Daily Routine

3. Stick to a daily routine that encourages productivity and personal well-being

Lisa-May van Blerk is an operations manager at DotActiv and has worked at the company for 9 years. During our shift to a remote-working environment, Lisa-May went from a 'city girl' working from the office to living on a farm, which was a short drive from the nearest town. 

It’s quite an extreme environmental transition. However, she welcomed it with open arms and adapted. It’s because she’s focused on keeping her day the same, regardless of her location.

 

"I keep to a daily routine. I get out of bed every morning at the same time, make time for exercise, dress as if I was going into the office and ensure I am behind my desk, on time and ready to start the day."

 

“I try to take a lunch break every day at the same time and clock out when my working hours end to spend quality time with my husband and my beautiful dogs.”

“For a change of scenery, I will go to a coffee shop, especially when the need arises to just get out of the house. And once a week, my husband spoils me with a date night to shift our minds away from work and spend some quality time together, investing in our relationship,” she adds.

Maintain A Healthy Lifestyle

4. Proactively communicate and maintain a healthy lifestyle

Kyle Dorfling is DotActiv's acting chief executive officer. As CEO, he had a lot more on his plate to deal with the moment DotActiv decided to shift to being a remote-working environment. Currently, we have a hybrid version in place.

He couldn't only focus on himself or worry about his transition. He had to consider the best interests of every employee across the business. Considering he was recently appointed acting CEO, it was a huge burden for him. 

It's why I knew it was critical to include how he copes with the new normal and ensures there is still a human connection.

“The first thing on being connected is that you need to take a far more proactive stance on communication." 

 

"Communication and the alignment that comes with it is not going to happen on its own, but it needs to be proactively pursued even more so within the context of remote work."

 

"Also, as human beings, we are vulnerable to feelings of isolation in a remote work setting. So, there I would recommend a change of scenery in the evenings and over weekends, along with maintaining a healthy lifestyle – a healthy body goes a long way in ensuring that you have a healthy mind.”

Dont Be Shy - Reach Out5. Keep in touch and don't be shy to reach out

Runet Kritzinger is one of our account managers who works on an international account, which means that she works in a different time zone than most of her colleagues. 

She has been a part of our family for seven years and has proven to have an incredible work ethic and backbone considering what she has taken on. If anyone could understand the feeling of being isolated and disconnected from one's fellow colleagues, it would be Runet.

“Being at DotActiv for quite a few years has allowed me to have formed great friendships and amazing connections with the people I work and have worked with. For me, it's very important to keep in touch, and not to be too shy to reach out," she says.

"DotActiv encourages us to have regular social gatherings, and I believe that these social gatherings are a must, as this is the perfect opportunity to connect with our DotActiv family and is one of the things that gets me out of my ‘home office’.”

You can also tie in Runet’s words with my first tip - don’t be afraid to talk to someone and say how you feel. 

 

Don’t suffer in silence or act tough. The only person you are hurting is yourself

 

Instead, reach out and remember that if you’re thinking or feeling something, the chances that a friend or colleague feels the same is high.

Conclusion

While we continue to learn what a “new normal” metamorphosis will lead to in terms of a future hybrid work environment, we can confidently conclude that the success of our business is a function of trusting and quality relationships. 

Whether we return to an office environment full-time, deploy a hybrid solution or work remotely, we are all deeply dependent on experiencing a true sense of purpose, belonging, and meaning. 

Our essence is entrenched in and dependent on social engagement, not just with each other, but also with our customers. The building and sustainment of relationships, now more than ever before, requires making regular and daily choices of relational investment, sustenance, protection, and growth. I cannot be the best ME I need to be, without YOU!

Interested in working at DotActiv? You can apply here.

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DotActiv Team

The DotActiv team comprises category management experts lending their retail experience and knowledge to create well-researched and in-depth articles.

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