This is why it is critical to value meaningful communication with co-workers, not just for the sake of productivity but also to preserve one’s own sanity. Make it a habit to check in with your fellow colleagues and keep up with their lives, whether or not they are shy, quieter than usual or seemingly fine. These are simple things that you can do to express showing care and concern to your co-workers. It is also an easy way to improve employee relationships.

Even when you’re able to wake up later for work, being cooped up at home can make you feel stressed and fatigued. Instead of working one’s fingers to the bone, it might be a good idea to pick up a new hobby or do some activities to de-stress. You may want to start exploring different exercises and routines to keep yourself busy with life outside of work. If you’re not able to exercise, investing in a good book or watching shows on Netflix or Disney+ will also help stave off the pressure from work.

While work is undoubtedly important to us, overworking will lead to burnout and it is crucial to set aside time just for yourself to rest. You should always pay attention to your own health and wellness. Only with a healthy mind and body, you are able to work to the best of your ability to get the outcomes you want.

4. arrange team bonding activities at work

A great way to keep employees connected when working from home is through team bonding activities. This is a great way to improve team spirit and to encourage virtual teams to engage. The team can set aside time to play games like trivia quizzes or pictionary - some examples of the games that everyone can participate in. These quick games serve as great icebreakers to get to know one another or simply to catch up with one another.

Consider organising a monthly sharing session where everyone can host their own “TED talk” about their hobbies or a topic that interests them. This way, everybody gets to see a side of you that they maybe never knew about! This will not only help to engage employees, but also motivate them at work. You will be surprised by how much your experience at work will improve when you're surrounded with colleagues who impact your life positively. This will definitely boost your connection with your teammates.

Team bonding activities do not have to be restricted to the virtual space either. Arrange for physical meet-ups such as meals or house visits to stay in touch and catch up with one another. These do not have to be frequent, after all, everyone is busy with their lives. However, having these outings once in a while ensures that we remain connected with our colleagues while doing something different and fun!

5. assign dedicated channels for work

When working from home, the lines between our professional and personal lives get easily blurred as our homes become our “office”.

This disruption to our work-life balance can cause a decline in productivity and create more stress, affecting our health and well-being. Imagine using Whatsapp for both work and leisure - where you’re supposed to be making dinner plans with your colleagues, but the topic suddenly shifts to a project that is due tomorrow. That would absolutely spoil the mood, wouldn’t it? Having work topics popping up incessantly even after working hours causes unnecessary stress and anxiety.

This is why we need to learn how to establish clear boundaries between work and personal commitments to manage our time more effectively and maintain a healthy work-life balance. We can start by separating the communication channels that we use for work and personal life.

For work, you should use official channels such as Google Chats or Microsoft Teams, not only because it’s more professional to discuss work topics on these platforms, but it’s also compliant in terms of data security. However, if you are speaking to your colleagues about non-work topics such as arranging to meet up for dinner or to share funny TikTok videos, you can always switch over to Whatsapp or Facetime.

It may sound troublesome and confusing at the start, but trust us, you’ll get used to it and you’ll be glad that you’ve made the decision to separate yourself from work when it’s time to let your hair down.

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