You can save our planet, by avoiding commuting

[ASEAN NOW News]

Do we all really need to leave home and go to a different address five days a week to work and be efficient?

 

With the recent COVID-19 pandemic, big companies such as Microsoft, Google, Apple, and many companies in between have rolled out a mandatory work from home policy all over the world.

 

 

It all started when initially, in a joint effort to flatten the Covid curve, governments around the world were urging us to self-isolate and stay at home.

 

Now as many of us, including the boss as well, have experienced online working, and many are re-evaluating plans and actually altering the way they work.

 

The obvious benefit of working from home is the huge savings on commuting, and that will help reduce emissions dramatically.

 

Can it really work?

 

Some who like to interact may at first find this radical way of earning a living a bit hard to adjust at first.

They will still need to be disciplined and to treat it as an actual job.

 

It will help if everyone gets into the right mind frame. 

 

For example, instead of lounging around in your pajamas, wake up earlier, take a shower, and get dressed.

 

Of course, you don’t have to wear a suit or dress, but something a little more formal than your underwear is a start.

 

Do exactly as you would when you’re going to work.

 

Don’t have breakfast while working as you will start adopting the habit of snacking at your workspace.

 

Additionally, you now have the time to squeeze in some mini workouts and a healthy breakfast before work.

 

Plus, you don’t have to “rush to work” and feed on anxiety.

 

On the other hand, it is also essential to take sufficient breaks.

 

Take a quick walk, look outside your window, and breathe in some fresh air. Do what you can to keep your mind active.

 

Get the latest equipment

 

You should try to have a designated area to work that will help you concentrate, and you can avoid the intrusion of family members and vice versa.

 

Equipping your workspace with maybe double monitors, a wireless keyboard, and a mouse will create a conducive place to work.

 

Check emails, voicemails, and texts from your specific work area, so that you’re not doing it in front of the TV or kitchen table.

 

Make your workspace a stress-free zone where you can concentrate and work in peace.

 

It’s easy if you have a separate room, but if you don’t, find an area with minimum footsteps or off the main area.

 

Now that you’re more isolated, opt for video calls instead of audio calls for meetings. It will also help you look more presentable and take it more seriously.

 

Telecommunication devices like Zoom and Slack are widely used by employers to keep in touch with their employees.

 

Global citizens, global nomads who work remotely usually use these telecommunication devices to get their work done.

 

Like leaving the office, turn off

 

After all the typing, clicking, client calls, and team meetings, you should put away your electronic devices and work tools.

 

It’s too easy to keep working throughout the day and not unwind. Learning to keep work-related stuff out of sight, helps you relax and recharge your batteries.

 

Do not go back to watching TV or scroll through your phone.

 

Instead, go for a walk, do some gardening, play with your kids in your backyard.

 

Research shows that spending time in nature reduces stress, helps you clear your mind and relax.

 

Can work anywhere

 

 

Now it may mean you could even enjoy an occasional trip to the beach on some days, but remember to change the background if someone Zooms you!!!

 

Also enjoy other areas of your home – read a book, cook a fun meal, enjoy a movie.

 

FaceTime, Skype, and chat with your friends and family.  Get connected to the people you care about.

 

Go back just a few decades and all this support had not even been invented.

 

Now it is very doable and thanks to Covid 19, many are continuing to work successfully from home.

It now seems a win-win situation for everyone.

 

Let us know if you are or plan to become a global online nomad?

 

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[tonray]

18 minutes ago, ASEAN NOW News said:

Now that you’re more isolated, opt for video calls instead of audio calls for meetings. It will also help you look more presentable and take it more seriously.

What's the point of working from home if I can't work in my underwear ?

[BritManToo]

If you can work from home, your job is probably just 'make work'.

[ezzra]

With the price of petrol going up lately it looks like that many will start working from home now...