The ‘working from home’ (WFH) experience is unlikely to change in the foreseeable future. A by-product of Covid-19, WFH has created many unique challenges for employers and employees alike.
When lockdown began, Saudi Arabia was relatively prepared to switch to remote working, unlike other nations in the region that were less digitally ready. We’re now learning that remote working is here to stay, and reports are highlighting that COVID-19 has advanced new ways of remote working in Saudi. So, whilst you may miss your colleagues and human connections, WFH has had its advantages and the Saudi switch has been deemed successful, despite challenges like leading teams and accessing business apps from home.
On the bright side, your commute has been cut down to zero: no more dealing with that dreaded morning traffic, you’ve hopefully saved some money and you’ve learned that most meetings can be replaced with a call. Even better, if you were lucky enough to get home, you’ve been able to spend more time with your family.
By now, your WFH routine is likely all set up: your desk is sorted and you have mastered the art of the zoom call. But until we’re all fully back in the office, some people may find that they’ve hit the proverbial ‘pandemic wall’. This is because it’s extremely important that our baseline physiological needs are met; from having control over our environment to having a sense of belonging, purpose, and growth. Under normal circumstances, these needs are met through interactions with co-workers, neighbors, friends, and family.
As a result, we should all aim to get the most out of our working day and try to meet these ever-important psychological needs.
Routine is important. It allows us to have an element of control over our environment, so we can get the most out of our days.
So, make a plan and stick to it.
Schedule what time you’ll ‘enter’ your office, add breaks, and determine when you’ll hit the off button on your screen. Once your break is added to your calendar, no surprise meetings can be dropped in. This creates a clear separation between your working hours and your off hours.
Your home workspace is likely all set up. But if you’re still using your kitchen table, now’s the time to look into investing in some extras to increase your productivity.
This can be fun but it’s also practical. In an ideal world, you’d have an office chair and table in a separate room with good lighting and fast internet.
Consider investing in some wireless headphones if you’re often on calls, or in cushions and back supports if your office chair isn’t quite up to the task. You can take it one step further, and add a printer, a monitor, or a scanner depending on your needs.
Employers and employees can work together to create a flexible work culture, to help improve job satisfaction. A Saudi report on ‘Lessons from lockdown’ shows that workplaces can be flexible and “virtually decentralized” while maintaining productivity. With the right process in place, your team can be empowered to become more innovative and productive. From team management and development programs to the applications you use, you can rethink it all with the aim of improving your WFH situation.
An office day is interrupted by meetings, conversations and moving between offices. Working from home is an opportunity to take advantage of any extra time you have to give yourself an edge.
You can increase your performance and achieve more during the day by enhancing your skills using already available tools. There’s a wide range of up-skilling programs available in Saudi in various sectors designed to help you improve your skills from the comfort of your own home.
A normal office routine consists of a commute, maybe lunch in another part of town and countless trips to the office, kitchen or meeting rooms. That’s a lot of movement that has suddenly disappeared from your routine. So figure out fun ways to do a workout at home.
Working out in the morning will give you a positive boost of endorphins for the day. You’ll also be proud that you completed it, rather than pushing it till later in the day, and finding excuses to avoid it altogether.
Start with basics like yoga or a morning stretch to help settle the mind for the day ahead. But if you’re not a yogi, just getting up every hour during the day to stretch your legs and have a walk or chat with someone makes the world of difference.
Your work mentality in the office may be different from how you operate at home. You might be surrounded by family, noise and a million other things that could make your workday less efficient. This is where time tracking apps become useful. These apps started trending this year as a way to improve productivity. They’ll help you determine how long each task takes and manage team productivity, while some even allow you to accurately invoice clients based on the length of each project.
Helpful for personal use, business owners, and freelancers; time trackers are some of the most useful working from home tech tools you’ll come across this year.
Read books about leadership, articles related to your industry, personal development stories, and entrepreneur story highlights.
Read about what other Saudis are doing in their fields or learn about the things going on in your local community. The world continues to turn, Saudi business continues to thrive and reading is your best opportunity to stay up to date. Not a fan of reading? Listen! There are hundreds of amazing regional podcasts (App Store and Play Store) and one of the world’s largest digital libraries is available on Audible, with inspiring business stories to keep you motivated.
Whilst many of us were at home with our families when lockdown started, others weren’t as lucky.
Productivity can only really be maximized when we feel fulfilled in all aspects of life. So although today's tips aim to create that control and help set up a routine and a workspace, it’s also really important to be emotionally fulfilled. So if you’re not with your loved ones or able to see friends, make sure to video chat and keep checking in. Feeling a sense of belonging helps us achieve better productivity but above all, overall happiness.
Did you enjoy reading this article?
Share your thoughts or questions with us at
[email protected]
