Working from Home: How to Stay Motivated and Connected

When COVID-19 lockdowns began I thought one of the silver linings would be working from home, but I soon realised how much I missed working in the office, interacting face-to-face with my KINSHIP digital colleagues, and the vicarious learnings from office discussions.

Aside from the occasional client meeting, my sales role involves me working autonomously which added to the isolation. I therefore had to adapt my daily routine to help me stay focused. Through personal strategies and help from KINSHIP I was able to stay motivated, positive and productive while working from home.

Staying Connected

From the onset of isolation KINSHIP recognised the importance of staying connected. Our sales team meet for morning and afternoon Google Hangout discussions to ensure we are updated on each other’s daily activities and projects. These discussions are kept light-hearted which has improved social connection and maintained office friendships. KINSHIP also created a WhatsApp group where memes, jokes, achievements and the best home-made lunches are shared. Initiatives like these motivate me to contact my colleagues whenever possible. I often call or join a video meeting instead of emailing, which has the additional benefit of saving time typing lengthy emails.

I’m most impressed with my employer’s commitment to personally check in with me. I’m regularly sent messages and generous gifts, thanking me for the commitment to my work. Recently on R U OK day, I was sent chocolate and a personal letter from my CEO, Caitlin Green. This personal interaction and appreciation allow me to feel valued and apart of the KINSHIP team.  

Staying Motivated

To help me stay motivated I implemented several strategies including, setting routines and goals. By creating daily goals and sticking to them, I earned a sense of achievement and provided a metric for the success of my day. I deliberately kept this routine flexible to accommodate the irregularity of my day-to-day activities.

I found that exercise in the morning helped me begin the day with more energy, focus and optimism. I set my to-do list every Sunday ready for the working week ahead, allowing me to jump straight into the work come Monday morning.

I was careful to rotate high-intensity mornings with more casual exercise to ensure fatigue was not an excuse to sleep in. My activities included walks with friends, weights sessions at my local gym and even signing up for yoga classes.

As quarantine measures change, I plan to maintain these strategies to further my productivity and wellness.