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Working remotely and having an officeless company is now easier than ever, and more and more people are sick of 9 to 5 workdays and seeking flexible options.
However, working from home is not for everyone.
Whether you have chosen to work from home to either: spend more time with family, skip a lengthy commute or find more autonomy, sometimes you might feel isolated, left out and disconnected from the rest of your team.
Here are some of our tips for helping you feel more engaged and connected!
The first step is to acknowledge and remind the team that you are there, listening, collaborating, keeping on top of your work and that you also want to be included.
Report on progress, ask questions and send action plans on results.
By not communicating effectively, you will eventually create communication gaps between you and the team and will start to miss out on important news.
By keeping in touch, your colleagues will understand that you want to be included rather than assuming that you don’t want to be part of group discussions.
It is always a good idea to have a dedicated space solely for work. This will help to draw a line between personal, family and work activities.
If working at your desk makes you feel too isolated, try public working spaces such as a cosy coffee shop, coworking office space, public library or a peaceful park if the weather allows!
Some people find the act of dressing up, walking and driving to a workspace helps to build their momentum.
As a result, they feel more refreshed having people around which in turn helps them feel less alone.
If your company does have an office where most of the other colleagues are, make it a habit to come by every once in a while. Try to visit at least once a month or more often if possible!
Showing your face will again help maintain that continuity of your relationship with coworkers. You will have a chance to introduce yourself to new team members and socialise with colleagues.
Showing up for colleagues’ birthdays or corporate events can be significant when it comes to retaining professional relationships.
Drop in to show your progress in person, ask for feedback, suggest that you attend client presentations and your department meetings.
As you are still a part of the team, it is important that you show up to important events and celebrate milestones in your project and company successes.
As good as emails and instant messengers are, sometimes a lot of us just feel the need to connect verbally, not in writing.
Have you noticed that some things are much easier to do when talking directly to them rather than explaining through email?
Give them a ring or suggest a video call so that you can ensure effective communication.
It’s can be difficult to know whether the recipient has read and understood your email the way you meant it.
After you have separated your private and work life in space, don’t forget about allocating time itself.
Don’t allow your workday to drag late into the evening and bleed into your own time.
As hard as it is sometimes, set an alarm clock and when it goes off – finish up and leave your workspace.
Make sure your manager knows about this and remind yourself that it is only fair: if others don’t sit in the office until 9 pm, why should they expect you to dedicate your personal time after hours?
Take a walk, spend time with your family – that is invaluable for your health and productivity.
People may have different reasons for choosing to work from home. Even if you made that decision to save yourself from the horrors of busy offices bustling with dozens of other people and hundreds of distractions – it does not mean that you will never feel too alone and disconnected.
Listen to yourself and understand your needs. Do what you need to do to feel better and try different things to find the best balance for being on your own yet part of the company still.
Push through, it’s always going to be worth it 
#MondayMotivation
Human Resources for Consulting Small and Medium Businesses in Adelaide and South Australia. Simple, and tailored advice, what you need and not what you don’t.