4 small tweaks that will make you much happier working remotely

Building a thriving company culture was already a challenge — and it took on a whole new meaning in the age of Covid and remote work. From adapting to the reality of working from home while juggling personal responsibilities to suffering from Zoom fatigue, you might have dealt with your own set of remote-work woes.

And if your organization had to let people go, you’re even more likely to have experienced increased stress. 45% of remote workers experienced high levels of stress during the pandemic even without major staffing changes, and that number rose to 64% if there were furloughs, and 66% if there were layoffs, according to a Stoneside study.

“One of the interesting potential takeaways from our study is how important company culture can be for job satisfaction and remote work this year. We found that professionals struggled with the transition from in-person to remote work, and felt their company’s culture suffered from the transition,” says Mickey Fain, CEO of Stoneside.

So, what’s the solution if company culture plays a huge role in your well-being while working remotely but is not necessarily something you can control? It turns out there are a few small tweaks that can have big payoffs when it comes to your happiness while WFH.

Here are four shifts to embrace to boost your mood as you navigate professional life during the pandemic.

1. Reach out to coworkers more often

It’s so easy to fall into the trap of isolating yourself while working remotely, but being diligent about maintaining contact with coworkers can work wonders for your morale — even if you have to make an effort and don’t naturally feel like it at first.

“It requires conscious effort, but it’s important to reach out to and interact with your colleagues and/or manager more while working remotely. Transitioning to less face time with colleagues can cause bonds and friendships formed in the office to drop off or fade while feeling connected to coworkers can have a positive impact on productivity and employee happiness,” says Fain.

According to him, a lack of communication with your team can wreak havoc on your relationships, with 56% of people surveyed by Stoneside reporting that the pandemic had strained the relationships with coworkers.

“Failure to maintain regular communication with one’s colleagues or manager seems to have a negative impact while working remotely. It stands to reason that working remotely, and lacking interaction and camaraderie with one’s colleagues, can contribute to unhappiness and feelings of isolation.”

2. Try to be engaged in virtual activities

Yes, it’s true that virtual happy hours just don’t feel the same. But being more engaged in virtual events at work can help relieve stress despite the fact it’s not quite the same as meeting up in person.

“Although we found that virtual socializing events didn’t seem to be widely adopted (only 31.8% reported their company offering virtual happy hours, 29.7% with virtual coffee chats, and 24.8% with virtual trivia or games), these interactions can be a great stress reliever and help people remain connected with their colleagues from a distance. If it’s not offered by one’s company, perhaps they should take it upon themselves to organize these events,” says Fain.

3. Take advantage of employee resources

Many employers have come up with creative ways to support mental wellbeing during the pandemic, and finding out more about these programs and taking advantage of them can have a drastic impact on your happiness working remotely, says Fain:

“See if your employer offers mental health resources, work-from-home stipends, and/or wellness programs — these can go a long way towards helping professionals feel supported and connected to their company. If they don’t, perhaps you can advocate for a program from which you feel you and your colleagues would benefit.”

4. Bring up culture in convos with your boss

Given the fact that Stoneside survey participants who reported their company culture worsened since the beginning of the pandemic were twice as likely as people whose company cultures had remained the same or gotten better to report poor sleep and poor mental health, it’s important not to ignore company culture issues.

And you might have more influence over company culture than you think. Managers and HR departments are well aware of the potential pitfalls of remote work at this stage of the pandemic and can be proactive about addressing your concerns constructively.

“These stressful issues are something that professionals should be able to bring up to their managers or HR departments, whether it’s to simply to seek reassurances or to offer suggestions on how issues (such as declining company culture) can be addressed,” says Fain.