(By Elizabeth Tuico) Many friends and clients are returning to their offices in some hybrid fashion. No one I encounter is completely happy with the choices presented to them by their employers.

The benefits of remote working have encouraged many companies to permanently incorporate remote days into a traditional work week. But virtual work is challenging. Employees feel isolated, rudderless and out of sight. How do workers build trust and maintain connections without in-person interactions?

Some are commuting to offices, but spending most of their time in zoom meetings. What’s the point? (Especially with gas over $4.00 a gallon.) Others are flip-flopping between the comfort of their homes and the discomfort of their offices. Below are some suggestions to combat the blurred lines of operating between two work worlds:

Schedule Regular Office Breaks

Tsedal Neeley, a Harvard Business School professor and leading expert in virtual work, recommends scheduling breaks into your calendar when you’re at the office. Go outside. Run a brief errand. It’s also important to plan by bringing everything needed for the office day, allowing enough time for the commute and prepping your lunch.

Build in More Time

While working at the office, you may not be as productive as you are at home. Instead of moving from one assignment to another, time is taken up with impromptu meetings, longer lunch breaks and casual conversations. By building in more time to complete tasks while you’re in the office, expectations will be lowered and (hopefully) so will your stress levels.

Make the Office More Comfortable

While wearing pajamas to work isn’t the answer, making your office space more comfortable will help the transition. Clear away the clutter, so you focus on the task at hand rather than the mess around you. Don’t forget to also clean out desk drawers. Incorporating nature (whether it’s plants or nature scenes) promotes calm. A window view is an added bonus.

Be Patient

Workers and employers probably don’t know what’s best for their teams. Be open to different processes. Try new approaches to getting the work done. Patience is key. As Gen Z says, give yourself space and grace.

Remote Work Assessment

Tsedal Neeley is the author of Remote Work Revolution: Succeeding from Anywhere. This timely publication is filled with specific actionable steps and interactive tools. She developed an evidenced-based 32-question assessment which helps appraise strengths and identifies areas to improve for success in a remote work environment.

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