After working from home during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, and now likely operating on a hybrid work schedule, numerous surveys have shown that employees prefer a hybrid work arrangement.

Why individuals should favor a hybrid work schedule should come as no surprise. It provides a greater measure of flexibility and convenience, while preserving some of the opportunity for social interaction with colleagues that many workers prize.

A hybrid work arrangement is not without its stresses, however. Managing young children and/or eldercare during work hours, the blurred distinction between work and home, and the reduced opportunity for interaction with colleagues and managers are just some of the drawbacks to working from home for all or some portion of the work week.

Improving Your Hybrid Work Experience

There are a number of things individuals can do to reduce the inherent stress of working from home, maintain their productivity and keep their career trajectory on track.

1. Create a proper work environment at home. Find a way to create a dedicated room in the house that can provide the level of privacy and quiet that you need to perform your job. It may even help to replicate your regular office at home, using the same high-quality furniture and computer in your home that you have in your office.
2. Establish boundaries. Boundaries need to be established between your work and your home lives. Be disciplined about not taking calls or logging onto your employer’s internal communication platform before or after certain hours. Also, make sure your children know not to interrupt you during the workday.
3. Create a routine. There is a quiet and underappreciated value to a routine. Before the pandemic, you may have had a daily routine that helped avoid the sort of surprises that can upend a day’s schedule: a favorite spot for coffee or lunch, or perhaps a downtime routine before arriving at home to leave work-related aggravations at the office. Consider ways to create a new routine that allows for these important coping steps.
4. Stay patient. While many of the early hiccups of working from home may have eased with time, hybrid schedules can sow confusion and frustration among colleagues and family members, alike. Try to remain calm and patient when something goes sideways. Take a moment to breathe and remember all the benefits of hybrid work.
5. Stay connected. Out of sight should not be out of mind. Be proactive about connecting with peers and managers. These connections are important to establishing and maintaining the relationships so important to inter- and intradepartmental work projects, nurturing enjoyable social interactions and ensuring you and your manager are in constant dialogue about work priorities and performance.

The benefits of a hybrid work arrangement are plentiful.  Stay the course with following these tips and you—and your company—can thrive in this now-ordinary work environment.

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