Uncategorized Archives

5 Ways To Handle Pressure At Work

What are ways to handle pressure at work?

Know how your stress manifests
Step back, and reprioritize
Create healthier responses
Sidestep office drama
Take your breaks

Does it feel like you’re overly stressed at your job, and just can’t keep up with demands? At times, workplace pressure can feel like too much to cope with, but learning how to do so effectively can benefit both your professional and personal life. Here are a few ways to handle pressure at work to help you take charge.

Know how your stress manifests

Things that may stress out your colleagues may not bother you in the slightest, and vice versa. Take a long look at situations that cause you to have a negative response (be it physical, mental, or emotional).

Consider where you were, who was involved, what your reaction was, and how you felt after the fact. This may reveal unknown causes of stress. Perhaps your workspace is incredibly messy, and it’s making you irritable. Or maybe commuting to your office gives you stress early on in the day, which you find hard to relax from.

Learning what your stress triggers are and how stress shows up in your life is the first step to take to manage stress at work.

Step back, and reprioritize

Once you’ve identified your main causes of stress, take a step back from the situation.

Major sources of work pressure, such as a new project, can have you feeling overwhelmed with all the work you need to do. Stepping back will help you break things down into steps. Ask yourself what can be handled now, and what can wait till later.

Breaking up big problems into small, easily doable tasks can make you feel less pressured to work. And, checking these things off your list as you progress is sure to make you feel accomplished and less stressed.

Create healthier responses

When feeling stressed, it’s easy to fall into familiar habits that make us feel good but they may not always be healthy for us. Stress eating, oversleeping, drinking too much coffee, and more habits may leave you feeling worse than before.

Taking extra care to be healthy and mindful of what you’re doing even when you’re stressed can help in the long run. It helps keep your body healthy, which in turn gives you more energy and helps you focus.

And, you could also add on some stress-busting activities at the end of your day. Taking a walk, or having a short meditation session is a great way to clear your mind. Spending time with loved ones can also be relaxing. You will start seeing a big difference in your ability to tolerate stress once you cultivate healthy responses to it!

Sidestep office drama

Sometimes, the source of your stress isn’t your daily tasks, it’s an interpersonal conflict with colleagues. Office drama can take as much a toll on your mental health as other sources of stress.

Sidestepping conflict with your colleagues can be difficult, but try to avoid gossiping or debating on sensitive topics as much as you can. Try to focus on being positive, and being diplomatic when disagreements with others arise. If conflict happens anyways, learn the appropriate ways to handle it in your office.

Take your breaks

No one can work forever. You need to set time aside to recover and recharge after every workday — otherwise, you risk burning out. A break could mean something as short and simple as a 15-minute breather or using your vacation days to take a trip. Either way, find a time and an activity to help you destress after a long day.

Breaks also mean drawing a firm boundary between your professional and personal life. Avoid being on-call 24/7, and be firm about when you “clock out” for the day. For example, you could stop answering emails after 7 pm.

Taking a break could also mean disengaging from other people in your life. Sometimes, work can be so draining that you don’t have energy left for socializing — forcing yourself to keep your dates with others can cause even more stress. Tell your friends or family you’ll see them some other time if you’re tired. Rescheduling and taking a break for yourself is always okay!

Key Takeaway

Workplace stress is, unfortunately, part of any job. Whether it is a small inconvenience or an overwhelming professional burden, it is something you will inevitably experience. Luckily, there are many ways to handle pressure at work, which can have a positive impact on your ability to cope and reduce stress even when the going gets tough.

4 Reasons To Work From Home After COVID

What are the reasons to work from home after COVID?

Time savings
Less need for large office spaces
Reduced fear of remote work from management
Location independence

The Covid-19 pandemic has transformed the way we think about remote work. Because everyone experienced the impact of this global phenomenon, we are starting to see the benefits of working from home — from the time and cost-saving opportunities, flexible schedules, improved productivity, and more. Keep on reading to learn about the reasons to work from home after the Covid-19 pandemic.

Time-Savings

One of the main reasons why remote work will continue to stick even after the pandemic is because it saves time. Whether it’s the commute or dressing up formally before work and more — employees can eliminate these completely and choose to focus on the work itself. The time saved gives them a chance to put all their energy into being productive or spending time with family and friends.

Other than that, some companies are also offering flexible work hours, which makes it possible to work around a schedule an employee prefers or needs.

Less Need For Large Office Spaces

With remote work, there’s no need for large office spaces. Because employees are working from home, companies can reduce their electricity and rent expenses — which can be quite significant. More and more organizations have discovered how they could do more with less real estate.

On the other hand, employees have learned to enjoy having their own office space at home. With a quiet place to work alone, there are fewer distractions compared to working in an office setting. If it gets lonely at home, there are co-working spaces that provide similar amenities to an office.

Reduced Fear Of Remote Work From Management

One of the main reasons why managers and executives have feared remote work in the past is because of trust. How would they know if the employees are doing their job? But many companies had no choice but to implement remote work due to Covid.

Fortunately, managers have found other ways to know if someone is working. Instead of having the need to physically see each worker typing at their computers, remote work has shown that results matter more. It’s a good thing that remote work makes it possible to have fewer interruptions compared to working at the office.

Location Independence

Remote work has made it possible for employees to travel because they only need to bring their laptops to accomplish their tasks. That’s why there are many people going back to their hometowns during the pandemic.

Not only are employees the ones benefitting from remote work when it comes to location independence, but also companies. Pre-pandemic, only people from within the vicinity of the office or a few hours away would be willing to work there. Unless a company is well-known throughout the country, not many people would be willing to move nearby. But by offering remote work, there’s a chance to hire talents from different locations.

Key Takeaway

Most employees enjoy remote work because it allows them to save time on the commute, have more time with their family, and also balance their work and life. It’s also possible to work while traveling because all you need is a laptop and internet.

For companies, there’s less need for large office spaces and expenses for electricity and rent have been reduced significantly. It also opens up the opportunity to hire more talents from different places. These are just some of the reasons to work from home after Covid.

How To Prepare for The Return To Office Work

How do you prepare for the return to office work?

Be aware and plan ahead
Reestablish your sleep schedule
Revitalize your working space
Exude positivity

Remote work has been the norm for most workers during this year’s long pandemic period. Most of us have been accustomed to working from home that we may not be ready for the return to office work. While infection rates are still fluctuating here and there, and it’s still impossible to project when the return to office work will happen, it’s still crucial to be prepared for when it happens. By knowing how to prepare for the return to office work, you won’t be taken by surprise by all of the changes you would have to face.

For some people, the transition might be difficult or anxiety-inducing. We’ve prepared some tips to help you with the preparations that you need to do before going back to work in the office. Keep reading to learn more!

Be aware and plan ahead

To gain as much control of the situation as you need, you need to get as much information as you can. Without enough information, our worries might start to spiral out of control and we start to overthink. The simple way to avoid this is to ask questions and be aware of what your company plans to do regarding the transition.

With this information, you should plan ahead to what you want to do during the first day. What time should you wake up? What things should you bring? Do you have company property that you need to return? What work tasks will you accomplish that day?

Moreover, planning even the basic decisions should take a load off of your anxiety. What will you eat for lunch that day? What shoes will you wear? Create a concrete plan and follow it for the day to lessen the things you have to think about.

Reestablish your sleep schedule

When people work from home, they tend to not follow a strict sleeping schedule as they once had. At the very least, that schedule will have changed over the course of the year. You may be sleeping less, sleeping more, maybe you now enjoy an afternoon nap. No matter the case, you need to be prepared to follow a stricter sleeping schedule when you return to the office. You wouldn’t want to be dozing off on your first day back!

Revitalize your working space

We expect that it’s not just your sleeping schedule that has changed but you, as a person, have too. The pandemic posed more challenges for everyone and the experience has left us changed for the better. If you haven’t been back to your office since the start of the pandemic, chances are that it still looks and feels like the old you. Make it your first step to revitalize your working space to fit the new you better. This way, you’ll be able to work more comfortably.

Exude positivity

As we mentioned earlier, this transition may be a stressful time for some of your coworkers. That’s why every bit of positivity in the office will go a long way. Try to start light conversations, make jokes, and encourage a positive working atmosphere overall. People who are still feeling anxious will find comfort in how easy it is to fit back in despite all of the uncertainties.

Try to keep the people still working from home in the loop as it is easy for them to feel left out once you’re back in the office. And while it’s important to exude positivity, you shouldn’t force it if you feel like it and focus on handling your own emotions.

Key Takeaway

If you know how to prepare for the return to office work, then you should remember to help others with their transition as well. Embrace the change, prepare for the uncertainties, plan ahead, and try to follow the tips in this article!

Another way to prepare for the office is to ease into it. Before working back at the office, try working at a co-working space first, like Workplays! We cater to freelancers, startups, small businesses, or anyone who needs to get work done in a healthy environment! Inquire now to learn about our pandemic protocols or read more about our answers to frequently asked questions!

How to Socialize in Coworking Spaces

What are the different ways to socialize in coworking spaces?

Connect with them after work
Be concise
Focus on optimism
Offer your time

Talking with other people seems to be enjoyed by most of us. Communication is done by two or more people who socially connect if they want to discuss a topic that they both want to know more about. However, there are a lot of challenges to face when socializing with others, especially when there’s a good number of them. Can we keep up with their knowledge of the subject matter? How do we keep the conversation going? How can I effectively communicate what I’m thinking to the person I’m socializing with? Talking for a long period with someone else is a form of art that most people nowadays find difficult to do because of the influence that technology has brought to our lives.

Socializing in coworking spaces is very important. No matter what language or dialect you speak, we cannot deny the fact that we always have to communicate with one another because it is a way of establishing connections with other people. You can start with socializing by getting their attention by asking them a question or their insights about a certain topic so that a relationship can be made between the two of you. Without further ado, here are the different ways to help you have better communication skills so that socializing in coworking spaces will be a piece of cake.

Connect With Them After Work

If you decide to do this, you will be able to establish a deeper and stronger relationship with your fellow freelancer and this contributes to the growth of your career since both of you will be tackling various topics outside of your field. You have the chance to know more about their personal lives when you try to socialize with them outside of the professional context. Try to ask questions about what they like to do in their spare time, their hobbies, or anything that both of you are interested in like baking or football. You will not only be establishing a connection with them but, hopefully, you’ll also be able to establish a friendship with them which goes beyond the boundary of just acquaintances.

Be concise

For any occasion that you go to with your coworker, we highly suggest making the conversation shorter and concise so that they do not get tired of what you are talking about. If you say a lot of repetitive and hifalutin words, your listener will not be interested in the conversation anymore. Make sure to control the number of words that you say and be more brief and clear in the best way that you can. Aside from the fact that it will make your listener interested, they will most probably ask for more stories from you. This also enables you to save more time and make being direct and straightforward a habit – something that more people need in a busy world.

Focus on Optimism

Learn to be cautious about the things that you say specifically about the person that you are talking about and do not speak negatively. Spreading negative information about your colleagues may lead to lower self-esteem as well as the creation of an unhealthy and toxic coworking space.

Negativity achieves nothing and it only worsens problems and issues. If you want to adjust to the situation, change the way you perceive things such as: what is the root cause of the problem and then decide on the most appropriate reaction that you need to make. For instance, a solution should be known by involved parties. Socializing and effective communication is one of the solutions to make the coworking space a healthy and productive space to work at. The words that we speak are a significant factor to this so it is better to focus on the positive things rather than pulling each other apart.

Offer Your Time

Several coworking spaces have the opportunity to organize and run volunteer activities. They do this so that they can repay what society has given to them. You will never regret this experience because you will see how a positive mindset can change the lives of so many people. This is a better way to spend your day off and to take a break from your work. Besides, you will also get to know more and socialize with your colleagues during the activity.

Key Takeaway

There are indeed other methods on how to improve and be better in socializing in coworking spaces. However, the suggestions that we have given you above are only a fraction of the other things that you should also learn. One of the most important parts to remember is that we have to concentrate on the values that we have and to incorporate it in our coworking space. With this, we can establish a great and stronger relationship with the people around us. We just have to communicate every day and make it a part of our daily routine.

3 Shared Coworking Space Etiquette Tips

What are the different ways to show coworker space etiquette?

Work silently
Be mindful
Organize your own space

A place where all kinds of professionals with the same mindset gather around as a social group to further expand their knowledge and expertise is one of the defining factors for a great coworking space. Coworking spaces have a lot of advantages compared to other venues and one example would be having a wider network. Networking becomes much easier since you are given the opportunity to connect with your fellow freelancers. Most people eventually make it a part of their lifestyle because of the immense benefits it poses.

However, wouldn’t there be a problem if people that come from different places and work fields come together in one shared space? This question always comes into mind since a coworking space differs mainly from the usual corporate office layout where most of us are used to working at. But people don’t need to worry about this since there’s always an unspoken rule to respect and be disciplined in the shared space. This unspoken rule is more commonly known as coworking space etiquette, to help you understand this, we prepared a list for you so that you would be informed about the etiquette and rules we should follow in a shared space.

Work silently

Since it’s a shared space, every sound you make will be heard by other people that are working alongside you. This means that whenever you have a scheduled phone call, keep in mind that it is better to take it outside of the room or somewhere you will not be heard. Also, be mindful of the other people who are working individually for each time that you and your team will huddle.

You may opt to go for your earphones to listen to songs instead of those loud wireless speakers. Our fellow freelancers will understand that background noises are inevitable and cannot be avoided but take note that you must still control the amount of noise that will be produced by any activity that you have or want to do inside the coworking space.

Be Mindful

One should know how to show respect for the people around them whether it be on the emotional or physical side. For instance, you must ensure that there is still an ample amount of space for your fellow freelancers, especially if you are the type of person who brings a lot of things when working.

To enlighten you more about the coworking space etiquette, remember that there are shared desks and dedicated desks. So before you do something like borrowing a book or checking out on the interesting documents you can find, be sure to be mindful that whatever you see is private and is not for public consumption. Lastly, and on a serious note, do not disturb any person who is wearing earphones or is heavily focused on their work.

Organize your own space

Cleanliness will always be a part of any etiquette, not just in coworking spaces. However, the importance of keeping clean is necessitated by the fact that the table you use isn’t yours alone. Since freelancers use it every day, we should be responsible of the mess we make so that when the next day comes and another person will use the space you were in before, things will remain tidy and organized. No one prefers to clean up somebody else’s mess so be sure to throw everything you can like scratch papers or used tissue papers when leaving the coworking space.

Key Takeaway

The usage of coworking spaces are gaining popularity among independent professionals and new businesses for several reasons: The cost of shared coworking spaces are less expensive compared to the usual corporate office layout and they often have better amenities so that more people will be enticed to use it, as well as to gain a wider network from social interaction. In contrast with doing work from home, shared coworking spaces make people more productive and give the chance to build new relationships with your fellow freelancers. That is why coworking spaces are attracting more and more people to use it around the world.

In comparison with a multinational company, a shared coworking space also has a code of conduct that can either be unspoken but applied or be completely laid out and implemented. The expectations for the people who use this space are often similar to the other coworking spaces in society. If ever you are planning to shift and join the community of coworking spaces, make sure to follow the coworking space etiquette you learned from this blog so that it would be easier for you to cope up with the new environment that you will be working at.

Here’s How Augmented Reality Could Have a Role in Virtual Offices in Manila

What are the benefits of Augmented Reality’s Role in Virtual Offices in Manila?

Remote conferencing made better
Improve business organization
Efficient employee training
Reimagined office culture

Almost nothing is impossible with technology nowadays. An imagined future with Augmented Reality (AR) was a used as the material for film plots back in the day but today it can be integrated into various industries. It has been a mainstay in the video game industry but did you know that you can use now use it in the workplace?

Augmented Reality has done wonders for people who work in virtual offices in Manila, and in other parts of the world. Its business potential allows you to work in a real-world environment without needing to fully immerse yourself in a completely digital setting. Organizations who are thriving from remote work or working-at-home setting can make use of this technology.

This will be an essential benefit for a virtual office in Manila and they can have big impacts on employee training, communication, productivity, and customer service. Learn more about how augmented reality can transform the way organizations operate on a daily basis:

Remote Conferencing Made Better

With the help of AR, remote teams can convene even with constraints in time or location. Virtual conferences can benefit a lot from augmented reality devices because it will be a great foundation for collaboration even if there are discrepancies in the distance.

You do not need large and fancy conference rooms to open up a discussion. It will also reduce office distractions since Augmented Reality can solve this dilemma by blocking out unnecessary distractions that may occur in the workplace. This way, the attention would be centered on the objective at hand and how it can be met.

Using Augmented Reality in a virtual office can be a cost-effective solution because significant deals can be made remotely all while maintaining visual contact. This is a convenient and accessible option that would take the technology that co-working spaces offer and it can open up channels of collaboration across the globe.

Improved Business Organization

Large quantities of data can be tackled and it would spell out profitability for the business. Augmented reality devices can help in organizing data and distributing it accordingly. This technology can change the way that organizations do business simply because it will widen their reach and capabilities through versatile data conferences.

It would also be a great feature when the team is brainstorming and generating ideas through the platform opens up an entirely new process with regard to execution that wouldn’t even require you to leave your virtual office.

AR will give you an edge in the industry since it is a lightweight and non-intrusive technology that will break barriers in terms of communication. It is also an effective tool that can be used in sharing and collaboration, employees can deliver high-quality work on time with the right way to do data analysis.

Efficient Employee Training

The potential that Augmented Reality can bring to your business can deliver advanced results to the overall operations of the team. It also has the potential to improve human resource processes. The training program aided by augmented reality can open many opportunities towards better skills equipment and utilization of employees.

Having a renewed sense of culture in employee management because of this added technology will do a lot in the overall productivity of the organization.

Reimagined Office Culture

Using Augmented Reality as a company asset will result in an increased effort to provide improved relations between executives and their employees. It is also a great way to establish genuine networking efforts between colleagues and co-workers in a virtual office.

This would encourage a more personal working relationship with the company and this will result in advanced results in productivity, creativity, and overall performance of the company. Employees who feel connected tend to be more comfortable in the workplace and pair it with a great training of the administrative staff, employees would be poised to deliver profit to the company.

Augmented Reality is also a great way to adopt new technologies and it will result in enhancing the versatility of the employees. The potential in these technological devices are endless and the avenue that it threads within creation and collaboration will do more in valuing assets. Having AR as an integrated platform in the company strips away the limitations that the traditional structure of an office pose. Instead, it will be an exciting way to work and be efficient for the whole organization.

Key Takeaway

Having Augmented Reality as a tool for your virtual office in Manila can bring benefits more than the ones mentioned above. This is a way to use new technologies as a great way to have an edge in the market.

This will improve the way that communication is disseminated in the organization. Technology continues to evolve and with this, your team’s performance should follow suit. Staying up to date in the emerging world of technology can be achieved by having Augmented Reality or other devices in the workplace.

Use it to your advantage but remember that it will only aid you in having a high-quality organization but the overall work performance will still dictate its fate in the business industry.