# Keeping your team connected and beating work from home fatigue in lockdown
Author:  Pal Sinha, Barnali 
Author URL: https://financedigest.com/author/pal-sinha-barnali
Published: 2021-02-24
Category: BUSINESS
Category URL: https://financedigest.com/category/business
Meta Title: How to Combat Work from Home Fatigue in UK
Meta Description: Learn how to create a healthy work culture through effective communication and clear purpose to combat work from home fatigue with insights from Sam Hill at
URL: https://financedigest.com/keeping-your-team-connected-and-beating-work-from-home-fatigue-in-lockdownhtml

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_By **Sam Hill,** Head of People and Culture at [BizSpace](https://www.bizspace.co.uk/)_

By March, most of the UK will have worked from home for a full year. For many this will have been completely out of the ordinary and a real shock to the system. Even after a year, for those without the setup or intention of working remotely, this will be having a real impact.

The [working from home](https://www.financedigest.com/working-from-home-heres-how-you-can-save-money-on-your-auto-insurance.html "Working From Home? Here’s How You Can Save Money on Your Auto Insurance") guidance has been reinforced with the introduction of a new lockdown. Some may have just been used to going [back to the office and this news will come](https://www.financedigest.com/twitter-asks-some-laid-off-workers-to-come-back-bloomberg-reports.html "Twitter asks some laid off workers to come back, Bloomberg reports") as a blow. For many, a clear boundary between [work and home life will be increasingly difficult to maintain](https://www.financedigest.com/how-to-maintain-physical-and-mental-health-while-working-from-home.html "How to maintain physical and mental health while working from home").

With ‘work from home fatigue’ now becoming a very real concept, Sam Hill, Head of People and Culture at [BizSpace](https://www.bizspace.co.uk/) shares tips on how business leaders can help to combat this unique form of burnout in a very different type of workplace.

1. [CREATE A HEALTHY CULTURE](https://www.financedigest.com/creating-a-positive-and-productive-culture-within-the-workplace.html "Creating a Positive and Productive Culture Within the Workplace") THROUGH GOOD COMMUNICATION


Maintaining good and [open communication](https://www.financedigest.com/why-poor-customer-communication-is-holding-open-banking-back.html "Why poor customer communication is holding open banking back") is a vital part of this strategy to managing the fatigue of working from home. The [success of most businesses](https://www.financedigest.com/the-collective-power-of-partnerships-integrating-payment-solutions-to-drive-business-success.html "The collective power of partnerships: integrating payment solutions to drive business success") is rooted in the comms approach throughout. Many office workers across the country may be living alone, in shared accommodation or having to juggle the added pressures of being at home more often, like childcare for example.

All of this can [lead to feeling a sense of isolation from the team and the company](https://www.financedigest.com/title-medical-imaging-equipment-services-market-to-witness-huge-growth-by-2031-with-profiling-leading-companies-agfa-gevaert-group-althea-group.html "Medical Imaging Equipment Services Market to Witness Huge Growth by 2031 with Profiling Leading Companies – Agfa-Gevaert Group, Althea Group"), something that can come as a real shock to the system. While many won’t have a choice but to be working from home, [team leaders](https://www.financedigest.com/playground-xyz-appoints-new-team-members-as-it-solidifies-its-position-as-a-leader-in-the-attention-space.html "Playground xyz appoints new team members as it solidifies its position as a leader in the attention space") could encourage the use of instant messaging like Slack and Google Chat. While daily huddles and weekly catch-ups with a line manager/mentor using a mixture of video and voice calls help to keep updated and on [top of targets](https://www.financedigest.com/hsbc-ups-price-targets-on-greek-banks-with-eurobank-piraeus-top-picks.html "HSBC ups price targets on Greek banks, with Eurobank, Piraeus top picks"), with managers offering a steer and guidance. Keeping this constant open door to communication can replicate that feeling of being in the office where [teams can so easily communicate and celebrate wins](https://www.financedigest.com/a-winning-team-how-corporate-champions-can-drive-successful-collaborations.html "A winning team: how ‘corporate champions’ can drive successful collaborations  ") with each other. Offering that sense of gratification can go a long [way to ensuring that the team feels valued](https://www.financedigest.com/four-ways-impact-acts-as-a-source-of-value-for-startups-and-investors.html "Four ways impact acts as a source of value for startups and investors") while segregated.

2. ENSURE THE PURPOSE OF WORK IS CLEAR


Without any physical interaction and the reward from actually being in an office, it can be difficult to really nail down the reason for getting up and [working from the next](https://www.financedigest.com/the-evolving-world-of-work-what-next-for-employers.html "The Evolving World Of Work – What Next For Employers?") room – aside from the money. It is vital that every member of the team is aware of what they’re doing and why they’re doing it, aside from simply logging the hours and getting through the day. Senior management, team leaders and line managers must be communicating this from the top down through the likes company-wide communication, [keeping teams updated on business](https://www.financedigest.com/keeping-an-eye-on-company-purse-strings-where-do-businesses-go-wrong.html "Keeping an eye on company purse strings – where do businesses go wrong?") progress, any wins, challenges and opportunities.

This communication then [needs to filter down through the hierarchy with each level of the team being aware of how their work contributes to the overall goal of the company](https://www.financedigest.com/italys-windfall-tax-on-energy-companies-needs-to-be-rewritten-pm.html "Italy’s windfall tax on energy companies needs to be rewritten – PM"). No role in a team is obsolete and everyone contributes to the [success of the overall goal](https://www.financedigest.com/business-goals-vs-business-purpose-and-how-to-combine-them-for-success.html "Business Goals vs Business Purpose and how to combine them for success") and defining this purpose, more now than ever before, is vital to give your team a sense of purpose and being.

3. TRUST YOUR TEAM AND MEAN IT


The traditional [working hours](https://www.financedigest.com/madrid-street-sweepers-death-prompts-curbs-on-heatwave-working-hours.html "Madrid street-sweeper’s death prompts curbs on heatwave working hours") are now no longer ‘normal’, with many of us now juggling responsibilities from home that we didn’t have to during the working day, like childcare etc. This can lead to a feeling of needing to prove that all work is being done, leading to overworking and in turn, burnout. Thousands of us are defined by the 9-5, taking lunch at the same time each [day and having a physical presence in front of colleagues to prove we are actually working](https://www.financedigest.com/productivity-and-the-four-day-working-week-in-financial-services.html "Productivity and the four-day working week in financial services"). At home, we don’t have this way of ‘proving’ ourselves externally.

To combat this and prevent a team that is working over capacity, team leads must show that they trust their team, they can do this by being flexible and less formal, where meetings are required, keeping these streamlined and avoiding typical lunch hours or times early in the morning where some may be taking advantage of the new hours. [Setting attainable and broad deadlines with a lot of notice will allow flexibility and give enough time](https://www.financedigest.com/hedge-funds-set-to-end-2021-with-inflows-for-first-time-in-three-years.html "Hedge funds set to end 2021 with inflows for first time in three years") to be met.

4. CLEAR DEADLINES AND PRIORITIES ARE IMPORTANT


When delegating work, be absolutely clear of the deadlines and what the [top priorities](https://www.financedigest.com/why-intelligent-automation-should-be-a-top-priority-for-enterprises-in-2022.html "Why Intelligent Automation should be a top priority for enterprises in 2022") are. For the more inexperienced members of the team, being in the [office has a monumental impact](https://www.financedigest.com/impact-com-names-hubspot-veteran-kim-walsh-as-chief-growth-officer.html "impact.com Names HubSpot Veteran Kim Walsh as Chief Growth Officer") on their progression and will allow them to pick up skills and lean on peers for guidance. As a [team leader](https://www.financedigest.com/allowing-yourself-time-to-grow-as-a-leader-consciously-will-enable-you-to-support-your-team-authentically.html "Allowing yourself time to grow as a leader, consciously, will enable you to support your team authentically") or manager, making workload priorities explicit from the offset and checking in once a week on progress can help to guide the workload without micromanaging and guide those that may need more of a steer.

5. ENCOURAGE MOVEMENT TO [BRING THE TEAM TOGETHER](https://www.financedigest.com/impact-com-announces-partnerships-experience-event-ipx-bringing-together-all-players-in-the-partnership-economy-and-featuring-special-guest-trevor-noah.html "impact.com Announces Partnerships Experience Event, iPX, Bringing Together All Players in the Partnership Economy and Featuring Special Guest Trevor Noah")


Taking a break from the dining room table or [home office](https://www.financedigest.com/analysis-u-s-companies-spend-billions-on-stay-at-home-tech-boding-ill-for-office-properties.html "Analysis-U.S. companies spend billions on stay-at-home tech, boding ill for office properties") is key to keeping a clear and focussed mind throughout the day. [Workers are likely to be spending](https://www.financedigest.com/starbucks-projects-profit-growth-from-tech-stores-workers-spending.html "Starbucks projects profit growth from tech, stores, workers spending") more time at their screens with no need to leave the house, whereas heading out to get lunch is the norm when in an office setting. WIth longer nights, we must get the most out of the short amount of daylight we have. But how do you [ensure your team is not neglecting their own need](https://www.financedigest.com/why-companies-need-to-rethink-retirement-tips-for-ensuring-a-happy-life-in-later-years.html "Why companies need to rethink retirement – Tips for ensuring a happy life in later years") for fresh air and daylight?

Using instant messaging, a [social chat can be an escape for many employees to talk about everything that isn’t work](https://www.financedigest.com/remote-working-during-covid-a-successful-social-experiment.html "Remote working during COVID: a successful social experiment"). Encouraging a weekly thread where the team can [share](https://www.financedigest.com/shares-and-bonds-nervy-as-rate-hike-week-looms.html "Shares and bonds nervy as rate-hike week looms") photos of their week and something they have done might be a nice way to encourage people to do more other than stay in the house. Apps like Strava that track exercise can also be a great [team building](https://www.financedigest.com/build-a-strong-remote-team-with-these-5-steps.html "Build A Strong Remote Team With These 5 Steps") activity that encourages movement. [Creating a leaderboard for the amount of miles each person logs in exercise outside should encourage competition amongst the team](https://www.financedigest.com/carta-teams-up-with-vauban-to-launch-the-first-digital-solution-aimed-at-venture-capital-investors-creating-luxembourg-based-funds.html "Carta teams up with Vauban to launch the first digital solution aimed at venture capital investors creating Luxembourg-based funds"). It doesn’t have to be strenuous exercise either, so whether they’re walking or in a wheelchair, riding or running, it encourages the team to get outside and [spend time](https://www.financedigest.com/its-time-for-banks-to-spend-on-digital-mortgage-journeys.html "It’s time for banks to spend on digital mortgage journeys") away from the screen.


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