Tips For A Brave New World Of Hybrid Work and Flexible Travel
We are now more than two years into a pandemic that has shifted many of our basic rhythms in life and leisure. Many of us quickly adapted to isolating and working from home; putting our plans on pause for months on end. But since the first vaccines rolled out in 2021, western society has resiliently ventured back into social engagements, office life, and the occasional vacation. Still, with the rise and fall of variant-driven caseloads, our “return to normal” hasn’t quite lived up to its promise. Whatever the future holds, it’s clear that we aren’t going back to the way things were in 2019. This isn’t all bad news though, as many people are now embracing a hybrid work life with much more flexibility around travel and physical workspaces throughout the year. Most large tech companies recently began enforcing this approach to office life - encouraging employees to be in their assigned office about half of the week, with at least two days per week being flexible work from home days. Today’s blog illuminates the silver linings of this new lifestyle, offering considerations and tips for optimizing hybrid work and flexible travel opportunities.
Personal reflections and considerations
Reflect on where you are most comfortable and productive
If you hold an “office” job, it’s likely that you now have a decent space to work at home. Some of you might struggle to be productive in this space (especially those of us with children or busy households!), but some of you might find that the comfort and quiet of your own house is a better environment to focus in than a busy office. Each of us might work better in one place or the other, depending on the circumstances of a given day. Don’t forget about the option to work in cafes, hotel rooms and friends’ or family houses, too! Think about your natural working rhythms and the location these might be best suited for, and share these reflections with your co-workers to plan and schedule in a compassionate and accommodating way.
Schedule your week around a balance of meetings and getting work done
One of the best parts about returning to the office is the ability to meet with co-workers in the same room again, as well as the joy of spontaneous “water cooler” discussions and interactions. While workplace socialization is exciting, many of us may now find it somewhat over stimulating and distracting from getting tasks done. Consider this when you plan your weekly schedule and focus time - maybe it works better for you to be at home the day before your big presentation, while it might be advantageous to be in the office during project planning weeks. If the office is too busy, but your household is hectic as well, you could consider finding a quiet coffee shop or public space to get work done for the day too.
Identify and adhere to “no work zones”
One of the biggest challenges of working from a variety of locations is that the options are so endless that you might just find yourself typing away in your breakfast reading nook, or even flipping open your laptop in bed. These are bad habits that can lead to negative health consequences, especially around sleep and engagement with others. Identify places in your house, or special coffee shops and public venues where there is absolutely “no work allowed”. This will both help you maintain boundaries, and also force you to think about the locations where you do get the most work done. Your brain will make associations and remember where it can get “in the zone” versus where it can relax and turn off.
Think about deliverables and milestones before you plan travel
Even though many of us can work from anywhere for at least a few weeks per year now, you’ll want to consider the timing of this decision. Many folks will want to schedule these trips during less busy periods, and make sure you aren’t responsible for any major deliverables while you’re out of town. This is really just so you can optimize your time exploring and enjoying a new area (or spending more quality time with family or friends if that’s how you’re using your trip). The flipside of this consideration is the potential to use your work-from-anywhere weeks to dig into a specific project and get some high quality work done. The fantasy of renting a secluded cabin in the woods used to be reserved for writers and artists, but is now a real possibility for a variety of professions! Remember that working from anywhere is still working - so it doesn’t necessarily need to double as a vacation.
Practical tips and advice
Be flexible and be prepared for a change of plans
Unfortunately, we are still living through a pandemic. This brings a new layer of uncertainty and complication to planning trips, or even planning days in the office. If you aren’t feeling well, it’s now expected that you will stay home and protect others. Hopefully this means bringing less flus and common colds home from work, along with minimizing COVID infections. This also means being ready to pivot quickly, to have an isolation plan, and to save money in a travel emergency fund for bigger trips and more exotic destinations. There exists a small, but very real possibility that your next vacation to Mexico gets extended due to a positive COVID test. Being mentally and financially prepared for this is important, and can alleviate additional stress if it happens to you - transforming a logistical nightmare into a mere inconvenience.
Purchase tools to make your hybrid work life better
There are some really great tools out there to help you get things done in a variety of workspaces. One of our favorites is the portable monitor - a small, thin device that fits in your laptop bag. Many of us rely on multiple monitors for our focused work, and being able to carry a second screen around effortlessly can make a huge difference on your next work trip or coffee shop focus day.
Speaking of laptop bags, we also recommend buying yourself a good one. Both Wired and NYT Wirecutter have great lists of options, with lots to consider for your lifestyle needs. Protecting your devices and transporting them comfortably is more important than ever before, making it well worth treating yourself to one of the latest and greatest ways to do so.
Another key device for the hybrid work world is a set of noise canceling headphones. Whether you are taking meetings from a room in your busy household, or having an important phone discussion in an airport terminal, being able to focus on the conversation is critical. Sure, Airpods are great, but don’t forget to consider the multitude of additional options for every budget and ear shape. Because many of these newer headphones use Bluetooth technology/are wireless, you may also want to keep a small pair of wired headphones in your bag as a backup.
Our last recommendation is to upgrade and organize your charging technology. When you’re working on the move, you can’t always rely on being plugged into a wall outlet, so having the fastest charging cables and connectors will save you lots of time - increasing your productivity. NYT Wirecutter has a useful article on the fastest chargers for a variety of devices, and it’s definitely a good idea to make sure you own the best option for your most-used tools. Picking a good way to organize these chargers for quick access will make life a lot easier as well.
Use your imagination
The tips and considerations provided above are just a few of the most salient things that come to mind for us at Mana, but the new hybrid work world is truly each and everyone’s oyster. It’s a great time to get creative, to plan reunions, explore places you’ve never been and find your own healthy balance of socialization and solitude. The opportunities to learn about our best working styles are endless, and we hope that all of our readers embrace this time to reflect and open your hearts to new possibilities. The world is changing, and so can we. Hopefully some of the ideas listed here make that change more comfortable and achievable.
Madison Elliott is a UX Researcher at Google. Madison leads data engineering and usability at Mana Financial Life Design (FLD). Mana FLD provides comprehensive financial planning and investment management services to help clients grow and protect their wealth throughout life’s journey. Mana FLD specializes in advising ambitious professionals who seek financial knowledge and want to implement creative budgeting, savings, proactive planning and powerful investment strategies. Madison brings her combined background in cognitive science, computer science and clinical psychology with her professional UX design and engineering experience to optimize workflows at Mana FLD and improve people’s lives.