Like many of us during the pandemic, Creative Blend went fully remote and post-pandemic we have decided as a collective, to continue the work from home model. We all felt that having a permanent space that we are required to commute to daily was, for us, outdated and unnecessary. We feel remote working allows us more autonomy, flexibility and ultimately increases our productivity, so for us the decision on whether or not to go back into the office was a no-brainer really!
There are some things we do as a team to ensure we all stay in-sync with each other, collaborate and keep up the office camaraderie. We schedule a weekly zoom call at the beginning of the week to catch up on our weekends, how the last week went for us and discuss any new projects that are upcoming. We find the online chat platform Slack is also a really good tool for regular communication about all things work-related and random. We partake in monthly team days which involve working together for the day in a co-working space, going out for lunch (last month we went to Oeuf in Hove and it was a big hit!) and finishing the day with celebratory drinks! A co-working space we are loving currently is Freedom Works in Hove.
Coffee is always key
Coffee plays a big part in all our daily routines in the CB team when working remotely. As well as drinking copious cups of Coffee throughout the day to keep our energy levels up, there are different ways we incorporate Coffee into our routines to keep morale high. Personally I love going to a local Coffee shop (one’s with suitable wifi!) with my laptop and working from there for a couple of hours a day to break the day up, and this also ensures I’m leaving the house on more quiet weekdays which is always good for the psyche. Alternatively, if you’re feeling more social, our managing director Grant loves going for a Coffee and a catchup with friends in his lunch break. Our developer Dan just simply loves good Coffee, so much so that he spent his well-being budget on Coffee from Grumpy Mule organic ground Coffee.
Separate work and leisure
Separating work time from free time can be really tricky, especially when we are fully remote. Something that really helps our developer Jason to switch off is to create a space in his home that he fully removes himself from when the work day is over and only returns to for work the following day.
Hold yourself accountable
Staying focused and on track can be difficult when working remotely, especially with so many different distractions (cuddling our pups can be hard to resist sometimes). Jason’s recommendation for staying on top of your workload is to share tasks and targets with dates and times in public (visible to your team) workspace, our favourite is Trello.
Connect with nature
I’m sure all my fellow remote workers would agree that even just one quick walk a day can keep the cabin fever away! I personally love a walk along the promenade with my pup Woody and Dan agrees a lunchtime walk with his Dog Drummer is a must to break the day up and reset for the afternoon. Our digital marketing manager Blanca is also a big fan of her daily after-work walk somewhere green to help rest her mind.
Get moving
From sitting at your desk all day in the same position, our joints can often ache and need a good stretch. Blanca’s recommendation to avoid any possible cramping would be to take regular breaks to stretch. Blanca attended the Brighton Chamber Bananas Camp where Camille from the Float Spa shared some great quick and simple movements you can do to help you stay in a positive, focused mindset. Blanca now swears by them to help her stay productive. Jason also recommends trying to squeeze in some exercise after a hard day’s work. We know that getting out and about or to a gym can be tricky so here are 442 workout videos that require no equipment!
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