The Neuroscience of Work in a Remote Environment

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The Neuroscience of Work in a Remote
Environment
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• We cannot deny that COVID has transformed work
  permanently. A lifetime of change has been forced
  upon every individual, and every organization,
  within the span of two years.
• Digital transformation is no longer just a buzz
  word it is a requirement for survival!
• Everyone of us is trying to adapt and embrace the
  change, but what about the long-term effects?
  What are the best strategies to cope and thrive
  in this new environment?
• I had an opportunity to sit down and talk with
  Dr. Noel Amaladoss, a leading psychiatrist and
  assistant professor of Behavioral Neurosciences
  at McMaster University in Canada.
• He specializes in conditions such as ADHD,
  anxiety, and the intersection of mental health
  and technology giving him a unique perspective
  about this topic.

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The New Normal

• Here is some hard data to consider. Within the
  span of two years, remote work has transformed
  every type of business in the world. Before
  COVID, only 5 of employees worked from home for
  an average of three days a week.
• A very small segment of the population was truly
  remote full-time. As of April 2020, 37 of the
  workforce is fully remote. More and more
  organizations are allowing employees to move to a
  permanent remote full-time job.
• A recent survey of US workers revealed that 54
  would leave their current job for a remote work
  option.
• However, there are a lot of drawbacks to this
  approach. Anxiety and stress, as well as feelings
  of loneliness and disconnectedness are also on
  the rise.
• Another recent survey revealed that 46 of
  workers in the UK experienced loneliness while
  working from home.

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Pandemic Versus Syndemic

• There is a term that epidemiologists use to
  describe the current situation. It is not just a
  pandemic, but it is a syndemic. A syndemic is a
  confluence of pandemics that disrupt the fabric
  of everyday life. As an example, the COVID
  syndemic is not just the viral pandemic but it is
  also a pandemic of job losses, mental health
  issues and other socio-economic factors.
• Within the span of two years, not only have we
  witnessed millions of people losing their lives,
  four out of ten people in the United States have
  reported significant loss of income and job
  losses. In addition, there is a mental health
  pandemic where tens of millions of people are
  struggling with anxiety, stress, insomnia and
  even depression.
• One of the most profound impacts of this syndemic
  is related to loneliness. Either due to our
  lockdown separation from family and friends or
  due to detachment from remote workers, this
  loneliness impacts every business and employee.

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Challenges with WFH

• Yes, there are many benefits that can be
  attributed to remote work. But a lot of us are
  forgetting the challenges.
• Lack of boundaries, inability to focus, the
  procrastination and the anxiety of missing
  something or standing out for the next promotion.
• Physics says that for every action there is an
  equal and opposite reaction.
• Meaning there are a lot of reactions that we are
  not considering.
• Remote work is based on our ability to video
  conference. Due to the pandemic, most video
  conferencing platforms saw a dramatic rise in
  utilization with an increase of over 250 from
  the previous year alone.

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• Many different papers have been published on the
  effect of screens and our ability to learn and
  focus.
• Research has shown that digital screens are
  inherently more distracting.
• When we compare how our brains learn from reading
  a book or an e-book, the research shows that our
  brains process information differently.

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Understanding Executive Function

• To really understand learning, we really must
  dive into executive function and how our brain
  processes information.
• Our brain breaks down information and processes
  it on many different levels.
• Here is a high-level flow chart that describes
  this process.

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Make People Feel Like They Are in the Same Room

• At the end of the day, people want to connect
  with other people, and they want to be part of a
  conversation.
• Every remote meeting platform does the exact
  opposite.
• If you can increase the interaction and
  engagement in your next remote meeting, you will
  see dramatic improvements.
• Try out Reactiv SUITE for free and see how it
  can transform your remote interactions.

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Thank You!
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uroscience-of-work-in-a-remote-environment/