Citrix Blogs

Surviving and thriving in this next normal

Citrix Guest Blog Posts

This is a guest blog post by Evan Kirstel, Chief Digital Evangelist and Cofounder of eViRa Health. It originally appeared on LinkedIn Pulse.

There’s nothing normal about life right now. Despite the sporadic re-openings of certain public spaces, staying healthy and well has taken on more meaning than ever before. While scientists race to roll out vaccines for COVID-19, collectively we are still struggling to keep our heads above water.

Over the past year, I have developed and refined my personal and professional “survive and thrive” strategies. Here are some of those insights for you to consider.

Remote Work Now Means Working from Anywhere

Working remotely is becoming more common and there are more options than ever. Studies are showing that employees are more productive and efficient in their own space and on their own time. It started as a way for people to spend more time at home and less time commuting. Today, working from home is evolving — people want more freedom. And that means, freedom to work from anywhere. In most cases, all you need is a laptop, Wi-Fi, and motivation to work while you travel.

Working remotely productively can sometimes be a challenge. However, the most amazing benefit is the freedom to do your job from anywhere with an internet or reliable mobile connection (especially as more of our platforms, applications, data, and collaborations stem from the cloud). Effective digital workspaces can provide simple, secure access to everything employees need and prefer to use to get their best work done wherever it needs to get done — all while ensuring their devices and information are safe.

The more we simplify our lives and understand why, at our core, we work as we do and play as we do, the more balanced our experience will be. The intersection of what we love to do, are skilled at or can become skilled at, and what the world truly needs is where we begin to transform work.

For many people, “travel” is synonymous with “vacation.” But as more companies allow (and sometimes require) employees to work remotely, travelers can combine work and leisure in the same trip.

Hotels offer many of the necessities for remote work, like Wi-Fi and printing services. But in many ways, an Airbnb (or a stunning purple Airstream with Citrix) can be even better for travelers working remotely and is now a longer-term option for more folks who are fortunate enough to have the opportunity to work from anywhere like myself.

Whether it’s temporarily relocating to be closer to family or taking the opportunity to explore a new community, Airbnb data shows guests are increasingly using the platform to support remote working and temporary relocations. Working from home is becoming work from any home or other location.

Our absolute biggest challenge with being working digital nomads is finding the balance between connection and disconnection (including but certainly beyond the technology alone).

You’ve seen some of the pictures and tweets from my experiences in the purple Airstream while working with Citrix. Here are some thoughts from Natalie Zfat, who also spent some time in it, as she shares her five tips for working from wherever to unlock potential and take time back.

Upgrading Your Personal and Professional Tech Stack

To fully empower employees to work from home or anywhere else, companies need to invest in the right technologies that will allow them to work seamlessly. Research shows a superior employee experience leads to better business results, including enhanced customer satisfaction and improved profitability. To deliver it and attract the talent they need to make their business go, companies need to give employees the space they need to succeed. But employees, business owners and solo practitioners like myself should also update their tech to empower their personal and professional life (as Constellation Research’s Dion Hinchcliffe noted in his perspectives on the crisis-accelerated digital revolution of work).

5G means you no longer work at the mercy of the closest Wi-Fi hotspot. Having ultra-fast wireless capabilities built into your devices means that you’ll be able to connect from virtually anywhere once carriers complete rolling out their 5G networks, and my iPhone with 5G has been a lifesaver.

The best new Wi-Fi 6 routers combine sleek designs with this new wireless standard for faster connectivity for everything in your house. The result is better networking for every laptop, phone, smart TV and connected gadget in your home which has been a lifesaver with older kids at home

My new Oculus VR has been a lifesaver. By freeing us from the limitations of physical space, VR can make remote work feel far less remote. It can bring us together in more authentic ways, spark new ideas, and boost our sense of joy and discovery.

Health and Well-being Matter

The coronavirus is presenting new and unique challenges navigating uncharted waters, making it important to find new ways to work and interact while also taking care of our mental health. Donna Kimmel, Chief People Officer at Citrix, recently explained how the need for companies to support employee well-being is changing.

Many are working remotely for the first time, isolated from co-workers, friends and family. Our daily living routines have been disrupted, causing added anxiety, stress, burnout and strain — physically, mentally, and financially. Making time for our mental health is crucial, now more than ever. A host of new digital and mental health apps that can help make a real improvement with your mental and emotional well-being have seen a surge in use.

Before us lies a period of experimentation as we collectively explore and establish new norms for how we live our lives and conduct business.

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