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You might think that working remotely
is an introvert's dream:

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you're in your own home
hidden behind a computer,

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possibly in your pajamas.

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But the truth is,

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for many introverts,
remote work is kind of a nightmare.

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[TED: The Way We Work]

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[Made possible
with the support of Dropbox]

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Now that the pandemic
has chased many of us out of our offices,

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we're chafing under the new
remote rules of work:

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too much screen time;

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a lack of boundaries
between work and home;

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endless video calls.

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The same things that make remote work
difficult for introverts

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make it difficult for everyone.

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Far and away, the worst part
of remote work is video calls.

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Being on camera is a performance.

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Thoughtless scheduling can mean
you're basically onstage performing

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for eight hours a day.

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There are none of the nuanced cues
that help you read a room.

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Staring at disembodied heads on a screen

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offers only a pale imitation
of real human connection.

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Social anxiety only makes this worse.

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When you have a camera in your face,

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that can really trigger
your social anxiety.

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It takes energy to be on.

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So the key to managing remote work
is to protect your energy.

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First, pay attention
to ritual and routine.

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As much as we hated our commutes,

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they were a ritual that created
a boundary between work and home.

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And we need that.

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For many of us, those little breaks
that we would build in to the work day --

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going to get a cup of coffee
or a chat with a coworker --

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those are gone, too.

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For me, those rituals are when
I gather my energy,

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assume my work character

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and get into the right headspace

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to dive in.

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So how can you recreate those breaks
and boundaries at home?

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The key is to be intentional.

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It could be music or lighting,

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a pep talk with a friend.

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You could take a walk around the block
at a certain time of day

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or even a breathing or stretching routine

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before you sit --

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whatever it takes for you
to delineate the transition

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between work and home.

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Second, we need to manage
our pace, place and space.

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You can think of pacing
as managing the interactions

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that tax your energy

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versus those that recharge you.

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You could schedule fewer videoconferences,

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because remember, those are performances.

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You could schedule downtime
or recharge time after performances.

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Oprah does this,

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as do many introverted
performers and CEOs.

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You could consider the time of day.

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Think about when you can
typically summon the energy to be on

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and save other times for quiet work.

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For place, use your workspace

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to help you enforce good boundaries.

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Even if your desk is in your kitchen,

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make it feel like a workplace.

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For space, build in
some alone time every day.

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And this includes
time away from your kids.

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It's really key to avoiding burnout.

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Finally, if you're a manager,

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you have a special role to play

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to help employees protect
their pace, place and space.

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Manage the room during video calls.

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Even remotely, chatty extroverts
tend to dominate.

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To create a space
where everyone can be heard,

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structure agendas,

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assign presentation rules

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and minimize brainstorming.

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Brainstorming can trigger social anxiety,

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and it can freeze up introverts.

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Instead, create a shared space
where people can write their ideas

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before a brainstorming session.

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Favor audio over video calls.

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Research shows that we actually
communicate more emotion and nuance

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via audio alone.

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Try asynchronous communication

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for more complicated
or provocative one-on-ones.

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You can steal this idea
from author Robert Glazer:

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record a voice memo or video on your phone
explaining your perspective

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and send it to a colleague.

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And that way, they can respond
and react in their own time.

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Along with a lot of challenges now,

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we have an opportunity.

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Remote work is here to stay,

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so don't just transfer old habits
and old company culture

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to remote work.

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Build something better.

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To get started,

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ask the introverts in your office
what their ideal day looks like

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and take your cue from there.