The COVID-19 pandemic changed the way we work for at least the short term, and possibly forever. Last year, a Gartner survey of HR leaders revealed that 88 percent of respondents encouraged employees to work from home as a result of the pandemic. While many of us were used to being in an office or on the go, more than a year later we’re working from spare bedrooms or other corners of our homes.

Working remotely can be incredibly freeing, but it can also be distracting. In an office environment, employees are more engaged due to in-person interactions and meetings. At home, we have kids in the background, dogs barking, and multiple windows open on our computers. As a result, we often multitask (or task switch), which is both detrimental to our productivity and even our memories. Experts estimate that we lost up to 40 percent of our productivity by task switching. Not only that, a Stanford psychologist analyzed a decade’s worth of data and found that heavy multitaskers have reduced memory.

Now more than ever, leaders must find productivity in unproductive times — and that requires more discipline. However, discipline and structure isn’t a one-size-fits-all approach. For example, sometimes I like to take a walk when I’m on conference calls because I’m more engaged when I’m away from my desk without a computer app in reach. However, my co-worker may not be the same, and some people really want to see you online. In a world of ever-changing expectations and new ways to work, we must redefine productivity and then determine our own approach to reach our goals.

As the year is coming to a close, I wanted to reflect on what working from home has meant for me, where I’ve gained efficiency, and where I can improve in the hybrid working world. To gain more insight, I reached out to five women business leaders in our industry, some I know through Women in Travel Tech, to learn about their methods to find productivity during unproductive times.

Prioritize Connectivity

Connectivity means something entirely different than it did at the beginning of 2020. Now, when we think of connectivity we think of Zoom, Google Docs, or any other collaborative tools that enable us to do our jobs. However, those tools don’t facilitate the same level of team connectivity that we had in an office environment. Creating personal connections is motivating and engaging; but it also requires work. We must prioritize connectivity with our co-workers to create more cohesive, productive teams.

For Colleen Birch, senior vice president of revenue optimization at The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas, connectivity means being more social. “We met via Zoom, in a more social nature, to provide support and levity when things were at their worst,” says Birch.

Katie Brown, vice president, sales and marketing, Steamboat Ski and Resort Company, feels the same. “The more I could connect with my team personally, the more productive we were while on all of our calls,” Brown notes. “We would show honesty and vulnerability with different ice breaker questions before some meetings. I also invited team members to meet me outside and go for walks for our one-on-one meetings. We hosted every-other-month lunch meetings, and we would personally deliver the sandwiches to their houses in a Yeti lunch box. We sent out something special, like a thank-you note or even lottery tickets, to our team’s houses once a month.”

Compartmentalize Screen Time

When we aren’t in an office it’s easy to let work bleed out into our personal time. Whether we’re checking emails from the moment we wake up or scrolling documents before we go to bed, setting boundaries is important for both productivity and mental health. For Michelle Brown, vice president of digital products and analytics at United Airlines, more audio and less video outside of work hours was key. “After back-to-back Zoom calls, my eyes and brain were fatigued. I found opportunities to substitute listening for a visual activity,” Brown says. “I also dictate notes and documents into my phone and write them down instead of typing. I’ve even substituted audio books for Kindle to try to eliminate TV during the week.”

Clear Your Mind

Many of us suffer from mental fatigue, which is difficult to alleviate when days start to feel monotonous. Taking time to clear your mind before and after work can help ease the mental stress of being “always on.” Sylvia Weiler, head of Americas supply and account management at Airbnb, established a pre- and post-work routine. “One of my favorite things has been establishing a before and after work routine,” says Weiler. “I used to spend around 30 minutes every day in a car driving to and from the office. That used to be my time for context switching between home and work. I’ve replaced that with a 15-minute walk in the mornings and after my last Zoom call.”

Build a New Routine

If we’re going to be productive in a new work environment, it’s important that we build new routines to match. Breaking up your workday and doing an activity that signifies the beginning and the end of the day is key. Peggy Bianco, head of business development, hospitality and travel at CLEAR, has created space for planning both at the beginning of the week and during the workday. “I now schedule time for 30 minutes on Sunday to plan “big rocks for the week,” notes Bianco. “What can I do that no one else can? Plus, I use this time to work out logistics with my husband. We schedule our workouts and who needs to be where and when. I also schedule 10 minutes at the end of the day to “capture the gold.” This means I answer questions like what did I learn today? Which decisions or key information did I make or receive? What actions must be taken? All of this helps me prioritize the next day.”

Dress for Screen Success

According to an article by HuffPost, there are mental, emotional and psychological  benefits to getting “dressed for work” while working remotely. Our appearance is a critical part of our nonverbal communication, even if it’s on Zoom. It also plays a vital role in how productive we are. When we look our best, or at least more presentable than our pajamas, it puts us in more of a work mindset, which tees us up for a productive day.

“I found that if I dressed for work just like I would if I were going into the office, I was able to make a difference between being at home and being at work,” says Katie Brown. “I always had a professional outfit on just in case someone were to ask me to stand up!”

While working remotely may not last forever, it’s important that we continue to find new ways to be productive both for ourselves and for our teams, all while taking advantage of the new way to work. As we move into 2022, I look forward to implementing some of these tips from my industry colleagues and having a connected, successful — and productive — year ahead.