Not everyone can work from home. And dtac is very proud of our frontline colleagues, both in shops and network operations. But those of us who can work from home must do so to limit the spread of COVID-19. Here, we asked dtac’s top management for their top tips on staying productive and sane while working outside the office.

“Know when to take a break.”

Sharad Mehrotra, Chief Executive Officer

“Right now, leaders in all organizations are under immense pressure to counter the economic fallout of the COVID-19 crisis and keep their employees safe. These are unprecedented challenges causing very high stress levels. That’s why it’s more important than ever to know when to take a break and get some physical activity. Anything is possible. As the father of teenage girls, we even found ways to play sports indoors at home! It helps rejuvenate the mind to face the daunting tasks before us.”

“Connect with your teams beyond just calls.”

Tipayarat Kaewsringarm, Chief Sales Officer

“Many of our salespersons are now working from home, but others are at one of the 126 shops we’ve reopened nationwide. Under normal circumstances, my favorite part of the job is meeting my teams in the field, but I can’t do that now, and videoconferencing just isn’t the same. Recently, we came up with a campaign to post handwritten messages to all our frontline heroes and remind them how much we value them. These little gestures are more important than ever at this moment.”

“Try to follow the same daily routine.”

Dilip Pal, Chief Financial Officer

“You have to set the right routines and behaviors for yourself. And stick to them! Find a fixed place at home with a comfortable chair and desk. Try to follow the same daily routine to start and end the day. It is difficult sometime, given some odd meeting timings, but it’s important to have those boundaries. Make use of the commute time you’re saving to invest in a daily morning routine of yoga or meditation. Finally, once a day, catch up with your near and dear ones who are not staying with you. Don’t just text them with boring or forwarded check-in messages. Be real, call them and say you care.”

“Consider your family’s needs.”

Marcus Adaktusson, Chief Corporate Affairs Officer

“Carefully consider your family’s needs and rhythm as you plan your daily routine. As your kids will move from online school to lunch to playing to physical exercise, all within a confined space, you may need to be move around too. For me, this means moving from my wife’s home office in the morning to the dinner table in the afternoon. Also, you may find that your peak productivity hours are different at home. Normally, I am more productive in the morning, just when coming to office. Now, I tend to do my routine tasks in the morning and things which more focus in the evening, after the family is in bed. Being aware of this helps me plan my day more effectively.”

“Don’t let your guard down.”

Prathet Tankuranun, Chief Technology Officer

“This is a risky time for cyber security. Imagine getting an email from your CEO telling you to register immediately with your username and password for the new company COVID-19 insurance. Would you click without double checking the link and sender? It could be a cleverly disguised phishing attack. They are on the rise as cyber criminals exploit our fears of COVID-19, and the disruption of our work routines. Double check all suspicious emails and don’t let your guard down!”

“Get some fresh air if you can.”

Haakon Bruaset Kjol, Chief Strategy and Transformation Officer

“Try to get some fresh air and exercise if you can. I’m in self isolation at my home, which is in Singapore. We can still run outdoors here. Although parks are closed in Bangkok, my friends tell me you can still go jogging and cycling in the streets—particularly since traffic is so light now. It’s so important to change perspectives regularly. I run every morning at 6:30am, which is also a good way to keep a routine to start your day. Just make sure you maintain a two-meter distance from other people and wear a mask.”

“Work in the cloud.”

Nardrerdee Arj-harnwongse, Chief People Officer

“One positive we might take away from this period of self-isolation is the ability to graduate from email to more modern tools. Email is nearly 40 years old! There are now platforms like Microsoft Teams or Slack that make it much easier to collaborate on files simultaneously, chat, and launch a video conference. Even after COVID-19 ends, I look forward to working in the cloud. It’s faster, more secure, and you spend less time asking, ‘Can you send me that presentation again?’”

“You can be social without meeting in real life.”

How Lih Ren, Chief Marketing Officer

“My top tip to stay energized in this new normal is to meet as many people virtually for work, but also after work, via video call. It’s important to meet without an agenda to make up for the lost ‘water cooler chats’ that happen in an office outside of formal meetings. You can set a meeting to do yoga together, share a cup of coffee or even catch up for drinks after work. You truly can be social without meeting in real life.”

“Check on how people are feeling.”

Rajiv Bawa, Chief Business Officer

“As we all scramble to ensure business continuity amid this unprecedented crisis, we sometimes get too caught up in our work to check on how people are feeling. My team works with SMEs who are badly hit by the current situation. We asked several hundred people in over 30 businesses what they most need right now, and it really helped us redesign our offers to better support them. We can only get through this tough time by coming together.”