Working from home is something that many people appreciated as a result of the Coronavirus pandemic. However, along with the conveniences of working from home also come certain challenges. Although many of us love not having to get in a car and drive to our place of employment, it can also be difficult to spend a whole day in the same place.
Trying to stay focused when you can see your house needs to be cleaned, or laundry needs to be washed can seem downright impossible. Here are some of the biggest challenges that remote work offers, and how you can move past them.
Isolation
Although it’s undoubtedly convenient not having to get dressed and go to an office with other people, it can be somewhat lonely. Many people find themselves lacking that human connection that going into work can offer. Experts recommend trying to get out at least several times a week to see people in real life.
Although Zoom may feel like you’re talking to other people, it’s not the same as actual face-to-face interaction. Not only can it start to affect your morale, but it can even start to affect your productivity. So, make it a point to get out and see your friends and family whenever you get the chance, and you’ll thank yourself for it.
Overstimulation
When we’re staring at our computer screens, our phone screens, and whatever other screens our jobs require us to look at, it can start to overstimulate the brain, and make it difficult to unplug from it all. Digital distraction is a real thing, and when you become so accustomed to looking at a screen, it can be difficult to look away when your work day is over .
Whether it’s scrolling your social media, or checking your work emails, you can start to find yourself in a haze of digital overstimulation. Make it a point to have no screen time for at least two hours before you go to bed. Read a book, or practice meditation, and do whatever it takes to disconnect your mind from the digital world.
Family Distractions
If you live with your spouse or you have children, it can be tough not to get distracted by them. Even if you have the luxury of a separate home office in a room away from the rest of your shared living space, other people living with you may come in and it can throw you off when you’re trying to be productive. This can be avoided by working in short spurts. That way, you can come out and see your family in between these working spurts and give them the attention they need. After that, you should have clear boundaries about when they can and cannot distract you during your working time.
