Working from home is a perfect way to manage work-life balance. It comes with several advantages. However, it does not mean you won’t face any challenges of working remotely. In this article we shall discuss some common challenges of working remotely for employees, and tips on how to overcome each one:
Some common challenges of working remotely for employees
- Maintaining Engagement and Focus – Working from home is a good plan for those who wish to escape the daily travelling or be home for their family. However, being away from office comes with the challenge that you may, at times, decline in your engagement and focus. To overcome this try to start your day with meditation or yoga to increase focus and mental engagement. Working remotely provides easy options to start your day with meditation, which can help stress release and mental clarity.
- Dealing With Distractions – Distractions are sure to come when you work from home. You may get an unexpected call or visitor at the door, neighbors may turn up without notice, or your family might have some expectations since you’re working from home. Be clear and have a discussion with your family about disturbance during work hours. Be sure to set boundaries when you are working from home. Placing a note of no disturbance or at what time you’ll be available can be helpful.
- Keeping Your Morale Up – Another challenge of working remotely is that there might be no regular appreciation from your manager or teammates for a job well done. You may feel isolated and there can be an occasional drop in your morale. Request regular check-ins with your manager regarding your progress. If he only focuses on the areas you need to work on, request feedback on what you’re doing right.
- Channeling Your Creativity – This is an important key while you are working remotely to keep your mind active. Do something unique, such as joining a painting or photography group or trying a creative activity that is associated with your career. Since your brain is working all day it needs some creative activity to feel balanced and productive.
- Managing Your Time and Projects Effectively – Working from home means you’ll have to manage your own timeline and be responsible to meet deadlines without any reminders from colleagues. Depending on your personality, time management can be one of the most common work challenges of working remotely. To do this effectively use time management tools and apps.
- Honing your skills – While working from home, you may have to ensure your career development by improving your skills on your own. If your employer doesn’t offer internal opportunities for advancement or provide ongoing training, then find classes for yourself that you can attend. You may at once feel that the solution to this challenge could be costly. However, there are several free professional courses you can start with.
- Working On Your Communication Skills – Working from home requires a significant amount of remote communication, whether that’s with your employer, your team, or your clients. As a remote employee, you’re likely use a variety of communication tools to meet with your colleagues. If you need to express yourself verbally, it’s time to get some help with that. There are many reasons for this challenge of working remotely and one reason could be that you’re an introvert. Thus, you tend to communicate better in writing than you do verbally. Whatever be the reason, look for courses available to improve your communication skills.
Despite the challenges above, remote work is highly rewarding, as long as you know what you’re up for and can handle these common problems. If you maintain, you’ll enjoy independence, flexibility, the chance to work in your best environment, greater productivity and perhaps also more time for a life outside of work as well.