Respite from the nerve-wracking commute. No co-workers or managers chattering away at your head, disturbing your peace. The flexibility of eating whenever you want, in whichever attire suits you best. Remote work surely sounds wonderful, doesn’t it? But does it come without its challenges? Unfortunately, no.
Remote work is not all rays of sunshine and rainbows, no matter how much we want it to be. The public and social shutdowns caused by the Covid-19 pandemic taught us that much. According to a report by the United Nations International Labor Organization, employees are more likely to be productive when working outside the orthodox office environment, but they are also more likely to be vulnerable to work-home interferences, longer hours of work, and a relatively more intense work pace, all leading to greater stress in the long run.
According to Upwork’s Future of Workforce Pulse Report, more than 36.2 million Americans will be working remotely by 2025, propelling the world into an 87% increase from pre-pandemic levels. Similarly, a Gallup poll indicates that 56% of U.S. citizens are presently working remotely, either full-time or part-time. With remote work becoming the norm, unprecedented challenges are bound to follow.
So how do we cope with the challenges that accompany remote work environments? Whether you are working remotely, thinking of doing so, or your business operates in such a setting, facing and eradicating these challenges head-on is the key to happiness and success. Let us dive into the most significant problems faced by remote workers and uncover effective tips and strategies on how to overcome them.
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Getting the Most Important Work Done
Remote work can lead to an accumulation of work-related tasks that never seem to end, no matter how many you check off your list. So, how can you ensure that your day is productive while maintaining a suitable workflow?
Mark Twain famously asked people to “eat the frog” first thing in the morning. Meaning, that if you start your day by consuming a live frog, you can continue your day with the satisfaction that the worst thing that could happen to you has already happened. By frog, he did not mean a croaking toad. Instead, frog here refers to the most crucial and biggest task on your to-do list. This is the task you are highly likely to procrastinate on.
1. Limiting Your Daily Tasks
Just as managing a suitable workflow can prove a hassle in remote work, remote workers are highly likely to take on several tasks each day as unintentional compensation for working from home. So how can you prevent yourself from overestimating your work hours and devoting suitable time to yourself? There are several ways to do so:
Using the Eisenhower Matrix
The Eisenhower matrix works wonders in preventing unnecessary tasks that distract you from your work schedule and enabling you to plan your day as effectively as possible. The plan is to satisfy the 1-3-5 rule by undertaking one big thing, 3 medium things, and 5 small things every day.
Manage Your Energy Instead of Time
One of the primary reasons a big chunk of our to-do list remains unchecked is to plan your tasks according to time instead of your energy. Our energy wanes throughout the day depending upon the kind of tasks we undertake, and thus planning out your day by keeping their energy drain levels can help you spend a productive day at remote work.
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Use Distraction Limiting Tools
Try installing distraction-limiting tools that can help you stay focused. These may also include time-restricted various applications on your mobile phone. Examples of focus tools include:
- Cold Turkey Blocker which blocks your whole system from distracting activities.
- RescueTime tracks the time you spend browsing.
- LeechBlock NG which blocks your browser usage.
- Freedom will block all devices from time-wasting and distracting activities at one time.
2. Interruptions During the Day
Unprecedented interruptions are bound to hinder your remote work, may it be a doorbell, uninvited guests, or pets. Space restraints can make working remotely even more challenging; it may not always be easy to find a quiet room where you can take your conference call uninterrupted.
So, how can you deal with the various interruptions at home?
There is no magical way of steering clear of all kinds of interruptions when working remotely. It is, however, important to categorize the necessary interruptions from the unnecessary ones: unexpected guests calling on you can wait, but your child getting hurt or asking for lunch because they are hungry, cannot.
Use a “Do Not Disturb” Sign
Apart from being clear about the kind of interruptions allowed during work hours, set up a kind of signal that alerts your family, friends, or neighbors about your unavailability. This may include putting up a “Do Not Disturb” sign outside your door; locking your door altogether and acting like you are not home; or simply putting on noise-canceling headphones and letting the world go away.
Busting Interruption
Another way is to calmly explain to your family and friends how their unnecessary interruptions meddle with your work. Breaking your concentration and expressing your appreciation for their staying out of your way at designated times during the day may help. Communication goes a long way in boosting productivity.
Childcare
You can also arrange for suitable childcare for your children unless you plan to work only during the hours they are asleep. One of the best ways to avoid interruptions when working remotely is to train your significant other and children to be capable of sustaining themselves. You do not always have to be the person who knows where the broom is or how to fix the baby seat in your car.
Maintain Strict Work Hours
Working remotely without interruptions also requires maintaining strict working hours and allowing only work-related tasks during that time. Use your mobile phone’s work mode option and ignore all irrelevant calls if they interfere with your concentration.
Still, if nothing else works, escape! The best way to make things work in extreme circumstances is to escape to a library, coffee house, or co-working space to finally get the peace you deserve.
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3. Effective Communication
Effective communication goes hand in hand with effective remote working. You can avoid misunderstandings and complications by regularly communicating with your employer and ensuring that you are up to date on all deliverables, expectations, and potential problems. Make sure that you take your employer into confidence and inform them of any challenges that you may come across.
Communicate Regularly
Regular communication minimizes misunderstandings by bringing everyone onto the same page. If you are a remote employer, it is critical to establish an effective and straightforward communication channel that allows unhindered connection. Additionally, you also need to clearly articulate your work expectations as a remote employer, including work schedules, compensation rates, and the tools available for use.
Adequate Access to Resources and Training
Providing your remote employees convenient access to support and training is as critical as their in-person counterparts, which includes IT support and access to necessary hardware and software. You can effectively maintain the morale and productivity of your remote employees by connecting with them and offering feedback and appreciation where it is due.
Another way is to enroll in most business management degree programs to augment your understanding of your workplace requirements and boost productivity while doing something productive with your time.
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4. Lack of Human Interaction Leading to Loneliness
Remote work sounds appealing when it comes to its various benefits. However, your co-workers make up a significant portion of your social circle, if not the whole. Remote work can often lead to feelings of loneliness or disconnection with all of your co-workers online and remote. You may experience this phenomenon even more if you live alone, with no family members to compensate for a lack of physically present co-workers.
You are likely to develop “cabin fever” even with the various technological advancements that bring people closer. Remote workers are also likely to remain in their homes all day after getting off from work, which may further augment such feelings of isolation. So how can you prevent yourself from falling prey to these overbearing feelings? Let us look at some.
Grab a Meal!
Remote workers typically work asynchronously with their co-workers, but nothing stops them from getting together after work hours. Getting together for a meal or sharing other moments of interaction whenever possible can help you develop a tight bond with your remote co-workers. This can help reduce feelings of isolation and dread.
Indulge in Social Activities
However, this is easier said than done since socializing may require considerable effort if one of the primary reasons you work from home is to minimize human interaction. Whether you are an introvert or an extrovert, it is important to strike a balance between your social and work life by including social breaks in your schedule. You can do this by working a few hours and then going out to indulge in a social activity outside your house, such as grabbing lunch with friends or even just going for a walk and getting a snack while casually conversing with the counter person.
Co-work
You can also opt for co-working spaces to poke a pin in your bubble of isolation, as having humans around you can at least make you feel a part of society. You are likely to develop a bond or friendship with people who work in the same space as you or are simply regular customers.
Another effective strategy to combat the potential sense of doom when working remotely is being more open to local meetings or groups. You can attend networking conferences, meetup groups, or even take recreational classes at centers close to you.
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Summing Up
Remote work is all fun and games as long as you begin to fall prey to a repetitive cycle of isolated work within the same four walls of your room. You are also likely to give way to distractions or end up overworking yourself, which is why striking a balance in your remote work is critical. There are various ways to make remote work even more productive and fun, and now you know all of them! Happy remote working!
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