Work culture has changed drastically over the years. More people prefer to work remotely as opposed to working in an office environment. However, working from home does have its pitfalls. But this is only if you have poor planning, and you don’t set proper boundaries.
On the other hand, remote working can help you create a work-life balance, especially if you have children. So, if you’re planning on moving away from the office and into the home, we’d like to mention some setbacks and give tips when working remotely in 2022!
The Pitfalls of Working from Home
If you’re in the process of making a major career move to work from home, then there are a few aspects you need to take into consideration.
In a perfect world, you’d be able to do anything without challenges. There will always be some setbacks, no matter what environment you’re in. These are the pitfalls you may experience if you don’t plan accordingly.
1. Working Long Hours
If you’re not careful, you will land up working longer hours than you anticipated. You may want to get a project finished in one day. Or you decide that it’s better to finish all tasks sooner rather than later. This way of working is extremely harmful to your mental wellbeing.
Statistics show that 69% of employees working from home report burnout symptoms. One of the causes of burnout is working long hours. Symptoms include:
- Lack of concentration
- Fatigue
- Insomnia
- Sadness
- Irritability
- Substance abuse
It’s important to plan your work and your schedule correctly, so you don’t experience burnout. We’ve given you more tips at the bottom of this post to assist you.
2. Interruptions
You’ll experience many interruptions when you work from home. If you have pets, they can disrupt you by making a noise. Sometimes you’ll have unsuspecting visitors, or you’ll have to take care of children during holidays or when the nanny is off duty.
What’s more, there will be friends and family that believe you have plenty of free time, so they’ll want to visit you. Distractions such as phone notifications are also considered an interruption. This is when you’ll need to set clear boundaries and be disciplined so that you can minimize distractions and interruptions while doing remote work.
3. Lack of Technical Support
Another setback is that you won’t have an IT department to help you if your devices stop working. You may have to phone technical support if you’re having issues with your computer phone or software.
4. Loneliness
For introverts working from home may be easy. But extroverts may feel incredibly lonely because they’re not able to chat and connect with their co-workers. 20% of remote workers stated that they struggle with loneliness which can also lead to mental health issues.
5. Poor Meeting Preparations
Some employers decide to have a virtual meeting on the spot. Poor meeting preparations lead to anxiety, and they can ruin the employee’s schedule for the day. The meetings will also have poor structure and miscommunication.
6. Not Setting Clear Goals and Expectations
Lack of communication could be the reason for the employer’s not setting clear goals and expectations. If you are not sure what’s expected of you and the goals of the company, you’ll make more mistakes, and you won’t feel motivated.
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Tips For Working Remotely in 2022
Although there are some downsides to working remotely, there are also ways you can fix the problems. Here are tips to help you when working remotely based on the pitfalls mentioned above.
1. Take Scheduled Breaks
To avoid burnout, you must take proper breaks in between working. Here are times you can set for your breaks:
- Tea or coffee time between 10 am and 10:30 am
- Lunch break between 1:00 pm and 1: 30 pm
It’s counterproductive if you’re working while you’re tired. You’ll make more mistakes, and you’ll become irritable. Set goals to have work done at a certain time so that you can have regular breaks during the day.
2. Plan Your Time Accordingly
When you plan your tasks for the day, you won’t feel like you must work overtime to get the job done. Every morning, plan your schedule so that you can get the most important tasks done first. For example, you may plan to respond to all messages first before you start working.
Then put everything on a to-do list and specify how much time it will take to do each task. Plan to work the normal 8 hours. Start working at 9 am and strive to finish by 5 o’clock. Planning your time will prevent burnout and working unnecessarily long hours.
3. Protect Your Workspace
You don’t want interruptions to affect your workflow or productivity. Your goal is to successfully complete all tasks for the day. Let people know when you’re locked in and focused, so they don’t interrupt your workflow.
If you have children, you will need to consider childcare because you won’t be able to finish tasks when you’re taking care of a baby. Teach older children to be self-sufficient so they don’t disturb you.
4. Pay Attention to Ergonomics
Being uncomfortable will affect your concentration. Make sure you have a comfortable chair to sit on, and all the stationery you need is on your desk. You may want to consider creating a remote office with the correct lighting and ventilation.
5. Use Remote Tools to Assist You
There are thousands of remote tools that can assist you with scheduling work or communicating with staff members. For example, if you’re an online creator, you’ll need a high-quality video editor so you can make professional visual content.
There are also IT remote tools that you can use to help diagnose your devices and keep them protected from hackers and viruses. With the right tools, you’ll be fully self-sufficient when working from home.
6. Communicate With Your Team Regularly
It’s important to communicate with your team regularly. But you also don’t want to constantly message them because this can disrupt their workflow. Instead, use remote communication platforms to send messages and schedule tasks to co-workers.
7. Schedule Meetings Correctly
Never rush meetings. Always set a time and date when you want to meet with your staff over a video chat platform. Make sure you send them an agenda of what will be discussed on the day so that they’re all well prepared. Use team apps to communicate with colleagues.
8. Understand What’s Expected
If you’re not sure what’s expected of you as a remote employee, then ask your company to send you your contract and job description. However, if you’re a freelancer, make sure you write up your own goals and work towards them. This is so your business can grow, and you can build trust with your clients or customers.
Final Thoughts
Working from home will have its challenges. But you’ll also experience benefits such as saving money on commuting. What’s more, you’ll experience more flexibility and higher production rates. Use the tips in this article if you ever experience any pitfalls when working from home.
Post by Movavi.com
