6 of the biggest challenges of working from home (and how to fix them)
These are unprecedented times. And as more businesses across the world continue to pivot around COVID-19, the organizational challenges of working from home only grow.
For many people, this means working remotely for the first time — and getting used to the challenges of working from home is going to be a bit of an adjustment. But even people who are used to working remotely are finding it hard right now.
Because this is different. The usual advice for remote workers — things like getting out to meet a friend for coffee or joining a co-working space in your community — doesn’t exactly fly right now.
Instead, we’re tasked with finding new ways to stay connected, remain productive, and keep things moving.
Challenges of working from home
Whether you’re new to remote working or have been WFH for years, we're providing six of the biggest challenges of working from home during these uncertain times. At the same time, we'll provide a few simple ideas on how to combat them.
Getting distracted by everything
Communicating with your team
Dealing with housemates (some of whom may be babies or small children)
Staying motivated
Overworking
- Feeling isolated
Getting distracted by everything
Adjusting to a new workspace can be challenging — especially when that workspace involves kids, pets, TV, couches, snacks, or any combination of the above.
Without the structured office environment to help you to feel like you’re in “work mode”, it can be challenging to get in the zone and resist the siren song of, for example, watching a quick episode of your favorite series, or getting into bed and thinking you can work from there. (Remember: just because you can doesn’t mean you should.)
And let’s be completely real here: we’re not just talking about the usual distractions like Netflix and Facebook. Right now, many of us are distracted by ongoing developments in the news, anxiety about the situation, and concern for loved ones.
So it’s pretty unsurprising that it’s hard to be productive and focus on work right now. But here's what you can actually do:
Do what you can
It’s natural to be distracted right now, and no matter what Twitter keeps telling you, you do not need to be Shakespeare-level productive. Instead, focus on what you can do: maybe that means pivoting from more intensive things like strategic long-term planning to simple-but-still-fundamental admin tasks that require less brain-power.
Set up a dedicated workspace (if you can)
The ideal situation for working from home is a room where you can go solely to do your work. This helps you to associate that space with working, and it means you can keep the rest of your living space for unwinding in the evening (without your work laptop glaring at you from the corner).
Needless to say, however, that kind of space is not something that’s available to everyone — but even dedicating a desk or a specific area to be your “office” can help you to get in the zone and start to develop a good routine.
Block out the noise
Noisy neighbors? Kids watching cartoons? If you’re finding it hard to focus because of background noise constantly pulling your attention, don’t underestimate the soothing potential of a set of headphones and some white noise. (Try Rainy Mood or a playlist of instrumental music.)
Work in bursts
If sitting down to focus for a whole day feels impossible, start small. Try the Pomodoro technique: set a timer for 25 minutes and work solidly and without interruption for the full time. (25 minutes is nothing! You can do it!) Then, take a 5-minute break. Repeat.
Instead of sitting down at your desk and wondering how you’re going to make it through 8 full hours, you can remind yourself that you only need to keep your focus for 25 minutes — and knowing that there’s an end to your current “sprint” will help to make it feel more manageable.
Keep reading >>> 6 of the biggest challenges of working from home (and how to fix them)
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