3 Common Work from Home Struggles and How to Address Them

Remote work is not a new concept, but it’s a working style that has skyrocketed in popularity with the rise of Coronavirus cases. Telecommuting, remote working, working from home. However you choose to call it, this work style comes with its fair share of challenges and struggles.

If you were one of the lucky professionals that had the option to keep their job by transitioning to working from home, you know first-hand how to overcome its challenges. Below are the three most common work from home struggles and how to address them.

Distractions

Between your family, pets, and chores, working from home comes with many distractions. It can be easy to fall into the trap of doing your dishes during your workday, walking your dog while you’re clocked in, or helping your child with their homework instead of attending that important meeting. Life happens, and when you start to blend the line between your personal and professional life, things can get tricky.

If finding focus and avoiding distractions has been a real struggle for you since beginning your work from home journey, try creating boundaries. This means that you create limits for what you can and can’t do during your work hours. By setting expectations you and your household will understand that just because you’re sitting in the other room, it doesn’t mean you’re available.

Loneliness

The pandemic has intensified the feelings of loneliness and isolation. For many working professionals, interacting with co-workers in a typical office setting was how they got their regular dose of interpersonal connection. With so many guidelines and regulations, leaving the house is tough enough, let alone interacting with people outside your household.

If isolation is one of your biggest struggles with working from home, it’s time to change things up. Instead of waiting for the world to get back to normal, try stepping outside of your comfort zone to connect with others. A virtual happy hour, online networking events, or Zoom hangouts are just some of the things you can try to safely connect with others while working from home.

Unplugging

It can be hard to separate work and home life when they’re all living under the same roof. Unplugging from work isn’t as easy to do when working remotely as it is when you go into an actual office. For many of us, creating a strict work from home schedule can be difficult because all your tools are right in front of you, which means you can finish the important project while in the comfort of your own home.

Being able to unplug is critical to ensuring your work from home life is healthy. You can improve this with a few practical tips. If you often lose track of time, try setting timers that remind you to clock in, clock out, and take regular breaks. If shutting off your computer after a long day isn’t easy, try setting a time limit that will do it for you.

Many struggles come with working from home, but there are just as many solutions for overcoming them.