Doesn’t working from home remotely have a lovely ring to it?! No early-bird compulsion, no long-distance travels, and not having those stubborn dark circles. You can work from the convenient ambiance of home, spending time with your loved ones: a hassle-free and peaceful life!
Renowned Astro Strategist cum Business Astrologer Hirav Shah says, “Well, the grass is greener on the other side! It looks like it is easy, but when it comes to doing it, we often find that it was much better in the office with all the colleagues by our side, who would assist us anytime. Working from home has forced us to juggle between our professional and personal life, resulting in decreased productivity and mental peace. It has become essential to be focused and determined to address such issues and sort them out. The key is to work in a way that makes you feel that home is the new office.”
Hirav Shah discusses the Work From Home (WFH)—Challenges and Solutions
Table of Contents
Time management and distractions
There is no limit to problems when it comes to working from home. Some multiple distractions and responsibilities hamper our productivity. For example, there is the responsibility to maintain the house, pay attention to kids while attending office calls, attend to visitors while working on an important project, and multiple calls from colleagues for updates and meetings. Tackling both work and responsibilities at home is highly detrimental to productivity.
Solution: You could tackle these issues by setting a timetable and segregating the office and household work into different timeframes to avoid clashes. You can also inform family members that you will be busy during particular hours. Setting priorities and deadlines can also do wonders. Many time-management apps help sort out our activities and keep us in touch with time. If you prioritize your work schedule, you’ll be able to tend to your office work and spend quality time with your family as well.
Technical issues
Working from home means relying on technology all the time! There’s no telling when these might go out of order. Moreover, many of us are not efficient enough when it comes to understanding complicated software. We might have been seeking help from colleagues at our workplace, but we’re on our own at home. We’re our saviors!
Solution: You should preferably use a laptop because it does away with the issue of power cuts. To overcome the sudden loss of data, you can upload it to cloud storage like Dropbox, OneDrive, etc. You can preserve sufficient mobile data if the Wifi doesn’t work. Also, keep extra headphones/earphones handy. Prepare for any such contingencies beforehand.
Communication Gap
We’re forced to communicate via emails more than ever before in these unprecedented times. But, unfortunately, this lack of face-to-face communication often results in huge misunderstandings and confusion within the teams.
Solution: Fortunately, we have many technological aids that fill this gap, such as Skype, which makes virtual communication feel real. Other social networking options like Whatsapp, Facebook video calls are also there. You can even conduct online meetings with the help of software like Google Meet, Microsoft Teams, Zoom, etc. So, you can use the cause of the problem itself as its solution, i.e., using technology to compensate for the loss of communication.
International time zone differences
Many issues arise while working remotely with people from other countries, such as lack of sync in time zones. As a result, it is difficult for people to collaborate and work simultaneously.
Solution: It calls for flexibility to tackle these differences. You can email or message your query so that others can reply at their convenience. However, if it is urgent, you should adjust and decide on a comfortable time that suits everyone.
Work-life balance
Working from home often becomes a dilemma because of obvious household responsibilities. Neglect the balance between the two, and you’ll find yourself in ill-health that leads to counter-productivity.
Solution: It is essential to fix the number of working hours. Doing that can help address the issue. Also, try to use the liberty of choosing the work hours if your office permits that. It could be a continuous 8 hours or 4 and 4 hours, whatever suits you best. You can use time-tracking tools and apps to schedule a productive day. If you work for a content writing company, flexible work hours are not a problem.
FOMO Interference in Productivity
The lack of face-to-face communication results in Fear of Missing Out (FOMO). Some of us feel that our work can be overlooked if not physically seen, making us conscious of being excluded from promotions and bonuses.
Solution: Certain guidelines and policies can address this issue. If there aren’t any, we might ask the company to provide the same. The best solution is to engage in regular communication with colleagues. Frequent office gatherings can also help and strengthen relationships.
Work from Home Health Concerns
It is only natural for us to take it easy while working from home. We tend to binge on snacks and other unhealthy foods while sitting in awkward positions in front of the screen all day. We often ignore exercising and staying active, resulting in dire health issues such as weight gain and joint pains.
Solution: The answer is disciplining your mind. We should restrain ourselves from indulging in unhealthy and overeating. The time at which you eat is also essential. Follow a timetable for waking up, sleeping, eating, and exercising.
Hirav Shah concludes by saying, “Don’t stress too much while working. Rest is essential, and working continuously can cause problems for our bodies and make our minds dull and unproductive. Therefore, frequent and small breaks in-between work are highly recommended.
Therefore, to contribute fully while working from home, we should pay attention to our health and find a balance in life.”
