6 Work from Home Challenges and How to Overcome Them

Photo by Chris Montgomery on Unsplash.

During these trying times, numerous employees have been forced to adjust to working remotely. No more waking up early for a long and tiring commute, no dressing up for work, and no awkward encounters in the pantry with those certain coworkers! Indeed, working remotely has its benefits, however it is not all sweatpants and Zoom meetings.

Beware of these challenges, so that after identifying them, you will be better prepared to deal with the pitfalls of working from home.

1. Distractions

No matter how much you focus, you will find it difficult to avoid all interruptions at home. You may have your children asking you for help on their virtual classes, friends and relatives always messaging you the latest news, and the near constant flow of deliveries coming to your apartment or house. It is easy to get distracted and some days these might get the best of you, so you should look to be aware of your surroundings to best overcome these challenges.

Solution: Set boundaries

If you live with other people, you need to set aside a time or space where you can work uninterrupted. Let them understand that you have work to do and that it needs your full time and attention. Remove all things that can easily deviate from the focus and concentration you are trying to initiate and stick to your regular schedule.

2. Managing Your Time

Even though you are working at home, the company’s working hours remain in use. If you have not been keeping an eye on your time, you might have the trouble of work piling up, so you must learn how to manage your time wisely and how to be independent.

Solution: Prioritize and schedule

If you are feeling overwhelmed, making a to-do list may be an ideal solution where you can then decide on the tasks to prioritize. A pro-tip: categorize your to-do list with appropriate headings for a clearer, more concise manner of planning to give you a bird’s eye view of your work schedule.

After that, segment what you will do because grouping the things that you can do today or for the following days will give you an overview and control of your work plan. To manage your time, you may create online calendars, download time management apps, or jot down on your planner some reminders when you need to shift to another task.

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3. Maintaining Effective Communication

Without being in a place where you can just personally come right up to your colleague and ask them for updates, we rely on different communication platforms to keep in touch with other employees who are also working from home. You may find it difficult to coordinate the team members and to stay on the same page.

Solution: Set daily/weekly/monthly meetings

One way of keeping your employees aligned with the company’s target is to convert in-person meetings to video meetings. This depends on the urgency of the matter and on the frequency you want to do it.  To have short catch ups and know where they are on the project milestone, you may have daily or weekly updates with the team. You can also do it on a monthly schedule, especially when you want to discuss the summary of efforts the company has done so far.

4. Maintaining Work-Life Balance

Photo by Yasmina H on Unsplash.

The struggle is real. You no longer have a clear demarcation between your personal and professional life. Your work is done at the comfort of your own home; the same place where you rest and where you are preoccupied of everything you have to do. One of the ways to overcome this is pretty much mentioned in this whole blog; schedule, schedule, schedule.

Solution: Set your goals

Set your goals for the day and make sure to stick to that schedule or else you might be off track again of the work you have to do.  Always remember that work does not make 100% of your life. You still have a life outside of work, so don’t deprive yourself of the relaxation and enjoyment you deserve.

Read also: How to Master the Art of Work-Life Balance through Coworking

5. Lacking Human Interaction

Feeling of loneliness is not new when it comes to remote working. You feel disconnected from quality relationships not only inside the workplace, but also from your social circle. We may have Messenger, WhatsApp, Hangouts, etc. to talk with our friends wherever they are, but it is different when you are actually interacting with them. Studies say that long periods of social isolation have repercussions. 

Solution: Break your WFH with some trips to coworking spaces

Working from home daily would just mean that you are faced with the same surrounding and same ambience, thus adding up to your desire to go out. You may visit coworking spaces without having to sacrifice your work and tasks for the day, but make sure that the coworking space you are going to is safe and would truly make you feel energized and productive. Most coworking spaces have free wifi where you can connect to, chairs where you can freely choose the most comfortable ones,  and cups of coffee you can limitlessly enjoy. 

Read also: Moving Into a Flexible Workspace? Here's What You Need to Know

6. Wanting Motivation

Sometimes - or maybe most of the time - you find it hard to work because your brain tells you that you are at home, a place of comfort and relaxation. Although inspiration comes from within, external factors may still come at play and affect your level of motivation.

Solution: Look for places that cultivate motivation

Coworking spaces vary differently depending on the space, layout, design, mood, and vibe.  Finding the right place that cultivates motivation is what you should be looking for when you are planning to work outside. FlySpaces has a flexible coworking space subscription service, called Passport where you can gain access to a variety of top coworking spaces in your city.

FlySpaces Passport subscription is available in Singapore, Manila, Kuala Lumpur, and Jakarta and it provides the best combination of savings and flexibility depending on your needs! Let’s say you have finally decided to schedule a visit to a coworking space just to have a change of scenery and to have a break from remote working, you can choose from a variety of coworking spaces in different locations and gain access to these using the passes that come with the subscription. With our starter package, you have the option to select from your favorite places and get passes that are not just limited to one location and one coworking space.

So what are you waiting for? Time to beat all these challenges and work where you don’t have to sacrifice productivity and motivation! Check out our wide selection of coworking spaces around Southeast Asia and look for the one that best suits your needs.