Most of the people think that remote working means spending a happy time at home and peeking at the computer from time to time only. But believe me, this way of thinking is illusory and not as idyllic as it seems. There are plenty of ways to motivate yourself to stick to the deadlines more efficiently, but at first, we have to find out what causes our lack of concentration and unsatisfying results.
Here are some cons of remote working that may cause the mess:
1. It’s easy to lose the sense of time
Remote workers don’t often have a chance to go to the office – they’re spending at home most of the day, sometimes sitting on a couch, wearing their pajamas. All the discussions are taking place on Slack, and it makes them being online all the time. For several hours a day, they’re almost stuck with devices, and I do not leave their rooms, especially when they both work and sleep in them.
Of course, once they thought it was an excellent idea – after all, they do not waste time on commuting, they do not have to get up at least an hour earlier (it’s satisfying especially it in the winter months). However, when the spring begins, it became tiresome, it’s effortless to stick within these four walls.
In that case, it’s really easy to lose the sense of time – days are the same every day – from switching to turning off the computer. Daily routine has become almost automated – breakfast at eight, then a few hours spent in front of the screens, dog walk and sleep, but before they fall asleep they usually think of what they had not done at work yet.
You have to admit that this way of working is a bit pathetic – we don’t even have a chance to clean their minds. But one the remote workers should do is to watch the hours! Set a routine for a particular time of a day and keep an eye on time you devote to each task. Don’t let yourself think about the assignments when you’re relaxing!
Find out how to stay on track with time spent on working – right now!
2.Laziness
The possibility to stay at home all the time turned out to be more tempting than we thought. After all, the house is warm and pleasant, and you can always reach something from the refrigerator. It’s so easy to gain some extra kilos because we often treat a walk to the kitchen as a healthy stretching between tasks. Also, most of the people think about the remote workers that they’re spending most of the time on the couch, rarely touching the computer or other device and wear nothing but their pajamas. Isn’t it social stereotyping?
In addition to the bigger belly and lack of motivation, there is also a problem of sticking to deadlines. It turns out that laziness affects not just our body and mind, but also the sphere of responsibilities. Promise me, these who are working remotely have to prove they’re really self-disciplined to deal with this mess.
3. Watch out your health!
Many remote workers can say they spend almost every day on the couch. I have to admit that it’s really comfortable way of working – seems to be better than sitting in front of the desk. But believe me, it’s only for a short term because it causes back problems and terrible pain. However, having a computer on the laps, even when it’s supported by the special pillow, can cause the carpal tunnel syndrome. These who suffer from this disease constantly feel tingling and pain in the fingers and sometimes stiffness of the whole limb. The trick is to use the mouse instead of the touchpad, but we need a desk to do it – it’s hard to operate the mouse when sitting on the couch.
The pain of the right hand also comes with a daily headache, which is accompanied by burning and sore eyes. The problem goes away when using moisturizing and greasing drops, but without regular application, it comes back.
How to prevent these issues?
- Keep the room where you’re working ventilated, especially when it is so warm outside,
- Don’t forget to close eyes for a moment at least several times during work!
4. Less time for friends and family
Although remote workers spend most of their time with their family or friends, they rarely talk to each other. Their loved ones don’t want to interrupt them while working and it’s easy to understand. But the days are coming when everything distracts us, and we are obliged to catch up on. It directly results in the constant lack of time devoted to our relatives. It’s sad, isn’t it?
First and foremost: ensure your family as much time as they need to spend it with each other. I know that having a proper work- (private) life balance is hard to maintain, but believe me – if you watch it, your family will not suffer.
5. Lack of self-discipline
Home is a place where most of us feel safe. But when there is a moment when security is associated with a gradual withdrawal from society, be sure that something is going very wrong.
Believe me; it’s easy to stay for too long in the comfort zone while working remotely. There is always something to do at home that distracts us and makes us feel that we can complete work assignments and e.g. wash the dishes at the same time. Don’t let yourself to be fooled by this illusion – you can’t have too many irons in the fire!