The Biggest Challenges of Working Remotely and Solutions to Overcome Them

Do you remember that about 20 years ago, everyone wanted to work from home? However, the norm was to work in the traditional 9 to 5 office hours. People would commute daily to the office or workplace. However, tech innovations and advanced online tools changed this landscape forever.

One study shows a 159% increase in remote work just in the United States since 2007. According to McKinsey, 58% of surveyed people can work from home at least one time a week. Remote work provides multiple benefits, such as:

On the other hand, working from home has numerous challenges. For example, you can face issues like productivity management, distractions, isolation, communication problems, and time management issues. Let’s discuss some common challenges people encounter while working from home and explore practical solutions for overcoming these issues.

Remote work challenges and solutions

Some of the challenges that remote workers are facing are:

Let’s explain each issue and explore practical solutions to overcome them.

Overworking

Overworking can blur boundaries between your personal and work life. For example, you are a web developer, finding amazing clients on popular job boards. Thanks to it, you have a steady inflow of things to do and created a comfortable home office, yet you find yourself overworking. Why is that? 

Well, first of all, you simply must finish the task – let’s say you have to design a webpage and deliver it today. You usually work 6 to 8 hours, but this one takes you 12 to 15 hours. In that case, the task is past your usual work hours. But you have to finish this task. Otherwise, your client may be dissatisfied with the delivery time.

So, how do you overcome such an issue? You can request an extended delivery time. But this is a more specific solution. You want something that fixes the problem for each and everything you do from your home office.

One practical solution is setting an alarm to mark the end of your workday. At the same time, this can help you schedule regular breaks. For example, you can drink a cup of tea or coffee to refresh yourself and regain clarity.

Prioritizing Work

You love your home office, but it does not have the traditional office environment and structure. So if you are not experiencing usual cues from a traditional work environment, you may find it challenging to prioritize your tasks.

Sometimes, you don’t have a boss who can tell you to prioritize specific tasks. Likewise, you don’t discuss important concepts with your colleagues, just like most employees do in a physical office. So you don’t know how to tackle some tasks.

For example, you always start your day with a long list of tasks, and you don’t have the traditional structure and environment of an office. So, you can’t really decide which task to start with, and you end up switching between them.

As a result, you leave many of these tasks unfinished. How do you overcome this issue? There are various solutions to this problem, but one of the most effective is using project management tools.

Some tools frequently used in a remote work environment are Trello, ClickUp, and Asana. These tools help to organize and prioritize tasks. Thanks to their features, you can visualize workload, set deadlines, and track progress.

Productivity and time management

Managing time and maintaining productivity are massive problems for most remote workers. Juggling multiple tasks can cause a lack of clarity, leading to decreased productivity. Likewise, if you struggle with time management, you may not get the most out of your work. Some of the reasons behind time wastage in the remote work environment are:

Remember, effective time management is very important for people working from home. Some of the best techniques you can use to improve on it are:

There are various other tools to help you with productivity such as Slack and Google Calendar, but using too many can actually cause more confusion and lost time. It’s best to limit yourself to just a few ones that are your favorites.

Interruptions

Some people working from home experience various interruptions, such as:

Let’s say you live in a very bustling city apartment. You just heard the doorbell rang. What is that? Oh! That’s another delivery! You received the parcel, then you returned to your home office to work on your project. 

Now, your phone starts buzzing with email and social media notifications. So, these things distract you. And this is one of the most significant challenges for remote workers. However, you can overcome this problem by implementing strategies like:

Master the art of working remotely 

We have discussed some critical issues regarding remote work and explored practical solutions. But remote work also has other challenges, such as time zone differences, feelings of isolation, lack of motivation, networking issues, technical problems, lack of accountability, physical strain, and difficulty in career growth. 

So, if you face any of these issues, take them one by one. Mastering remote work is a journey of great benefits that you have no other choice than to embark on. Otherwise, working from the comfort of your home becomes a headache.