COVID-19 cases have surged all around the world. With almost the entire world observing a complete lockdown, serious uncertainty surrounds the end of this global pandemic. However, there’s no rest for businesses. As physical workplaces have been shut down, the popularity of the ‘work from home’ culture has increased exponentially.
Even though telecommuting had picked up the pace in the past few years, people still hadn’t imagined that almost the entire world would have to telecommute one day. However, working from home presents its unique challenges, especially to those employees who haven’t experienced anything like this before.
Here are a few challenges that people face while working from home during the COVID-19 quarantine.
1. Setting Up a Home Workspace
The first challenge that many people face is setting up a proper workspace at home. When you’re cooped up in your home for days on end, it’s but essential for you to set up a space dedicated to your work. However, the problem is that you are probably not the only one going through this. If you are quarantined along with multiple family members, it may be difficult to find the ideal workspace for yourself.
Moreover, while laptops are convenient and can be used anywhere around your house, they tend to make you lazy and less productive. For instance, working on your laptop while lying down on your bed can make you sleepy. So, one needs to make sure to choose a workspace where they can sit upright and concentrate properly, like the dining table or a study table.
2. Staying Focused and Productive
Even though technology has made it so much easier to work from home, it still isn’t the same as working from your office space. When you go to work, the only thing you are required to do is fulfill all your professional tasks. Working from home, on the other hand, can make you lose your focus and hinder your productivity. Moreover, time management can be quite a task even under the most ideal circumstances, and the situation most of us are in right now is far from ideal.
The key is to figure out all your distractions, whether it is your spouse, your children, your family, or your friends, and take control of your time. The first step to minimizing distractions or interruptions could be putting your phone on silent (if you don’t need it for work) or locking your room door so no one can disturb you.
3. Finding a Balance between Work and Life
No family has probably spent as much time together as they have right now during the quarantine. While it’s a disastrous time for some people, it has been pretty exciting for others. For instance, children are excited to see their parents working from home. Nevertheless, you need to establish some ground rules. With office work and other responsibilities, you probably won’t have enough time to play with your kids. So, make sure to communicate that to them.
Moreover, get a planner and start planning your day. Designate a portion of your day to work (typically 9 hours), then plan your house chores, family time, cooking, etc. This way, it will be easier for you to grasp the work from a home situation and strike a balance between your work and personal life.
There is no denying that working from home during COVID-19 has presented its own unique challenges. However, with the world heading towards digitization, individuals need to start focusing on telecommuting as it could become a considerable part of the future!
