Working from bed and staying in pajamas all day felt like a dream come true when the pandemic started. However, we started missing our old desks and small talks in the office.
Here is a list of the most common challenges remote workers face and some advice on how to tackle them.
1.   Taking care of mental health
A dramatic change to a new environment and new working arrangments can have significant impact on people’s mental health. On top of that, some company may be forced to adopt new strategies in the hope of maintaining efficiency and control over itseemployees, but these changes can cause increased employee anxiety. For instance, companies using remote surveillance tools to track their staff’s progress and productivity can have deteriorating effects on employee mental wellbeing. According to ExpressVPN’s study, 56% of employees feel stressed and more anxious due to remote work surveillance, while 32% of them admitted taking fewer breaks because of it.
Advice:
If you feel overwhelmed and notice that your work atmosphere affects your mental wellbeing, take time to analyze the biggest issues in your daily routine. Isolate the problems you can solve by yourself, create a step-by-step strategy for those, and determine which issues are problems in your work environment. Have a constructive conversation with your coworkers and address what’s affecting your mental health. Also, never hesitate to seek professional help if your mood change has become more than a temporary issue.
2. Maintaining the balance between personal and professional life
Many remote workers find it difficult to maintain the boundary between home and work life. The urge to constantly check the inbox got even stronger with employees being unable to physically separate their workspace and living space. Being able to switch off from work to give ourselves the adequate time to rest, recover and feel refreshed for a new day of work remains an important process in everyday life, this was made all the more difficult with employees not having that change in scenery. The added pressure and the lack of proper rest can quickly lead to emotional burnout.
Advice:
Make sure to plan your workday and have breaks that you don’t spend in the same space you’re working in. Go for a walk, do a quick yoga session or drink your coffee on the balcony. Keep in mind to set reasonable and achievable goals and always plan your free time. This way, you’ll resist the temptation to stay behind the laptop all day. It will lift your spirit because you’ll have something to look forward to the whole day.
3. Solving technical issues and limiting security risks
Having a team of IT experts working right beside you is a blessing we can no longer enjoy when working remotely. Remote workers often have issues with explaining their technical difficulties to the IT team, and resolving these issues in most cases takes much more time than it would in the office. Those who are not as tech-savvy might feel more anxious about not being able to meet work expectations. Moreover, unresolved technical issues or the lack of security measures can lead to security breaches that expose your company’s sensitive data and threaten everyone’s privacy.
Advice:
Never ignore any technical issues because if they’re not addressed promptly and adequately, it can result in serious damage. Also, make sure to explain every issue in detail to speed up the process. A good piece of advice for companies is to ensure there documentation with step-by-step instructions on dealing with the most common technical issues and organize regular meetings with the IT team to ensure a seamless workflow.
4. Managing projects and team collaboration
Organizing and managing complex projects on Zoom can sometimes feel like mission impossible. Seemingly minor misunderstandings can eventually cause delays in projects. Some people might also be unwilling to bring up difficult topics over emails or virtual meetings in the fear of coming off badly.
Advice:
Talk with your team about their preferred communication channels and address the most significant obstacles they face while communicating with each other online. Discuss which communication tools would fit your business model and your unique needs and goals, and choose the one the team is more comfortable with.
Keeping a healthy balance between personal and professional life can be a true challenge while working remotely, especially when implementing new approaches and technologies that can impact your wellbeing. Thus, make sure to effectively express your concerns and raise any critical questions you have with peers or employers. Having an open dialogue earlier rather than later can help set expectations and set your team up for success.
