There is a certain sense of freedom that comes with working from home (WFH). No commute expenses. You do not have to deal with Karen's intoxicating perfume, and you have the chance to enjoy work flexibility. However, remote work presents some challenges if you do not set boundaries. What's more, many people end up overworking themselves compared to working in an office setting.
Now, let us look at six of the most common work-from-home mistakes employees make and how to fix them. That way, you can make the most out of the opportunity, stay motivated and perform your best.
While working from your favorite beanbag and couch is not illegal, doing it repetitively is not advisable. Spending over six hours on the sofa daily can enhance the likelihood of slouching, leading to curvature of the spine and eventually back pain. For that reason, many health experts recommend working from an ergonomic chair. In fact, according to studies conducted by the home improvement marketing firm CraftJack, 38% of remote workers work from their bed and 45% work from their couches, leading to blurring the line between work and home. This affects your sleep patterns and productivity.
When WFH, create a dedicated workstation that allows you to be organized and attentive to your tasks. You can turn that guest bedroom into your home office or set a specific corner of your home as your office cubicle.
WFH often means having a 'whatever makes your cozy' dress code. However, in the words of the late Karl Lagerfeld, "sweatpants are a sign of defeat. You gave up control of your life when you purchased sweatpants." That stings, just a little, though, right?
While sweatpants are like a constant warm hug, they tend to inspire a laidback mood. In addition, dressing up from the waist up is not a good idea either. You never know when you would need to stand and grab faxed mail from your boss or even a spare mouse, and you want to be sure you have proper pants on. This does not mean you should spend hours contouring your face or choosing an outfit – just do not look like you rolled out of bed and found yourself in a video meeting. Cleanse your face, wear your favorite pants and blouse, and be WFH ready. That is it!
If you want to be productive at home, make sure you have the proper tools. For instance, even though you could use Gmail to share documents, it is easier to share them via Google Drive. When it comes to WFH collaborations, you need to have numerous tools and apps at your disposal and websites as if Remote Tools can help find the most suitable for your needs.
Your firm can also collaborate with other organizations to ensure your team uses proper collaboration tools to help you achieve your goals. What is important is that your team collectively decides on the platforms they will use and stick with them.
Remote working is entirely different from physical workspaces. At the office, co-workers and background noise continuously interrupt you. However, just because you are working from the comfort of your home office does not mean your body can suddenly handle seven uninterrupted hours of work.
Make sure you work in realistic, short blocks, and do not be too hard on yourself for needing some time off. If it is, work you know requires uninterrupted attention set longer work periods. However, if it is something you can do in shifts, be sure to set shorter work periods. Oh, and make sure to break up these work sets with some rewards – a hot cup of chocolate, one hour of yoga, or two episodes of your favorite Netflix show.
Staring at your PC, phone, and tablet for hours on end can be mentally draining. A recent survey showed that employees with poor lighting and limited ventilation suffer from migraines and eye-related issues. So, rather than spending four hours staring at your screen, be sure to incorporate the 20-20-20 rule – taking 20-second breaks from the screen every 20 minutes by looking at something 20 feet away. You can even spend a few minutes stretching or dancing to your favorite tune between your schedules.
When working remotely, you are working without interruptions (if you do not have kids, pets, or an energetic roommate). That means you can focus and get a lot done – probably even more than you would in an office space. That is awesome. In fact, you deserve a slice of salted caramel cake for being your most productive self. However, don't forget to let people know what you've been up to.
One of the most common mistakes remote workers make is not communicating enough. Just because you are WFH does not mean you are a team of one. You probably have a supervisor or employees under you, so be sure to communicate with them regularly. This doesn't mean you should shove your productivity down their throats. It just means you should share your progress and make meaningful constant with your colleagues and bosses.
Maybe its regular updates of a project management tool or social media campaign you are working on. Or perhaps the entire team has a once-a-week meeting to discuss what they have been working on and the challenges they have been facing. For others, sending an end-of-day/week email to their supervisor describing their progress and that they did not manage to do that day or week is best.
Whatever communications strategy you pot for, make sure to use them regularly.
