This will be a monthly series where I answer frequently asked questions about remote work or working from home. Have a question that you want answered in a future edition of Coffee Talk? Fill out the form at the bottom of this post and I might answer it in a coming episode!
Question: Is there anything you don’t like about working remotely?
This is SUCH a great question! In today’s world, the remote work lifestyle tends to be glamorized and often viewed as the unicorn career. However, like any job or career, there are certainly drawbacks and disadvantages. It’s important to recognize this because if you’re expecting things to be perfect when you work remotely, then you’re setting yourself up for disappointment.
If you are already working remotely, I hope this post makes you feel less alone, and that we all have struggles, whether we work in a 9-5 job with a cubicle or from a beach in Bali. Second, if you don’t work remotely, but are hoping to in the future, I hope that this post gives you a good idea of what to expect.
I will also share tips for solving each of these problems!
1. Loneliness
I want to start with the downside that I hear about the most, and that’s loneliness. When I first started working from home, I was EXTREMELY lonely, and at first I didn’t even recognize it as loneliness. The year before I started working remotely I was still in grad school and had a great group of friends and peers. Going from a built in friend group to nothing felt like a complete change of pace that I had no idea how to deal with.
When you work remotely, taking the time to make friends and build community is essential. It might feel uncomfortable at first, but solving this problem will make a big difference in your overall quality of life.
- Solution: Think about what an ideal social life looks like for you. Do you need to put in place a weekly coffee date with a friend, date night with a significant other, etc. If you’re on the more introverted side, 2-3 events a week might be plenty, whereas an extrovert might want an evening activity 5-7 nights a week. Either way, find what works for you.
Also, if most of your work is solo work, try to find a remote work accountability partner to do a video conference with weekly or monthly. Or, if you have regular meetings with your team or colleagues, try using Zoom so that you can see each other. Just adding a little human interaction can make a big difference.
2. Blurred Work/Life Balance
Unless you set clear boundaries, it’s easy to find yourself working longer hours as a remote worker than if you were in an office. When we don’t plan out our days, it’s easy to make poor decisions. Or, try cutting down the time that you’re allowing per task or project. For example, if you time block 3 hours for a task, think through whether or not you really need 3 hours. If you really focus is it possible to get it done in 2 hours?
Another problem with this blurred work/life balance is that it can sometimes be difficult for us as remote workers to shut off work. When your workspace is in your home or your laptop is your work computer, it’s easier than ever to switch back and forth between work and play.
I have to say, this has been a big struggle for me. There are days when I’m always thinking about work or feeling guilty because I COULD be doing something else. However, it’s important to remind ourselves that we’re not robots and none of us should be working all the time. We all need breaks and it’s completely normal and healthy to spend time with friends, family, and just relaxing and recharging.
- Solution: Try sticking to a schedule, just like when you worked in an office. For example, from 8-4 or 9-6, or whatever allows you to get your work done. You could also do a split workday if that works for you, working in the morning and evening depending on when and how you work best.
3. Distractions
When I talk with other remote workers, it usually doesn’t take long before we start talking about distractions. Especially for those of us who primarily work from home, the distractions can seem to be ongoing and never ending. From dishes that need to be done, to laundry, to the lure of a short break to watch Netflix, the struggle is real.
When it comes to distractions, an obvious area is social media and our phones. I used to really struggle with this but since I rarely use social media now, this doesn’t seem to be an issue for me. If social media tends to be a huge distraction for you, try deleting your apps for a few days or a week and see how it makes you feel.
- Solution: One of the best ways to combat distractions is to have solid systems in place. The more that we set ourselves up with good habits and productive systems, the less we refer back to poor habits.
- For example, if you work from home, try setting specific days and times for household tasks like laundry, cleaning, dishes, etc. In my case, I do a load of laundry on Friday night and a second load on Saturday morning. Because I have a system in place, I never get distracted by laundry.
Final Thoughts
While working remotely isn’t always easy, I still believe that the pros far outweigh the cons, at least for me. I love the freedom that working remotely creates! What are YOUR biggest challenges with working remotely or from home? Feel free to send me an email at betsy@betsyramserjaime.com I’d love to hear from you!
Also, do you have a remote work question that you want me to answer in a future post? Leave it below!
Remote Work Challenges
