7 Frustrating Things About Working Remotely and How to Deal with Them

Intro

If you don't want to spend your mornings waiting in traffic or enduring a crowded train ride, look into working from home.

There are challenges that come with the territory too though - do not be shy about asking for help on the subject!

When it comes to working from home, everyone has their own challenges. If you don't take charge of these seven frustrations, your experience might not live up to what you want.

Access to Resources

Office work can be challenging if you don't have the right tools to do your job. You might feel like you're set up for success, but things start breaking down as time goes on.

The office is a hub for productivity. Employees need:

• Reliable, high-speed internet to upload and download documents securely from the cloud or other colleagues seamlessly with video chat capabilities.
• Industry-specific equipment & tools such as printers/scanners are needed in this day of digital print workflows where printing hard copies may not be necessary at all times but still preferred by some businesses that operate quite literally on paper products too large to digitize easily (i.e., construction sites).
• Office supplies like pens, pencils and desk calendars always come in handy when deadlines draw near and it's important to keep track of due dates!

Hopefully, this list has made it clear to you just how many unexpected mishaps can happen during your move. It’s important to be prepared for any possible scenario and make a plan before the day off so that everything goes smoothly.

The perks of working in an office are hard to find at home. You'll never have access to your own personal drinking water cooler, and there's no janitorial staff on duty after hours. That means you're left with limited options for keeping the workplace clean

Working from home takes a lot of getting used to, and it’s frustrating when you don't have the same resources as in-person employees.

If being productive or overcoming obstacles is hard without them, try finding ways to change that situation!

What to do about it?

Your home office is the best place for you to work, but how can it compete with a company's? There are some things that we all know about productivity and organization. But there are also ways that your space at home might be more effective than an actual office environment!

Here’s how:

1. Resource allowance

It’s not often that you get a two-for-one deal, but in this case, your boss is giving and receiving.

Stipends for working from home can save the company money by cutting down on office space expenses or lowering utility bills, while also being convenient to employees who have relocated their professional lives into their homes due to increased workloads at work.

With these skills needed across many industries today, it's worth looking into what type of allowance may be available!

2. Office Life's Missing Luxuries?

The luxuries of an office can be replicated at home with enough preparation ahead of time.

This starts by stocking up on snacks and drinks before the workday begins. Buy these things in bulk from a wholesale store to ration out for your workdays.

Do the same with office supplies- get all essential supplies like pens, printer paper, staples, etc., and save yourself time as well!

Keep all your office supplies in one place. Store them at home for easy access and you'll never be without what you need again!

3. Last Resort: Co-Working Spaces

The chance of you not being able to find a way for your home office to be as well equipped as your old one is slim.

One downside to working from home is that you can’t always have the same office setup as your old workstation. If this sounds like an issue, consider looking for a co-working space nearby where you might be able to rent out some of their desks or offices in need.

Luckily for you, there are co-working spaces nearby that offer excellent internet and furniture setups at very low prices!

Not only is this great because now all those pesky distractions won't come between work hours anymore - but also because these places have been known to produce more employees than traditional offices themselves meaning they're filled with people who constantly want new ideas from one another which could often lead into innovative collaborations.

Physical and Mental Boundaries

Working in the same space where you relax is a tricky thing to do.

When your work and leisure activities overlap, it can be difficult for your brain to compartmentalize them as separate tasks.

The human mind has an innate ability to divide its labor when given enough room - so make sure that there's some clear separation between what goes on at home with personal commitments versus what happens at work!

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When we’ve been out of the house all day and come back in, a switch flips. One moment you are stressed about work deadlines then suddenly it seems like those thoughts slip away when you step through your front door for the first time that evening.

It is almost as if there is an invisible line on our mental map between “somewhere else” and “home,” with one side corresponding to stress-filled worry while the other corresponds to relaxation from just being at ease within what should be familiar surroundings - but often isn't taken seriously enough!

Working from home can easily become stressful and difficult if you don't take the right precautions to separate your work life from your personal one. One of these is by building up mental boundaries between spaces, which help us create a stronger association between certain tasks and each space we perform them in.

Working at an office, you build up mental boundaries that help you strengthen the association of certain tasks with each separate place which helps keep things organized in terms of space as well as mentally separating them for when it's time to do different activities.

It's important that when at home or working out of an office-like setting where there are no clear physical distinctions for what belongs on either side (or both) it becomes even more imperative to make sure those lines aren't blurred so much that all aspects of our lives get mixed together into one potluck stew with nothing clearly defined.

As evidenced by Digital Ocean's survey of home-based developers. 82% American respondents and 77% British respondents at home reported feeling burned out to some extent in 2019 alone. One factor that contributes heavily to this phenomenon is boundaries: you may feel like work never truly ends because there are no limits on your time or where it takes place.

What to do about it?

It seems like there are never enough hours in the day to get everything done.

You might feel overwhelmed and burnt out from working too much, but you can't have a work-life balance if you're always at your desk!

Boundaries matter - it's time for some new habits that will help solve this problem moving forward.

1. Dedicated workspace

A dedicated workspace is the best way to form boundaries mentally.

Every office needs a closed door, or maybe even half-wall? Curtains and special chairs can also create barriers between your work life and personal time!

A dedicated workspace doesn't need to take up an entire room. Just because you don’t have a ton of space, it doesn’t mean there isn’t any way for you to create your own private oasis from the chaos that surrounds us all day long.

Though it may not seem like much, even if your home only has one table and chair - there's no excuse for sitting on that same side of the furniture all day. When work is done, switch sides to give yourself space away from work so when you sit down again tomorrow morning; everything will be fresh and new!

2. Routine, the key to success

Maintaining a routine is an important part of maintaining mental boundaries and helps you maintain low levels of stress.

The more often you do something, the easier it is for your mind to prepare itself and stay focused on each task as they come up in sequential order.

Routines have been shown time and again to lower stress levels by giving us an outlet that's not only productive but also relaxing at times: just think about how much calmer we feel when we're able!

3. Self-Care Habits

In today's fast-paced world, it is hard to separate our work and personal lives.

The most successful people know that in order for them to maintain their mental health they need more than just a sense of relief after leaving the office.

They also need things that keep them engaged outside of work too. This can be anything from an exercise routine or hobby which helps contribute towards long-term wellbeing rather than short-term satisfaction or distraction.

4. The Disconnect

Working from home requires a lot of screen time and availability. If that’s the case for you, implement disconnection times starting at certain hours each day.

When clients, teammates, or other work colleagues can reach you about work all the time, it never feels like they are really outside your office door because no one is coming to get you any more than if someone were in their own house working on an assignment with chat windows open instead of logging off completely until tomorrow morning when things will start up again as usual!

Disconnect from work by not checking emails, texts, or social media until a certain time. This will give you the mental break you need without feeling like it’s taking away too much of your productivity during the day because there are still plenty of hours left in which to complete tasks at hand!

Constant Interruptions

Working from home is a mixed blessing.

On the one hand, you can work in your pajamas and skip that morning commute to save some time and gas money. But on the other hand, more opportunities arise for distraction with things like kids or roommates who live nearby or even just an overly noisy living environment.

Constant interruptions will make it difficult- if not impossible at times-to focus on any given task when there are always new distractions coming up unexpectedly all of the time!

Constant distraction is a surefire way to increase your stress.

You can't focus, you may find yourself reading the same sentence three times in a row or losing your train of thought! This makes it difficult for all aspects of life- both personal and professional -to thrive.

Distractions come in all shapes and sizes. Whether it’s your cat meowing at the door for attention, or a stream of unnecessary calls coming through on your cell phone while you work hard to get that report ready by the deadline; anything can break one's focus.

Once your focus is broken, it becomes difficult to continue working without losing time from distractions popping up left and right.

What to do about it?

If you're experiencing a disruption in workflow due to interruptions, it's time for action! Here are four steps that will help get your attention back on track.

1. Self-evaluation

Self-evaluation is one of the most important aspects of success.

If you know where your weaknesses are, then it becomes easier to correct them with time and effort.

Once self-evaluation has been done, take a moment to look at what causes distractions from both yourself as well as others in order to make changes so that they don't get in the way anymore!

2. Physical barriers

The best way to prevent distractions is by using physical barriers.

If you have a door with a lock, that's the easiest barrier for blocking out any unwanted noise and people who are trying to distract you from your work at hand.

Otherwise, use something else in place of an actual wall or doorway such as molding pieces on either side of one desk so there can be two separate spaces inside it--one workspace said accessible only when needed while the other space remains closed off during all hours of operation but still within arm’s reach if need-be!

3. Sound - off!

Noise is one of the most distracting things when you’re trying to work.

Even if no one is coming up to you, noise keeps us from working efficiently because it occupies our attention and prevents focus on anything else.

Fortunately, sound can be blocked or canceled out in a number of ways.

You can try Noise-Cancelling Headphones which block out distractions like loud music playing on someone else's phone, cheap soundproofing that creates a barrier between noisy neighbors living next door, or even earplugs so we don't have any interruptions while reading important documents.

4. Evaluating your situation

Is working from home a long-term part of your career?

If so, it's important to evaluate the sustainability of your current living conditions.

For the sake of mental health and career progress, you may want to look into possibilities that align better with those goals like moving somewhere new where more opportunities exist.

Office FOMO

Office life can be tough when you're not in the office with your coworkers.

You might feel like there are conversations going on that you want to participate in or events being planned which don't include you, even if they aren’t true and just a product of work from home FOMO (fear of missing out).

But how do you prove to yourself that you are not really missing anything when working remotely?

What to do about it?

The fear of missing out is a huge distraction for team members and individuals. It’s another form of mind-occupation that can keep your thoughts from being productive at work, especially when you should be focused on the task in front of you instead.

Here are some things to try if FOMO has been keeping up with you:

1. Having a solid team culture

It’s harder to cultivate a team culture with remote teams, but not impossible.

Having a solid team culture helps relieve FOMO by making the members of your company feel more connected and like they are part of something larger than themselves.

There is still hope for building up that connection!

Here are some ways you can do it:

• communicate often about the mission in an engaging way,
• reinforce standards regularly when needed (and set them at first!),
• establish rituals around things all employees should be involved in or care about - from showing employee appreciation on Fridays to sharing lunch every other week.

2. Built-in break rooms

It can be difficult to find time for relationships in the workplace. However, giving people space where they are free from work-related topics will help them form meaningful friendships and connections with one another on their own terms.

If you use online tools like Slack or Teams, it’s easy enough to create a special chat room that is only used outside of work hours so there isn't any confusion between friends and colleagues when chatting about personal matters.

With this extra buffer zone around your computer screen - whether physical or virtual- coworkers can socialize meaningfully while still maintaining professionalism at the office.

Being Home All the Time

We all need to get out of the house once in a while!

You may feel restless, lonely, and frustrated if you never leave your home. Even though it's easy just staying put at home when working from there too because then you'll always be "home".

Going back and forth from work every day introduces new stimuli into your life that help break up the monotony of working out in one place for too long!

If you're a stay-at-home worker who has just begun this lifestyle choice or have been doing it sometime now, make sure to give yourself some variety with tasks so as not feel bored constantly around the house - try taking on freelance jobs here and there whenever possible (you can even set these gigs up while still sitting comfortably at home) since they provide fresh challenges plus an opportunity to get away from behind screens once in a while without ever leaving your living room.

When you work from home all day every day, it’s easy to develop the feeling that you never leave your house.

You might feel like there's no point in leaving and everything is accessible via phone or computer screen. That can lead to feelings of loneliness because people need social interaction with others for a healthy mental state.

When this happens too often, chronic loneliness develops which may escalate existing mental issues such as depression.

For people who work from home, the feeling of being constantly at work is not uncommon. They don't even feel like they can take sick days and choose to stay around when ill instead.

The constant "at-home" mindset, combined with other factors like working while sick and not taking time off when needed can take a toll on your mental health!

What to do about it?

If you work from home, it can be difficult to get yourself out of the house. But that doesn’t mean there aren’t simple things to do in order to get out of your own four walls more often or improve your health.

1. Planned trips

There are many ways to combat the winter blues. One of them involves going outside every day for a bit, whether it be taking your dog on a walk or just doing some light gardening in the front yard.

The easiest way is by planning some paid time off trips that involve leaving home and seeing friends/family regularly so you don't feel like "Snowed-In" Scrooge when thinking about social engagements with other people during this time of year!

2. Exercise Habits

The best way to make sure you’re getting out on a regular basis is by exercising. Not only does exercise get your blood flowing and spend time outdoors, but it also helps fight off loneliness and isolation!

It can be as simple as going for a walk in the morning or heading out to the gym once or twice per week!

3. Mindful Substitution

Want a new way to explore the world? Try mindful substitution! This enlightening technique urges you away from convenience and into exploration.

Rather than ordering everything online, make it your goal for going out-of-the-office lunch breaks at nearby parks or gardens. Find others who work from home on social media and plan an outing together.

Decide to be adventurous and leave the house more often. It is easy to build a life that doesn’t require leaving your home today, but you can also make an active decision for change in how you live.

People Management and Accountability

Being a manager is difficult enough in an office, but when you take the office away and try to work remotely as one, everything becomes more complicated.

It's simply harder to communicate with your team members or get updates on their progress without being able to see them face-to-face; which makes it even tougher for managers that suffer from high-stress levels than those who don't have the responsibility of managing people at all.

More often than not remote management can be seen as unengaging because there are fewer opportunities for casual interactions between peers due to time zone differences and less diversity within teams.

Managers might have a hard time with people management when working remotely. They tend to experience higher levels of stress and it's more difficult to get the job done because you're not around those who need your input!

What to do about it?

Unfortunately, there’s no easy fix to this issue in sight. But don't fret! There are still some useful things you can do right now:

1. Accountability Tools

Sometimes the right toolset is all you need to monitor progress and stay on track with your goals.

For example, if it's important that team members be accountable (and talk about their work), tools like time tracking software or cloud-based collaboration projects might help make sure everyone stays up-to-date on what they're working on and how much time they spend doing it during work hours so that productivity doesn't decrease as deadlines approach.

Although these types of accountability systems may require additional training before use.

2. Regular meetings

Meetings with your coworkers can help to keep them on track. Give the team a set time each week that they know you will be asking for progress reports and use one-on-one meetings as well, so people feel less intimidated in front of others.

Difficulty Staying in Touch

Some people think that working from home is a great idea, but for others, it can be very lonely and difficult. The only options to communicate with someone are video calls or voice calls which means you may not always feel connected to those around you.

Unfortunately, there's no way for co-workers who work remotely to just get up and go talk about their thoughts in person - the remote worker would have to do all of this through chat conversations on an app like Skype.

Missing key information is not a mistake you want to make, especially if it's due to assumptions.

What to do about it?

It's easy to lose touch with your colleagues when you're not actively communicating. The good news is, there are ways to stay in the know.

1. Setting “office hours”

Setting your office hours is a great way to show your team you are dedicated.

You don’t have to be available all the time, because that might cause distraction. Setting some limits can make it easier for everyone on the team to get what they need done in their day-to-day work and still feel like there's always someone at the other end of an email or chat room who cares about them as people not just resources.

Make sure you are available during a set time every day and let people know so they can reach out to you.

It's like office hours for teachers, where at that time of the day, their work is done but they're still open to talking with students who want help or advice.

2. Be the initiator

At the end of the day, keeping in touch with coworkers is a part of your job. It's time-consuming to be on top of every little detail and you might feel like it’s not worth bothering people when they don't bother contacting you first.

But, when it comes to keeping in touch - be the initiator!

Call an old client who didn't buy from us last time around but might still have some interest in what we do now for their business needs? Post something engaging, funny or interesting on one of those social media groups where everyone likes posting nice thoughts about themselves - just make sure you tag.

Final Thoughts

Working from home has its perks, but it also comes with a share of challenges.

If you can identify and solve some of the worst frustrations that are common among those who work at home on occasion or full time, then there is plenty more to enjoy about this situation!