2020 has been the year of remote work. Increasing numbers of people are being encouraged to switch to working from home in a bid to slow the spread of coronavirus and Covid-19 around the world. This is a process that has been being carried out since March in order to conform with government guidelines being given around the world, so, chances are, if you can work from home, you are currently working from home. But switching to home working isn’t as simple as breaking out your laptop at home and getting to businesses. The vast majority of us have had to take baby steps towards adjusting to remote working life. This isn’t exactly something that many of us were prepared for and it took the vast majority of us by surprise. So, as you get used to home working, you’ll find yourself gradually facing common home office problems that you’ll need to overcome to be as productive as possible. Here are some that you may face, as well as some simple ways to overcome them.
People Distracting You While You Work
When you leave your home to go and work in the office in the morning, you don’t usually see your nearest and dearest until you get home. The office environment provides you with a professional space, away from distraction, where you can really focus on your work. But when it comes to working from home, you’re not quite so separated and people you live with can pop in and out, distracting you at regular intervals during the day. These distractions may be small – an offer of a drink, a quick question, asking for a quick helping hand with a chore or task – but even small breaks in your chain of thought or working processes mount up and can drastically reduce your productivity. So, you need to do your utmost to stop people distracting you throughout the day. First, you could consider dedicating a whole room to your work. If you have a guest room or other spare room, you could convert it into a home office – a space where you shut the door and work and nobody distracts you until you’re finished and leave. This can provide you with a distinct workspace where others can keep you out of sight and out of mind. If you don’t have a spare room, you may simply have to verbally lay down some boundaries. Let your family or friends you live with know that they simply can’t distract you during the working day. They should respect this.
Home Issues
Office spaces are specially designed for productivity. There are maintenance services who can be called in to make the space professional and ensure that everything is in full working order. If there’s a leak, broken wires or you need preventative pest control to guarantee a good working environment in the office, they’ll be called in. When you work from home, these kinds of tasks will be your own responsibility. Dedicate some time outside of your working day to ensure that your surroundings are in working order without any problems that could make you uncomfortable or distracted during your working hours. If there are issues, have them resolved by a professional as quickly as possible.
Invest in Your Internet Connection
When you work from home, you rely entirely on your internet connection to communicate with your colleagues and management, to submit your work, or to complete your work. Without an internet connection, chances are you won’t get a whole lot done. Now, most of us do already have an internet connection. But in order to work effectively, you need a good internet connection. This is why you might want to consider upgrading to a quality provider with quality services. A good internet service will prevent buffering, freezin, downtime and other problems that could see you struggle working from home. If you have the option of fibre, chances are you should take it. You can also use price comparison sites to compare deals and speed calculators that will show you the best speeds available in your area.
Working from home comes with its own set of unique problems that could disrupt your working day and your productivity levels. But hopefully, highlighting them above has helped to prepare you for potential issues and the following advice will ensure you know what to do to avoid or resolve them as best possible!
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