The outbreak of COVID-19 has had a profound effect on the way we work. For many of us, working from home has become the new normal. While there are some advantages to this arrangement - such as greater flexibility and no commute - it can also be challenging to stay focused and productive.

Both firms and workers have had to be flexible in response to the rising popularity of remote employment. Although working remotely has its benefits, it also presents a number of difficulties that must be addressed by both employers and employees for the arrangement to be really productive.

As the threat landscape continues to evolve, businesses need to establish comprehensive plans to deal with issues ranging from potentially low employee engagement to rising cybersecurity vulnerabilities. An appreciation of the difficulties encountered by workers provides some of the motivation for this. 

Working from home challenges

Working from home can be a great way to get things done in a more relaxed environment, but it can also present some challenges. For example, it can be easy to get distracted by household chores or other people in the home. It can also be difficult to stay disciplined and focused when there are no set office hours or workplace rules. However, there are some things you can do to overcome these challenges and make working from home work for you. For instance, try to set regular office hours and stick to them as much as possible. Create a dedicated workspace that is separate from your living area, and make sure to take breaks throughout the day to stretch your legs and get some fresh air. 

#1.No boundaries between work and personal life 

The private sanctity of one's own home has made it an ideal place to retreat from the world. It's a culture shock for some to have a piece of their sanctuary invaded by work, and many people see their homes as sanctuaries.

As a result of this unexpected intrusion, it can be difficult to distinguish between work and personal time, which can contribute to increased levels of stress.

Solution

It's crucial to have a separate space set out as a workplace in a home office. We'll walk you through the steps of establishing a home office:

• Set up a desk in a peaceful corner of the house. Don't get into the trap of trying to get work done while sitting on the couch.
• Bring in some office supplies to make it feel more like home when you're working from home.
• Do not perform any non-work-related activities in your home office.

#2.Conflicts between work and personal life

 It can be difficult to separate business and personal life when there is no obvious way to turn off electronics at the end of the day.

It's not uncommon for people to check and reply to emails at odd hours of the night. However, overworking at home can have negative effects on motivation and quality of work if employees don't take breaks.

Solution

Encouragement of vacation use is a tried-and-true method of fostering a healthy work-life balance among employees. Remind your workaholic employees that they need time off, too; in 2020, only 22% of remote workers took three weeks off, while the vast majority took even less.

Encourage workers to schedule their work hours in advance and to refrain from doing any job, no matter how minor, outside of these periods. This affords employees much-needed downtime to focus on their health.

#3.Unhealthy lifestyle

Maintaining a healthy work-from-home workforce is difficult since sedentary lifestyles are not healthy. Sitting at a desk for long periods of time and snacking on unhealthy foods throughout the day are two major contributors to the decline in worker health.

Solution

 Spend your spare cash on a training boot camp. There are several outside organizations that specialize in planning and executing outdoor educational programs.

The benefits, such as healthier and more engaged workers, go without saying. Get everyone together for a quick outdoor shower and spruce up. A team-building exercise is in order.

#4. Having trouble keeping track of time 

One of the most difficult aspects of telecommuting is keeping track of time since workers tend to lose sight of the passage of time while working from home. The individual and the business will face difficulties if they are unable to manage their time effectively.

Solution​

​Having a set schedule can help you stay on top of everything during the week. To better manage their time, Google Calendar users can schedule blocks of time for events like meetings and work sessions.

Another option is to make a list of everything you need to get done this week, broken down into daily chores. This is very much like being back in school, yet the fundamentals are eternal.

There's nothing more fulfilling and inspiring than crossing items off a list.

#5. No motivation to work

It's common to lack motivation occasionally, even if you're normally a motivated worker. Everyone experiences this at some point in their working lives.

The challenge is to keep working even when you don't feel like it. Organizations should prioritize frequent communication and make check-ins a regular part of operations (daily or weekly).

It's important for managers to be aware of the factors that could be contributing to their teams' lack of motivation.

Solution

Self-motivation for those who work from home can be achieved in many subtle ways. This refers to taking part in whatever makes you happy.

Get up a little earlier than usual and do some gentle yoga. Before diving into your to-do list, I recommend getting some coffee and making some breakfast.

Gamification, the practice of incorporating game-like aspects into the workplace (such as quizzes and tournaments offering prizes to players for completing their professional objectives), is another useful strategy for those working remotely. AgilityPortal intranet has gamification features that can be used to solve this problem.

#6.Problems in communication and collaboration

 Teamwork, collaboration, and open communication are more important when members of the team are dispersed geographically.

However, picking the best remote work tool and deciding between the different platforms available might be challenging due to the abundance of possible channels for cooperation.

It is challenging for teams to complete their work together and reach their goals on time when they must collaborate and communicate across great distances.

Solution 

Even while implementing a social intranet like AgilityPortal is wonderful for communication and socializing amongst employees, your team will still require powerful collaboration tools.

Maintaining productivity while workers are dispersed can be challenging if they lack the means to work together.

#7.Disconnection from fellow team members

When you work from home on a regular basis, you may start to feel alone.

It can be lonely to spend so much time away from the workplace, especially if one is used to the easy banter that occurs around the water cooler and in the hallways on a daily basis.

Solution

If you're a manager, you should know how vital it is to your staff to maintain human contact, even if they do most of their job remotely.

The solution lies in implementing a social intranet. It's more than just an intranet because workers may like, share, and comment on posts in addition to receiving company news and accessing company files.

Teams have built groups in their social intranet platforms where workers can discuss their favorite sports teams or artists, post hilarious content, and bond over a shared interest in order to combat feelings of isolation. Alternatively, you can also set up a group chat to talk about things that aren't work-related.