After all the back-and-forth we’ve seen over the subject in the last few years, it’s clear at this point that remote work is here to stay, and many people are not willing to give up on it.
And while that’s great, it’s also important to reflect on what we’ve learned through that time and understand some of the negative implications associated with this style of working.
As great as remote work is, it also has some potential pitfalls that you need to be aware of – and it’s up to you to ensure that your life remains balanced as you make the transition.
Are You Relying on Coworkers for Social Contact Too Much?
One surprising revelation that emerged for many people is that they’d been relying on their coworkers for social interactions too heavily. As many people found themselves isolated at home, this became much more obvious. Thankfully, it’s also something that’s rather easy to prevent.
Make sure to set aside some time in your schedule for building and maintaining social contacts. Some people pull back from this for various reasons – age, time, interests – but the reality is that it’s much easier than you probably think.
Treat Yourself to an Occasional Getaway
Just because you can work from home, doesn’t mean that you have to stay there exclusively. Give yourself the opportunity to relax in a unique new location from time to time.
It doesn’t matter if it’s something more remote and secluded like the Still Rabbit lodges, or even a room in a hotel right in the middle of your town – the important point is to enjoy some change of scenery and use the opportunity to take it in.
Explore the local area, switch up your working arrangements to mix things up a bit, and see how this will reflect on your productivity.
Turn Your Breaks into Something Productive
Speaking of productivity, it’s unfortunate that many people don’t seem to realise the huge opportunity this situation presents them with in terms of improving their own personal schedule. Any time you’re about to take a break from work, think about a minor chore you can take care of around the house.
Start the washing machine, take out the rubbish, put some things away – there’s no shortage of options in this regard. Before you know it, you’ll have developed a very useful habit, and you’ll start looking at every break as an opportunity to do something useful and clean up your schedule a little bit more.
Those are just some examples of things you should consider addressing in the current situation. There are likely various other points that are more unique to your own specific environment.
You should take the time to think about them and explore opportunities for improving your work-life balance, because right now you’ve been provided with a special chance to do just that. And remember that you don’t have to do everything all at once either – you can take things slowly, step by step, and develop a new routine that works better for you.
