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How to Overcome Challenges of Working from Home

Working from home has been the norm for many people for quite some time now since the coronavirus pandemic first hit. And it may be a while – if ever – before things shift back to the way they used to be.

As great as it can be to “go to work” in your favorite sweatpants, remote work also comes with unique challenges as you strive to stay healthy, successful, and productive. Here are some hurdles that may feel familiar to you, along with tips to jump them and put them behind you:

Zoom Fatigue

Yup, it’s a real thing. After months of videoconferencing, Zoom fatigue is another name for mental exhaustion from having to focus on coworkers’ faces for long periods to make sure you’re paying attention. It’s also known as a “constant gaze.” As noted by the Wall Street Journal, another unfortunate outcome can be decreased productivity.

  • Relieve Zoom fatigue by taking breaks from your screen periodically throughout the day. Also, consider whether you can substitute a phone call or email for at least a few of your video sessions.
  • Pressure to Keep Up Your Performance

    It’s normal to feel like you have to “prove yourself” more when you work from home. After all, your manager and coworkers aren’t around to keep an eye on you and this can get in your head, to the point where you may feel pressed to work a lot more than you would at the office.

  • As counterproductive as it may sound at first, it helps block time off on your daily schedule for breaks and downtime. Set a timer or block this time off on your desktop calendar – and use it for non-work related activities that you enjoy and find refreshing, like reading, listening to music, or taking a walk or YouTube yoga class. It’s recharge time – and when you sign off for the day, you can truly relax.
  • Distractions

    More so than at the office – though they certainly exist there, as well! – any number of types of distractions can break your concentration when you’re working from home.

  • Try the Pomodoro Technique. It’s a time-tested formula for dealing with distractions and achieving work/life balance. Select a task and spend 25 minutes working on it and nothing else. Then reward yourself with a short break. For every f our 25-minute blocks, take a longer break.
  • Social Isolation

    Without your team members around, working from home can feel too quiet or lonely at times. And with pandemic restrictions in place, it’s not like you can meet your friends afterwards for drinks or plan a weekend group getaway.

  • Combat social isolation by creating new connections. Schedule phone calls during your breaks or in the evening. Or chat via text. This may be a better time than ever to reach out to that old friend you’ve lost touch with because, well, up until recently, you’ve been too busy with actual socializing.
  • For additional tips to be more successful at work – wherever that is for you right now – and keep your career on the growth path in 2021, contact the PrideStaff Modesto team today. Benefit from our professional coaching, resources, extensive client network, and more. We look forward to working with you this year!

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