Working remotely is becoming a more popular option for people who have the opportunity to work from home and not be chained to the office.
In January 2022 over 10% of all advertised jobs in the United Kingdom were remote-only roles.
Working from home is a great way to spend time with your family, get more work done, and save money.
Some of the best parts about working from home is that there are no dress codes and no commute. You can wear what you want, take breaks when you want and even get your chores done on your breaks, freeing up your evenings and weekend.
Contents
Working From Home Challenges
For many people working from home is great…but working from home also comes with some challenges.
Some of the most common challenges when working from home are:
- Balancing time: Working from home can be challenging because you can be more flexible with how you manage your time versus going into the office with set hours of work. You may also find yourself getting distracted by family, pets or housework when at home which dent your productivity.
- Feeling Isolated: Working from home can make you feel isolated because there are no co-workers around to talk to or collaborate with. You may also feel that you are missing out on information and gossip that you would have picked up sat in the office.
- Lack of structure: Some people may find it hard to build a consistent routine when working from home which damages their productivity and quality of work. This can lead to working extra hours impacting your social life and family time.
All of these challenges can be overcome, but for some people, taking a hybrid approach to their work would be more beneficial. By splitting up their working week between home and the office they can achieve the best of both worlds.
Check out our other working from home articles:
How to Be Creative When Working From Home
How Genuine Are Work From Home Jobs?
7 Benefits of Working From Home With Pets
How Often Should You Work From Home?
The amount of days that you should work from home is the number of days that you can do your job to the best of your ability, meet all of your job requirements whilst also keeping your job satisfaction intact.
Working from home can be a great way to balance work and life, but it is not for everyone. It requires discipline, self-motivation and the ability to stay focused.
The key is finding what works best for you and your company so that you can achieve maximum productivity while keeping your career goals aligned with your employer’s needs.
The exact number of days you should work from home is different for each individual depending on several factors.
How productive do you feel at home?
If you truly feel productive and happy working from home and you have no issues completing your work and hitting deadlines then working from as much as possible could be the best thing for you. Keep up the good work!
Do you “really” enjoy working from home? or would you benefit from more social contact?
The idea of working from home, a flexible working pattern and saving time and money on the daily commute is certainly appealing but after we have begun working from home for a period of time, we must ask ourselves how we really feel about the working arrangement.
If you feel that you would benefit from more interaction throughout the working day then returning to the office on certain days might be beneficial to your job satisfaction.
Is your home equipped with all the equipment you need?
Do you have everything you need at home in order to do your job 100% effectively? If you need access to equipment such as a printer or scanner and you don’t have one at home, then returning to the office to use the equipment will be essential.
Where possible you can organise your work to do all of your printing, scanning or use of any other equipment/software in one day to reduce the number of days you need to be in the office.
Does your job require you to be somewhere other than home?
Working from home is great for jobs that can be completed using a computer and a telephone, but not all jobs can be completed remotely. Your job might require you to visit clients or attend meetings in person rather than virtually.
Where possible you can try to organise your meetings and tasks that can’t be done from home into as few days as possible to allow you to work from home for the remaining days.
How to Make Working From Home Work for You
The best way to make working from home work for you is to find a balance between your personal life and work life.
Working from home is great when you have your family around you but they shouldn’t be a distraction that gets in the way of you doing your job. Find the balance where you can enjoy interacting with those around you, including pets, and still getting work done.
Look to establish a routine for the days when you work from home. A routine can help you stay productive and get your work done within your regular working hours and prevent your work from overflowing into your personal time.
A great way to make working from home work for you is to establish a dedicated working area that you then begin to recognise as the place where you focus and get work done. Without a dedicated working area, you can fall victim to distractions where you will find yourself constantly checking social media, watching TV or cooking dinner instead of getting things done.
How to Pick the Best Days to Work From Home
Working from home is a great way to have more flexibility and control over your work schedule. However, it can be difficult to find the best days for working from home.
The best days to work from home are typically Mondays and Fridays. These days are typically the least busy for most people and they also have the least amount of meetings and deadlines.
However, there is no one-size-fits-all solution when it comes to picking the best days to work from home. One’s personal preferences and lifestyle needs should be the decisive factor when deciding on the best days.
Most people’s workload and tasks will alter from week to week and no two weeks will look identical, making it difficult to say that you will always work from home on a set day.
But one of the most effective methods of planning your working locations is by looking at your calendar at the start of the week and considering your schedule for the upcoming week.
- What days do you definitely need to be away from home?
- Are there tasks and meetings that could now be done virtually to save you travelling?
- Are others relying on you to be somewhere other than home?
- Can you do all of your scheduled tasks remotely this week?
When we consider what days we want to work from home it is easy to look at it from a more technical or logistical point of view rather than an emotional one. If working from home is making you feel isolated, lonely or that you are missing key pieces of information that you would normally acquire through casual conversation, make the decision to begin visiting the office, or make a conscious effort to schedule more virtual meetings with your colleagues to discuss things.
