How to face the challenges of remote working

How to Face the Challenges of Remote Working

With no superiors breathing down your neck and no crowded workspaces, remote work can be both a wonderful experience and a productivity sapper. While the benefits of remote working range from flexible work hours to the comfort of being in your own home, it’s not all rainbows and unicorns. Anyone who has worked from home can say the interference and more extended hours can impact your physical and mental well-being. It can also cause issues for a business as a whole. So, here’s a simple handbook on how to face the challenges of remote working.

What are the everyday challenges of remote working, and how can you face them?

Whether you’re a professional or an employer working and managing employees remotely, there are mainly three potential risks you could be affected by. Let’s see how you can combat them.

1. Productivity Dips

A good portion of remote workers struggle with keeping up their productivity levels. Compared to office workers, those working from home need to be more self-motivated and efficient at time management. When no one is around you to ensure you’re doing your work, it’s easy to fall off the wagon. The urge to pause your assignments and watch the latest episode of your favourite show can be a bit too tempting at times. Interruptions from your family, friends or pets can be unavoidable. There could be issues with home wi-fi. So, how can you combat these issues and perform your best?

• Create a to-do list. Before you start working on your tasks for the day, first create a list of all your current assignments. Assign a fixed time to finish each job and ensure you mark up time for breaks as well. Knowing precisely what you should do within your work hours can help you focus better.
• Use productivity apps. Installing productivity apps such as Taskful or Any.do will help you organise your tasks faster and give you that serotonin rush every time you complete a task. Click here to know our top picks of productivity apps.
• Ask others not to disturb you. Both family and friends might take remote working as “less” working since you’re at home. Talk with them and let them know there’s no difference, and you need to focus on completing your tasks before the deadline. You can lock your door or even use a “do not disturb” sign.
• Look for alternate connectivity devices. If you face connectivity issues constantly, there will be dips in your productivity levels. In cases like that, try installing 4G/5G routers. You can also try to connect to the home routers directly using the ethernet cable.

Read more on how to work productively at remote work.

2. Cybersecurity Issues

When you use your personal devices for work, the risks for data breaches are high. Often, not installing the proper security patches and updates in your systems can cause a data leak. At times, even the standard antivirus software may prove to be inadequate for your security. So, how to combat the cybersecurity challenges of remote work?

• Implement/follow DLP policies. Data loss prevention (DLP) strategies are part and parcel of cybersecurity. Implementing DLP policies on your company network will help you restrict access to critical data and even wipe data from remote devices.
• Use the cloud. Downloading work data into personal devices can cause data breaches as personal devices are generally less protected than enterprise systems. Make sure you do not download or store sensitive work information on your mobile devices. Using cloud services is an effective way to prevent data loss and manipulation.
• Cybersecurity awareness. There can never be too many cybersecurity training sessions. When you’re at home, it’s easy to become less vigilant when using digital technology. Don’t hesitate to remind your team that cybersecurity is significant, even in their personal lives. Phishing and other cybercrimes focus more on remote workers, so conduct security awareness classes to ensure everyone’s safety.

3. Emotional Well-being

Isolation is a familiar feeling when working from home, especially if you live alone. It could make you feel unwell, being at home every single day and having no real human interactions. You could even become a “hermit” and feel grumpy and emotionally exhausted. So, how can you avoid this situation?

• Have social breaks. Don’t spend your entire day/week sitting in front of your work devices. Once your working hours are over, shut the machines down, turn the notifications off, and enjoy your deserved break. On weekends, try to meet up with your friends (if you have the chance) or even go to the cinema alone and catch the latest movie. Engage in group activities in your neighbourhood.
• Schedule regular team calls. Communication is key to maintain team morale. If you are an employer or team leader, schedule weekly calls with your team to discuss work and not-work happenings. You’ll be able to maintain a feeling of connectedness and keep the anxiety of not knowing anyone at bay. You can identify and solve issues employees are facing during these calls as well.
• Adopt a healthy lifestyle. Sleep well, eat well. Just because you don’t have to wake up early and dress up to reach the office on time doesn’t mean you shouldn’t care for yourself. Make sure you sleep seven hours daily and eat healthy.

The transition from regular office working to remote working comes with a lot of challenges and benefits. As long as you keep a consistent timetable and take proper care of yourself, working from home can be extremely rewarding. You’ll have some free time and be in the comfort of your own home. We hope this article will help you face the challenges of remote working efficiently. For more tips, you can always contact us or write to us at sales@computingaustralia.group.

Jargon Buster

DLP: Data loss prevention (DLP) is a set of tools and processes to detect and prevent data breaches.
Cloud services: Cloud services are a range of digital services and resources delivered over the internet on-demand.