Most people think about remote working as something extremely convenient and absolutely beneficial for the remote worker. While it does come with a fair share of benefits and perks, we shouldn't ignore the other side of the story. The truth is, there are numerous challenges that remote workers are facing that need to be addressed.
We’ve divided those challenges into two aspects - personal and technical. This article covers the personal aspect of remote working challenges.
5 Common Remote Working Challenges
Here are the most common challenges that freelancers come across when working from home without visiting an office.
1. Loneliness
It’s true that we should be completely focused on our work during work hours. But, it’s still nice to have a quick chat with someone or drink a cup of coffee with a colleague during your break.
Unfortunately, you don’t get to do any of this when working remotely.
The factor of loneliness can seriously affect remote workers, especially those who are sociable by nature. You can overcome this challenge by joining a coworking space or scheduling your breaks with other freelancers you know.
2. Lack of Mentorship
Remote workers are usually completely on their own and don't have anyone to supervise their work. While this may seem like a perk at first, it can be quite tricky when you're stuck with an issue and have no one to turn to. It's different when you're sitting in an office, surrounded by colleagues and with your mentor just a few steps away.
Naturally, you can reach out to a supervisor by email, but you'll need to wait for a response and waste time.
3. Low Motivation
Working from home can seriously affect your motivation levels. You're in a non-working environment, and it's up to you to gather the motivation and start working hard.
It's different from stepping into an office where everyone's working and the atmosphere is already ideal.
4. Lack of Focus
Another important challenge that we need to address is the focus. When you're sitting at an office and the work atmosphere is heated up, you have no other choice but to join the people around you and give it your best.
But, at home or in a coffee place, you can find so many distractions that will negatively influence your focus. You'll likely be taking more breaks, having your thoughts wandering around, or simply doing things other than working.
5. Interruptions
If you’re working from home, people you live with often find it hard to respect your work hours. They come and go, treating your work hours as flexible and constantly interrupting.
Even your pets and neighbors can interrupt your workflow and slow you down significantly.
The only way to solve this is to come to an agreement with them and ensure they won't be interrupting you while working.
Final Thoughts
These personal challenges that every remote worker faces are tricky. But, there's a solution to each one. All you need is a strategy and determination to overcome them.
If you found this article useful and would like to learn more about remote working challenges, head to our article Remote Working Challenges Part II!