What's the hardest part of working from home?

maryam sh
46 replies

Replies

Puneet Kohli
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Productivity is inversely proportional to proximity of bed
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@mary_sh1 Definitely. THAT is the number one irresistible distraction for me: http://aliez.tv/live/_new_age_me...
Hemant Warier
The hardest part of working from home for me is definitely the lack of separation between my personal and professional life. When I was working in an office, I could leave my work at the office and come home to relax and spend time with my family. But now, my home is my office and it can be difficult to switch off and disconnect from work. Another challenge is the lack of structure and routine. Without a set schedule or designated workspace, it's easy to get distracted and lose focus. I have to make a conscious effort to create boundaries and establish a daily routine to stay productive. One of the biggest struggles for me is also the lack of social interaction. I miss the daily interactions with my colleagues and the sense of community that comes with working in an office. It can be isolating working from home and it's important for me to make an effort to stay connected with my colleagues and maintain a healthy work-life balance. Overall, working from home has its challenges, but it also has its perks. It allows for more flexibility and the ability to work from anywhere, as long as there is a stable internet connection. It just takes some time and effort to adapt and find a balance that works for you.
maryam sh
@hemantwarier Thanks for your great answer. I can not agree more. It seems as if you are working all the time
Tadej Jevševar
@hemantwarier What works for me about separating personal life and work is that my team agreed on working hours (overlap time) just as before when we worked in the office. The second thing that helped me a lot was setting up Personal Focus mode on my iPhone, which is shared across my devices. It turns off all my work apps, so I don't receive any notifications. I am curious what did you do about social interaction? Have you tried any virtual office apps to help you solve this problem?
maryam sh
@tadej_jevsevar Great idea. But a good part of WFH for me, is that I can schedule the time and hours I can work. So, if want to work the same time as I was in the office, what would be the difference?
Tadej Jevševar
@mary_sh1 Its up to you :) I found working hours helpful so I don't feel bad when I call it a day.
The hardest part of working from home is staying focused and motivated. It can be challenging to stay disciplined when there are so many distractions and temptations around the house. Additionally, it can be isolating and lonely without the presence of colleagues and the proper working environment.
Tadej Jevševar
@qudsia_ali Yeah, similar as you’d always run further with a friend than alone. How are you solving the isolation part?
maryam sh
@qudsia_ali 100% agree. It get's harder if you have a little child around, talking all the time :D
Sunil Ayar
Avoiding distractions
Pragruthaa Rabichandran
Not meeting people physically. Though we get to engage with our team virtually, its never the same as meeting in person.
Tadej Jevševar
@pragruthaa Yes! We all made some of our great friends when we still went to the office. I'm building a collaboration tool that makes this possible while working from home.
Tadej Jevševar
@pragruthaa Why do you think virtual meetings are not the same as in person?
maryam sh
@pragruthaa Exactly. Meetings (physically) are necessary
Pragruthaa Rabichandran
@tadej_jevsevar Meeting physically helps us connect a lot more personal
Working from home is not easy, it will require extra effort from your end. It’s because you are not at a work place and won’t be getting any support.
maryam sh
@anthony_medland Exactly. Using a time tracker was a good solution for me
Richard Gao
Getting into contact with team members. In the office, I could just go to their office or where they were seated and speak to them directly, but with WFH, I need to wait for their response.
Tadej Jevševar
@richard_gao2 Yeah, I sometimes feel that Slack's availability indicator (green dot) is not enough. What should slack improve to help us solve this pain? Always-on video?
Tin S.
Distractions - bed, food, kids, netflix...
maryam sh
@tin_s awww kids, kids, kids :D
Agrima Sharma
Well, personally I am really bad at managing time while working from home.
maryam sh
@agrima_sharma Have you tried using any time tracker?
maryam sh
@agrima_sharma It can be great. Well, it worked for me :D
Agrima Sharma
@mary_sh1 Will surely give it a try! :)) thanks for the suggestion
Krishnaswamy Anand Ganesh
Difficulty in collaborating with multiple folks on the fly
maryam sh
@krishnaswamy_anand_ganesh So you think if you go to the workplace, that would be easier?
Krishnaswamy Anand Ganesh
@mary_sh1 Yes, it's much easier to walk upto someone and chat or getting a group of people in a huddle. In wfh, i feel that different people work at different times and hence need to block times etc. It becomes even more critical in war room kind of set up. Purely my opinion
Tadej Jevševar
@mary_sh1 @krishnaswamy_anand_ganesh I agree. But why do you think that's the case? Do you feel that in-office, we have more context (like seeing co-workers and knowing what they are up to? If they look super busy or not at their desks?)
maryam sh
@krishnaswamy_anand_ganesh @tadej_jevsevar You can at least find the time for a little chat. And also seeing them working is kinda a motivation itself
Tadej Jevševar
@krishnaswamy_anand_ganesh @mary_sh1 Same here. It's like you’d always run further with a friend than alone. And seeing them makes it so much better... would you feel comfortable being on camera while working from home to solve this?
Aditya Asabe
Avoiding unnecessary distractions and situations created by family haha!
maryam sh
@aditya_asabe Agree. It is also harder with kids around :D