Let’s face it, the days of us glorifying the remote working culture are far behind us. The privileges of taking meetings in pajamas, saving time on the commute, and not having to see your coworkers every day don’t seem like a benefit anymore. While WFH kept us safe from getting infected, it also blurred the lines between ‘work’ and ‘home’ drastically. We got to experience the flip side of WFH which brought along a lot of stress, anxiety, and several other problems with it.
Here are the 5 cons of Working from Home that you can relate with:
1. No work-life balance
One of the biggest disadvantages of working from home is a disrupted work-life balance. It blurs the line between your productivity and leisure time. Although you get flexible work hours, many employers take it as a license to burden their employees with work. This leaves little or no time for you to socialize, indulge in a hobby, or spend time with family. You can’t even log off at the set time and often find yourself working till the wee hours of the night.
2. Reduced physical activities
Since the lockdown, the work volume has increased significantly and with less workforce, the burden falls on the current employees who are already juggling with multiple projects. This reduces your workout activities like running, exercising, and evening walks.
You barely get time to have lunch without the phone ringing and the rays coming from the skin that deteriorate your vision. This affects your overall health, resulting in sickness and muscle soreness due to sitting upright the whole day.
3. Social Isolation
If you joined a company recently during the pandemic, you’ll relate to the feeling of social isolation. It is a whole different experience connecting with someone who you haven’t seen ever. The interactions feel impersonal and you cannot make out how the person is reacting to your suggestions/problems.
Also, you might miss an office environment where it is easy to connect with coworkers. This might lead to the feeling of isolation and loneliness that can make you feel depressed at times.
4. Stress and mental health problems
It is common to feel stressed when you are burdened with work and can’t take a break. Before you know it, it’s dark outside and you’ll have to do it all over again tomorrow. The extended work hours and staring into the laptop screen for hours have only increased headache and blurred vision. The panic and stress about the next day don’t allow you to sleep well causing problems like insomnia and anxiety.
Many employees have reported that their leaves were denied as their bosses didn’t feel the need because they were already at home. This has made you hate work more than ever.
5. Lack of motivation and productivity
If you were already a procrastinator, then during WFH this habit of yours has increased two-folds. Due to a lack of proper structure and boundaries, you aren’t motivated to work. There are so many distractions at home including children, siblings, and parents who want you to help out. Then, there is social media that takes up a lot of your time. It has affected your productivity and is clear in the work that you do.
How to deal with Work-from-home blues?
Work from home can be hard and we can only hope to get through it soon. Till then, here’s how you can make WFH a smooth experience for yourself.
-Set boundaries and a schedule for yourself.
-Learn to say no when you already have too much on your plate.
-Try to connect with your coworkers and manager to not feel left out.
-Steer clear of social media during working hours.
-Set a time for a walk and spend time with your family.
It’s no surprise that the mandatory work from policies have affected our personal lives at large. The best course of action for you in this situation should be drawing a line between work and home and keeping yourself first. Also, do respect other people’s boundaries and work together as a team.
Read this blog to know about more ways to work from home effectively. Join the Fuzia community by signing up on the website to meet like-minded individuals and share your thoughts.
Picture credits: Pixabay
Originally published at https://www.fuzia.com.