Work from home? Benefits and Pitfalls

Authored by Ashish Goenka, Director, Redbrick Offices We have all tried ‘work from home’ (WFH) at some point in our lives. In fact, many of us (like my wife) work fulltime from home, and have done so successfully for years. The biggest benefit of WFH is obviously freedom from the commute, and possibly a better work-life balance. WFH is especially useful for new parents, or those unable to travel due to circumstances. Remote working, or WFH is increasingly becoming more acceptable, and in times of COVID-19, inevitable. But, does work from home actually work? It really depends a lot on the nature of one’s work. Let’s dig a little deeper into the pitfalls of WFH to find out. Pitfalls

1. Distractions: Kids, the doorbell, the 56” Smart TV, the new season of Money Heist.
2. Comfort: Your bed, dining table or sofa may not be conducive to comfort/productivity.
3. Work timings: Difficult to maintain work schedule, a tendency to overwork or slack off
4. Motivation: Working alone can be demotivating, ask any lone startup founder
5. Loneliness: Lack of social connection was one of the reasons why coworking started
6. Communication: Coffee-station chats and ease of communication with peers is missed
7. Technology: Unreliable Internet, access to proprietary systems or tools.
8. Health: Stay at home can lead to sedentary lifestyle & impact health negatively

  The list of pitfalls is long, but most of them are challenges that can be managed with a little planning and following some best practice advice for WFH people. These are the suggestions of ‘good practices’ while working from home.   Suggestions

1. Have a clear signal to show you’re busy. My wife has a door hanging sign that says “WIP” that tells us all - do not disturb.
2. Prepare the day before for expected deliveries, a food menu and activities for the kids (especially since they’re homeschooling now)
3. Plan some short breaks in your work to catch up with necessary distractions or unavoidable circumstances that come up.
4. Create a home office with ergonomic desk/chair setup and natural light.
5. Avoid sofa/bed working (posture) & dining tables (distractions).
6. Managers worry about slacking off, when the real problem is overwork
7. Maintain a schedule, put your tasks in your calendar and stick to it
8. Take regular breaks and maintain a healthy work-home-balance
9. Do the difficult tasks first, set realistic daily goals, schedule breaks too
10. Connect with colleagues, arrange regular calls & keep each other going
11. Measure how you spend your time, so you can celebrate success and improve on your weaknesses using a tool like www.rescuetime.com
12.    If you live with family/friends, carve out some family time during the workday. The break is refreshing, but stick to pre-determined timings
13.  If you live alone, make sure you are connecting with your friends and family over calls, video calls, technology can bring us closer
14. Platforms like Slack, Whatsapp, Zoom and several others help us to connect with our colleagues, peers and loved ones easily.
15. Exercise regularly, practise yoga and/or meditation
16. If you’re struggling, get help from personal or professional networks

  When things return to normal, several of us will choose to (or have to) continue to work remotely, maybe not all of the time, but more than we did previously. Coworking spaces like Redbrick Offices also help to cater to some of the problems with working from home, and if you can find one near your home - well, it’s the best of both worlds. #stayhome #staysafe