4 reasons why you’re finding working from home so challenging

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“The new normal”. It’s a phrase that we’re all hearing a little too often. A trio of words that can being a heady dose of anxiety and frustration into our lives. Remember how, at the start of lockdown, we all assumed that this would be over in a month or two if we all pulled together? Remember the sense of optimism and confidence that we all felt in taking on this new challenge? Now that the novelty has worn off and your patience has worn thinner by the month you may feel as though it’s actually getting harder rather than easier to adjust. But given that lockdown restrictions are likely to remain in place until next March at the earliest, you owe it to yourself to identify the reasons why it feels that you’re struggling and take decisive action.

And one of the most important areas in which you need to assert yourself is in working from home. Whether you’re doing your best to remain productive in your previous job from home or running our own small business, the home environment is littered with challenges, distractions and productivity pitfalls. And, as long as your home and work environment continue to be one and the same, you need to take steps to prevent your working life from encroaching on your home life. 

Let’s get to the bottom of why you’re finding working from home such a challenge…

You have too much stuff

Clutter can be an impediment both to productivity and to being able to relax at home. It’s a consequence of living in a society that treats shopping as a leisure activity that most of simply have too much stuff. And when your belongings impinge on your living space it can make it much harder to relax or concentrate. Clutter can also make it harder to clean and tidy, exacerbate anxiety and add more stress than you need in your life right now (or at any time).

There are a number of different ways you can approach the subject of clutter. If you can’t bare to part with any of your belongings, a secure self storage unit can be an ideal solution. Alternatively, you may find that selling items you no longer use regularly online is a surprisingly lucrative way to make money in these difficult times. After all, many of us are online scouting for bargains in the current climate. 

There’s too much noise

Sharing a workplace with your whole family is rarely conducive to productivity. If you find that noise from inside or outside your home is distracting, you may want to try soundproofing your workspace. If that’s not possible or practical, you may find that working in silence exacerbates the problem. Try playing low level classical music or simple white noise while you’re working. You may find ambient noise much less distracting.  

You don’t have access to natural light or nature

There’s a reason why natural light and access to trees and plants are known as the number one office perk. They prevent us from getting too stressed, aid concentration and make our working days happier. You may want to relocate your working space to somewhere with a window and (where possible) a view of the garden. 

You’re not taking enough meaningful breaks

Finally, you won’t benefit anyone by trying to race through your working day. Make sure you take time for plenty of meaningful breaks and give your brain an opportunity to rest. You’ll find that not only are you less stressed out and anxious, you actually get loads more done! 

If you’re working from home how are you finding it? Leave any tips for being more productive in the comments!

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