Work from home (WFH) came in with a lot of perks. From staying in your PJs all day to getting rid of the soul-crushing daily commute, the model seemed a luxury. However, it also bought a lot of challenges for some.

Even in 2021, WFH continues to affect our work, and it is here to stay. Let’s address some challenges and figure out a way to overcome this dilemma that WFH has left us in.

Dilemma: Managing time and breaks

Solution: Time management is difficult when at home. You have dedicated structure office hours at work, but at home, try scheduling your day like a normal office day – dedicated task time, lunchtime, tea/coffee break, and anything else that you need for better well-being. You can even set reminders on your phone to remind yourself to relax for a short time and give your mind a break.

Dilemma: ‘Cabin Fever’

Solution: It is very important to socially interact, an activity that has been demolished due to WFH. To an extent, your teammates are your social circle. Encourage your teammates to have happy hour meetings where you all can gather and chat about things other than work or maybe do some fun activities together.

Dilemma: Technology Hiccup

Solution: While some genuinely face computer or internet issues at times, some even make excuses for poor internet connection. It is important for the workplace and team lead to ensure that the team has everything they need, such as reliable internet sources or proper IT support.

Dilemma: ‘Eat the Frog’

Solution: It is important to prioritize the tasks at home to manage your time and energy throughout the day. Eat the ‘frog’, which is translated to as your biggest task of the day that you are most likely to procrastinate on, should be done first and then move on to the rest.

Dilemma: Plugging off

Solution: WFH blurred all the time boundaries we had, making it difficult to define when to switch off the work mode. In WFH, it is expected that you are engaging in household chores and conversations already, hence elongating the work hours. Set off a finish time and make your team believe that you are working during that time and not doing household chores.

Dilemma: Collaboration and communication

Solution: When you are at work with your team, communication is instant. That’s not the case with WFH. Even WhatsApp messages and Zoom meetings seem to stop helping at one point, leaving everyone stuck in a forced dilemma. Communication gap remains; Maintain guidelines and ensure it to every employee that they have to be present at a specific communication channel and specific time so they can make prior arrangements.

There is no denying that WFH came with its pros and cons, but it’s upon us to make the most of those cons and turn them into pros. The idea is to make sure that WFH not only means working 24/7 but also giving yourself your needed me-time.