Remote Working Challenges And How To Overcome Them
Working remotely is an amazing benefit and as digital nomads, we love the freedom and flexibility this way of working offers us. The ability to work from anywhere and whenever is starting to become a must-have instead of a perk. I do also firmly believe remote working is the future of working, whether corporates like it or not.
But as with most things, there are of course some downsides as well to working remotely. In this blog post I want to address four challenges and offer some solutions that might come handy, in case you struggle with any of those. Whether you work remotely from home or you’re traveling as a digital nomad, I hope some of the tips may help you to work more efficiently.
Challenge 1: Time Zone Differences
It may be a challenge working in a different time zone than your colleagues or clients, especially if the time zone difference is very big. Sometimes it means that you need to have meetings very late or very early. There is no way around it really, but you can of course be specific when your are available and when you’re not.
Another possible solution is to make sure that whenever you do hop on a call or meeting, you make the most out of it. This means having a specific goal for the meeting and at least a basic agenda and sticking to it. This way, you won’t be wasting time during the meeting. Additionally, make sure the meeting agenda is clear beforehand, and any materials that need to be read for preparation are sent in advance. This way, participants can clear up any questions asynchronously and you can focus on the topic at hand in the meeting - without wasting time answering questions that could have been answered even before the meeting.
In short, time zones can be frustrating, but if you practice good “meeting etiquette”, you can make the most of your meetings and calls.
Challenge 2: The Internet Connection Is Not Stable
A big headache for any digital nomad or remote worker is unstable internet connection. It’s often unavoidable, especially when you’re working from developing countries. It can’t be avoided sometimes, but you can definitely plan ahead to make sure you decrease the risk of having an unstable connection.
One solution is to work at coworking spaces, who usually offer stable internet connection. Co-working spaces are set up for people who work remotely, and most of them need a reliable internet connection. Needless to say, if the coworking space does not have good internet, it wouldn’t last very long!
If you prefer working from home, then you can always contact your hotel or your host to send a screenshot of the wifi speed test, to make sure that the internet is fast prior to arrival.
In more extreme cases, if you are traveling in a very remote place, then investing in something like Starlink might be the way to go.
Challenge 3: It’s Difficult Finding The Motivation To Work
It can definitely be a challenge to find motivation to work when you’re working remotely. You might feel uninspired or disconnected from your work, especially when you’re traveling in a wonderful and exotic country!
There’s not one solution that fits for all in this case. You need to find out what your motivations are to work and then make changes in your work environment to accommodate this. For instance, if you realise that you need people around you to help keep you accountable and motivated, then maybe working from a co-working space is a better option.
Or, if you find it difficult to stay focused, try to cut up your tasks in smaller, more manageable chunks, which might make the task seem less daunting. Or you can try something like Brain.fm that plays music specifically and scientifically designed for productive and more focused working!
Also read my post on how to stay productive while traveling and working remotely.
In some cases the challenge lies deeper - maybe the work that you do is not aligned with your ambitions, values and strengths. In this case you will need to take a hard look at your job and what you enjoy and start thinking about a career or job change. In this case, think about the things that you enjoy doing - how can those things be translated into skills for a job?
Challenge 4: Feeling Lonely Working From Home Or Remotely
Some people feel it more than others, especially extroverts, but working remotely can feel pretty lonely, especially if you don’t have a partner or are traveling alone.
There are a few solutions to this. If you feel like you’re disconnected from your colleagues, just reach out for a coffee chat! It can be awkward doing virtual coffee chats but it definitely helps feeling connected with your colleagues. And they will definitely appreciate you reaching out as well!
If you are traveling or don’t really have any colleagues, then finding a like-minded community is another solution to this particular challenge. For example, you can join co-working spaces that organise events for their members.
You can also check websites such as Meetup.com to see if there are any meetups taking place that suit your interests.
So there you have it! I hope this post has given you some ideas on how to overcome some of the remote working challenges.
Do you have any other challenges you’re facing when working remotely? Do you have any other solutions to the challenges mentioned in this blog post or others? Let me know in the comments below!
