I’ve recently read an interesting article about something I’ve been doing lately and that’s remote working. It talked about how doing this type of work could affect your mental health. The article brought out some negative aspects, but it also shared how you can rectify those problems as well.
Remote working, or working from home, has been fully embraced by many Americans across the country. Many love doing this because of the convenience, flexibility and the stress-free environment. However, with every work endeavor, there always disadvantages as well.
There are times when working from home could be lonely for the worker. They don’t have the continuous interaction between people that a regular job brings. Our co-workers, managers and supervisors are great people in developing our social network. The solution to this problem is to always make sure you have a social life. Set aside daily time to get out of the house to visit family and friends.
A study was also mentioned in the article. It consisted of 1,100 workers and of the 52% who worked from home some of the time, many of them felt mistreated or not treated equally by their colleagues. This is why it is vital to keep the lines of virtual communication clear and specific. It is vital to prioritize clear communication when emailing and messaging coworkers. Emails can be misinterpreted as being rude or too direct. So you must be careful in the messages you’re sending to people.
Another amazing point mentioned in the article is that the leaders of a team must value the virtual worker. They must not take them for granted. They are still an integral part of the team and it’s important to focus on building relationships with them rather than just delegating tasks. This could be part of the reason why many workers in the study felt mistreated or not treated equally.
Working remotely is more “laidback” than working in the office, but if not handled properly, it could lead to a negative impact on your mental health. For more information on the link between remote working and mental health, check out the articles, “Remote working has a surprising effect on mental health” on www.inverse.com and “11 traits you need to be an effective remote worker” on www.businessinsider.com.
Excellent article, an eye opener for those working at home