Remote work and the location independent lifestyle are both incredibly empowering and rewarding, but they are not without challenges. Many remote workers complain of issues around isolation, burnout, and lack of community, while mental health experts are growing increasingly concerned over the impact of remote work on mental health issues including depression and anxiety.
Isolation
All of us, whether introverts or extroverts, need direct human connection in order to feel fulfilled and to recharge from long periods of work. Working alone day in and day out can become can become overwhelming, especially when there are no readily-available co-workers or friends to socialize with. If you’re wondering how to overcome remote work loneliness or remote work fatigue, social isolation among remote workers is often the main culprit and there is a lot of information available on this topic. It is important to find communities of other remote workers and meet other remote workers to fight this.
Limited structure
Without a clear beginning and end to the work day, it can challenging to build structure and develop a productive, healthy routine. Additionally, many remote workers find it challenging to stay in touch with their non-remote peers due to the differences in schedule and lifestyle. It is important for remote workers to find ways to build structure into their day to avoid the chaos and confusion that innately comes with this lifestyle. Being organized and productive as a remote worker is vital to long-term success and growth.
Without a clear beginning and end to the work day, it can challenging to build structure and develop a productive, healthy routine.
Work-life balance
Working from home can make it difficult to set clear boundaries on when it’s time to work and when it’s time to shut off. In our ever-connected environment many remote workers find themselves continuously on-call and unable to maintain a healthy work-life balance. Too many early mornings and late nights, constant mixing of work and leisure can lead to loss of productivity, distractions, social isolation, and more. Along with structuring the workday, it is important for remote workers to set a clear start and stop time to their day in order to maintain productivity and adequate work-life balance.
Lack of community
While there are many articles and blog posts written about how to work from home more productively and effectively, there are limited opportunities for remote workers to connect with their remote-working peers and directly share their experiences, get tips, and find support when they are going through challenges. Real, meaningful human connection is essential to a successful remote work lifestyle and remote workers should seek out groups and communities of other remote workers to share tips, resources, and experiences.
Real, meaningful human connection is essential to a successful remote work lifestyle
Burnout
We all know the feeling. You’ve been working 40+ hour weeks, have tons on your plate or an impending deadline, and nobody with whom to share the burden and vent. It can be overwhelming. Stress from work, lack of social interaction, and a poor work-life balance often leads to burnout, resulting in lower productivity and overall happiness. As a result, mental health experts are concerned about the effects of this lifestyle on depression, anxiety, and insomnia.
About Galavant
Galavant is the first location-based networking app specifically designed for remote workers and the location independent. We are building a community of like-minded and like-lifestyled individuals to drive meaningful connections, provide tips, support, and resources for this empowering, but challenging lifestyle. Come check us out, we’re excited to hear from you!
