How Remote Work Affects Your Productivity And Wellbeing
Table of Contents
1. Introduction2. We Take Less Frequent Breaks
3. We Face a Higher Risk of Burnout
4. Despite everything, We Love Remote Work
5. Remote Work: Blessing or Plight?
Introduction
The internet is inundated with remote work articles about its advantages and
disadvantages. In reality, however, the experience of remote work is so
subjective that general conclusions cannot be drawn and advice can be given
to them all. But data is one universal element and rock solid. Data-backed
results and research on remote work productivity provide a clear picture of
how we've changed our workdays and how work from home affects us—because
there are no data.
In this article, we will examine three decisive results of a recent data
study and two survey reports on the productivity of remote work and the
welfare of workers.
#1 We Take Less Frequent Breaks
Depending on your living and family conditions, your home can be a
peaceful and distractive place. Although some of us find it difficult to
focus on the sounds of our daily lives, others tell you that peace and
quiet while working from home (WFH) is an important boost to productivity.
Then there are those with difficulty making correct breaks at home and
switching off at the end of the day.
But what does the data on the productivity of remote work say? Do we work
in a remote environment more or less?
Take a step towards pre-pandemic times (2014, to be exact) when an
application for time tracking is known as DeskTime discovers that 10% of
most productive individuals work 52 minutes and then take 17 minutes to
rest.
The same tracking app recently reiterated this study to show how the
pandemic works and breaks. Remote work has led to more time, with the
most productive people working 112 minutes and 26 minutes breaking.
Now, at first, this may appear quite innocent — what if we work for
longer periods, provided that we take longer breaks as well? But let's
examine this proportion more closely.
Although breaks only lasted nine minutes, work sprints doubled. This
means that the hardest workers take only three to four breaks per 8-hour
working day. The work time is almost two hours. This finding makes us
wonder whether it's so good to be able to work from home (WFH), as we
thought. Also, breaks in the WFH format are not a pleasure, but a time
to chore and help school children.
The main reason for less frequent breaks is online meetings. Pandemics
meant that you would go to another room, extend your legs and leave your
eyes alone. All meetings happen on the screen in a remote setting,
sometimes back-to-back which could be one of the principal factors that
explain the long working hours.
#2 We Face a Higher Risk of Burnout
At first, many were optimistic about the benefits of remote work in terms
of the balance of work and life, as we spend more time commuting and time
with family – at least in theory. But for many, the fight to separate
their work and their personal lives quickly counteract this. Buffer's 2021
Remote Work report survey found that remote workers can't unplug a bigger
struggle with problems of collaboration and solitude sharing second place.
Respondents from Buffer were also asked if they have been working more
or less since moving to remote work and 45% have been able to do more.
42% said that they're working the same amount, while 13% said they're
working less.
Longer working hours and fewer breaking times can affect our health
dramatically as long-term sitting, eye strain, mental fatigue, and other
problems can lead to computer usage. In turn, this can lead to severe
effects such as burnout and cardiac disease.
Let's look at the link between burnout and remote work.
McKinsey's report on the future of work shows 49% say they have some
burnout symptoms. And that may be a mistake because burnout employees
are less likely to respond to inquiries and may even have left the
staff.
In the employer's view, remote workers may seem to work longer hours and be more productive. The risks associated with increased staff anxiety must
be known however to the managers. Otherwise, the gains in productivity
will not be durable. No secret that long-term anxiety can decrease job
satisfaction and work performance and adversely affect interpersonal
relations with fellow workers.
#3 Despite everything, We Love Remote Work
An overwhelming 97%—of the respondents to the survey in the Buffer
report say that they want to continue working somewhat remotely. The two
main advantages that the respondents have mentioned are the ability to
work flexibly from anywhere and to work flexibly.
McKinsey's report showed that more than half of workers want a more
flexible virtual hybrid model to work in their workplace, with some
working days on-site and days working remotely. More precisely, more
than half of employees say that once the pandemic is ended, they want
at least three working days from home.
Companies will be more forced while applying policies to minimize
risks related to overwork and burn-out, to find ways to meet such
workers' demands. Smart companies are going to take on this new trend,
realizing it can also be a win for them to adopt hybrid models, such
as accessing talent in various locations and at a low cost.
Remote Work: Blessing or Plight?
Workers worldwide are understandably tempted to keep the good working life
aspects of the pandemic – professional flexibility, less travel, and
additional time with their families. However, we must remain cautious with the
once strict limits between work and life. During breaks, we try to squeeze at
home chores. We meet online from the kitchen or from the same cupboard where
we watch television shows and many of us report problems after work.
So, how are we to avoid hopelessly mixing up our private and professional
life?
The answer here is that we try, in an office setting, to replicate physical
and virtual limits. That means not only that you have a dedicated workplace,
but also that you keep track of the time and stop at work. It also means
breaks in your schedule, because cooler water chats don't happen at home
only naturally.
Where necessary, we must introduce new rituals that look like a normal day of
work — e.g. walking around the block in the morning to simulate 'work
arrival.' Remote work's staying here. If we wish to take advantage of the
advantages offered, we must learn how to face personal challenges.
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