Finding the Perfect Work-Life Balance
Since virtual office workers aren't bound by the old nine to five regime, they have more freedom to spend time with their families, take care of errands during the day, and enjoy all of the other benefits that come with a flexible schedule. But with this increased flexibility come challenges. Some remote workers might find productivity challenging, while others will find that their working day often encroaches far too much into their off-work schedule. In both of these cases, the best solution is a set schedule with built-in routines. Virtual office workers should be allowed to maintain flexibility, but they also need to have clear boundaries between work time and break time. If you're working on your own, it's a good practice to keep a notepad at your desk and jot down either the time you start and finish work in the day, or the tasks that you accomplish each day. This will help to keep you accountable, and will also help you keep track of what you get done each day.
Combating the Isolation Factor
One of the biggest problems for people who work from home is the isolation factor. Even if you're talking to clients or co-workers on the phone, sitting by yourself for 40 hours a week can easily lead to social isolation for many people. With a virtual office, there are ways to deal with these issues. If it's possible, it's a good idea to arrange face-to-face meet-ups with colleagues once in a while. It's easy to do business on the phone and online without ever leaving your house, but for the sake of sanity, it's important to have some real human interaction once in a while. Meet-ups can also be a great networking tool, as meeting clients face-to-face can open up the potential for making new business contacts. If you're renting a virtual office, you will have the option to use the virtual office provider's meeting rooms to arrange face-to-face meetings. Another good idea is to spend some real social time together with your virtual office mates. Meet up for a night out once in a while, and give everyone a chance to get to know each other a little better.
Working from home provides many benefits, but if you're not careful, there are also many challenges that can get in the way of your productivity, as well as your emotional well-being. By scheduling time correctly, developing routines, and ensuring face-to-face interaction times, you can help to ease some of the stresses of remote work and make your virtual office work more productive and more enjoyable.
