As far as disruptions go, how we work has been completely upended by COVID-19. With more people working from home, the fact that 44.9% say they feel more productive is good news for businesses. Another 20.6% say they don’t see a change in productivity, leaving 34.5% who say they are more productive in the office.
The data comes from a detailed survey and report from SellCell. With more than 2,000 telecommuters, the survey didn’t hold any punches when it comes to the questions. The respondents were made up of 49.7% (1012) men and 50.3% (1026) women between the ages of 23 and 60 in America.
SellCell Work from Home Survey
The goal of the survey was to find out what lifestyle changes newly remote workers had to make in a virtual environment. Furthermore, it was looking to understand the challenges and advantages of working from home.
Key Findings
When it comes to working from home, a flexible schedule tops the list as one of the perks with 61% of the respondents. Others say no more long commutes (52.5%), not having to dress up (44.8%), saving money (35.7%), not missing deliveries (28.4%), more family time (19.6%), and not having to deal with annoying colleagues (10.1%) are all a plus.
As to where they want to work if, given a choice, more than 45% say they want to split their time between home and the office. Surprisingly, only 23% want to keep working from home after the pandemic is over. And 32% say they can’t wait to return to their office after the lockdown measures are lifted.
The survey goes on to ask everything from stress to distractions, exercise, sleep, eating habits, daily routine and much more.
The Distraction of Working from Home
The one thing the office provides is a regimented space in which people can do their work with minimal distraction. When you work from home this all goes out the window. Unless you have previous experience working from home, it is going to take a while to discipline yourself. But once you do, working from home can be a great experience.
This survey specifically asks the lifestyle changes of new remote workers. So, it goes without saying they haven’t set up systems in place to optimize their workspace. And the following data from the survey proves that very point.
When it comes to distractions, home workers say social media and smartphones top the list at 61.6% and 53.7% respectively. Binge-watching follows with 42.1% along with kids at 33.8%, gaming at 30.4%, and news media at 24.3%. Online shopping, pets and partners are also a distraction.
The Challenge of Working from for New Telecommuters
There are many challenges when it comes to staying disciplined for new telecommuters. And this includes being able to do things you are not allowed in the office. The respondents say they are watching Netflix/TV (44.5%), browsing social media (53.5%), visiting adult sites (43.2%), taking a nap (19.8%) exercising (35%) and more.
Undoubtedly this is disrupting their work and sleep schedules. Only 28.6% say they are sticking to their work schedule, while 71.4% say the are not. And when it comes to sleep, they are going to bed late (50.8%) and waking up later (36.6%).
Overall, this is having an impact on their daily routine. Everything from a disrupted sleep pattern (62.8%) to changed eating habits (70.3%), changed exercise routine (75.4%), staying in PJs (66.4%) and not showering in the morning (48.3%) are issues.
This is driving the stress level of these workers higher. More than half or 51.4% say they are more stressed, while 21.5% are less stressed, and 27% see no change in their stress level.
Implementing a Routine with Discipline
One of the biggest challenges when it comes to working from home is compartmentalizing your day and space in your home. For new telecommuters, this can be difficult in the beginning.
This means creating a working space, budgeting your time, staying on schedule and creating a checklist of things you need to do. The more you work from home, the easier it will get to keep yourself on track.
There are many resources online you can use to guide you on the right path and avoid all the stress the people in this survey are facing. Take a look at these two right here and here.
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This article, “45% of People Working from Home Feel More Productive” was first published on Small Business Trends