Here are some of the downsides.
Man by nature is a social animal. He thrives very well through social connectivity and emotional support from other persons. By working from home in social isolation, he is deprived of all these. This can at times affect productivity.
While in isolation and without other persons to interact with, the only way to be motivated to work is by way of self-motivation. If you are incapable of motivating yourself to work, you become less productive.
Working in isolation can be easily stressful because of the social deprivation. "Stress is the experience that happens when the demands in front of us outweigh the resources.” This is easily aggravated in isolation because there are no ready resources outside yourself alone to draw from more so when you are unable to self-motivate. This is one dreadful downside of working in isolation.
The freedom and flexibility of working from home in isolation can be a cost. Excessive freedom is easily abused and it becomes a downside to working in isolation. Just imagine if there is no fixed time for you to report to work and there are no bosses to worry about being late to work. In this kind of scenario, there is a tendency to sleep more and to laze around more without worrying your head about consequences. This affects productivity.
By nature many human beings don’t get to do anything unless they have to. That chips off from self-discipline. Many of us don't do things until we have to. The absolute flexibility that comes with Work From Home culture could hit your discipline. You are more likely to procrastinate by leaving things you can do now for later and it affects your productivity.
You go around these downsides and still remain productive.
The first step is to practice self-discipline. You can make your own strict schedule then practice self-discipline by sticking with it till your work is done. That is one great way to be your own effective commander by strictly following your own rules. That is how to avoid unwarranted anxiety, work-related stress and undue self-criticism. You can take care of your stress-induced mental health better by practicing meditation and resilience in some quiet moments of your isolation. If not, negative stress can psychologically hamper your productivity.
