Janel's post on the Simple Joys of Working at Home was so positive, so inspiring, and true for myself as well (except I don't have a Beatrix!). While I love it and appreciate it, I find that all too often I notice and stress over the challenges more than appreciate the joys. In an effort to work through the challenges and figure out easier ways to deal, here we go with my list (I'm going to balance each challenge, though, with a joy, to keep from being a downer):
The Challenges of Working at Home
The Challenges:
- A lack of structure that ensures proper lunch and break times. It's easy to get wrapped up and look up at the clock at 2pm, starving. (The Joy: I can eat any time that works for me, or run out on a whim. No noon-1pm required lunch hour. I remember a job where we weren't allowed to eat at any other time but noon.)
- I make a full pot of coffee in the morning and drink way too much of it throughout the day. This coffee habit only started when I began working from home. (The Joy: I never buy coffee on the go, saving me lots of money.)
- Not knowing when to turn off a long day - or turn off the computer. (The Joy: Having the option to work at night if the day fills up too fast.)
- Getting really tired of being at home for hours on end, day in and day out, with lots of nights in too! (The Joy: Being able to up and go for a walk, errand, or even a movie on a slow day... whenever I feel like it.)
- A lack of co-worker socialization, at times. (The Joy: It's easier to stay much more focused and get a lot done when co-workers aren't stopping by to tell you about their weekend.)
Image above shows Nicole and Brandon's home office. Check out that and and lots of work-at-home inspiration in the Hard Working Home Offices Roundup.
Comments (8)
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One great joy would be no traffic and on snowy days being able to stay in. I can't believe its snowing here in Philadelphia! I'm jealous of my co-workers that work from home.
view DianaRead's profile
Thanks! I was really getting bummed about the office job after reading the "Joys..." post, but you reminded me that the many hours at my house might make me a bit stir crazy, espcially with the nights in.
I'm still jealous, but it's good to get a balanced view. A two day/three day split of the work week would be ideal, I think.
view glamazon's profile
I've been working from home for the past couple of months and I have to say that I find it incredibly difficult. It's not of my choosing that I'm working from home, rather the economic climate forced the company I work for to shut down our office and I was willing to work from my own office. To be honest I really don't want to go back to an office, EVER, but I have got to find a way to be more FOCUSED here. I find myself very interested in my home tasks and very uninterested in my company's paperwork. VERY VERY BAD. I would love some advice on how to work from home successfully as I feel I have completely lost my focus.
view RedEngine88's profile
As someone who's worked at home for a few years, some suggestions for RedEngine and others.
1. create a weekly, written schedule and stick to it;
2. schedule breaks for exercise, meals and chores like throwing in the laundry or taking the dog for a walk;
3. set a time for your workday to end, and honor it. the occasional overtime is fine, just as it would be in an office setting, but just because you can work more doesn't mean you should;
4. if possible, create a separate space solely for work, even if it's just a corner of a studio with a folding screen you pull shut around your desk at the end of the day;
5. if you find yourself pulled to other tasks, either schedule them in (hey, you're not commuting anymore, so why not do those tasks during what used to be commute time?)
Also: meeting up with friends who work at home or are stay-at-home parents for lunch or walks (all scheduled, of course); wearing ear plugs when working on the computer to filter out distractions, actually getting dressed and making the bed every day and most importantly, not being too hard on myself if every once in a while, I'm not as productive as I'd ideally like to be. That happens in the office too, if we're honest. Working a little harder the next day balances the ledger.
view ZuzuinOaktown's profile
I'm 20 and work from my apartment as a web designer/developer. It has been almost 5 months now and working in corporate America for nearly 2 years really makes me appreciate my decision to quit the "rat race". I believe that I speak for most people who work from home when I say the pros heavily outweigh the cons. Here are my pros and cons.
cons:
- not a steady income.
- sometimes, little daily socialization
pros:
- make more $$ working for myself.
- forces you to be more responsible
- devote more time/energy to exercising and eating healthier
- saving big time on the gas. I ride my bike everywhere too.
- enjoy the day(or night if you're an owl)! you only have one life to live, don't spend it in a carpeted-cube for 30 years!
- can have more hobbies and schedule your work around your day instead of the other way around.
- are able to go out more be with your friends
__
in my field:
- sharpen marketing skills
- complete creative control
- make own deadlines
- can work anywhere with Wifi.
I could go on and on...
view Mr.Kikkoman's profile
I have the same coffee issue working at home! Sometimes I get so wound up I have to leave the house for a brisk walk. I switched to decaf for a while, but that just felt wrong.
Every few years I think it would be wonderful to work in an office, but then I realize how much I wouldn't really enjoy it after all this time. I think the time I gain by not commuting is so valuable.
view SheHasMoxie.blogspot.com's profile
Working from home since April. Still trying to adjust, and to figure out the "schedule" thing. My pros and cons match all of the above. I'm fortunate (very!!) that my husband makes a living that can support us - for now. The pressure to get a client base and make more money comes from the desire to buy a house and the need to pay off combined debt, sooner than later. I'm really blessed, to know what it means to work because I love it and not for the money, but when the work isn't there, I'm looking for money like a scavenger. It's a fine balance.
view lilithslair's profile
This will be my first winter working from home, and I have to say that I'm a little concerned about the heating bill. So far, I've been able to get away with layering on another sweater, but I don't think that's going to cut it for much longer here in Boston.
I'm wondering if it will save energy (and money) to turn down the heat in the apartment and heat just the office with an electric space heater. Any thoughts or advice?
view EmmaC's profile