The ups and downs of working from home

When people hear that I work from home, I tend to get, “You are so lucky!” Well, yes and no. Working from home can definitely have its challenges, some you may have never even thought of. When most people think about working from home thoughts conjure up of sitting on a beach (or other relaxing place), answering a few emails while you find money just appearing in your bank account. I think we can thank all those “work from home” ads for that one! Realistically, I don’t know a single person who works from home that has that life.

Let me also say, I do not work for myself. I am not a SAHM working from the house to make a little extra cash to cover camp or vacation. I work for a company and am the primary breadwinner for the family at the moment. So, my experiences may not be your experiences. These are just pros and cons I have experienced since I started working from home. Let me also say that I really enjoy the company that I work for and what I do and nothing that I say should be taken as dissatisfaction or a slight to them.

I’ll start with the pros…

1)     I can work in my pajamas if I want to. Well, unless I am client facing or traveling for business.

2)     I have a very flexible schedule. I am lucky enough to not have to clock in and out; but rather, simply make sure I put in my 40 hours per week. Realistically, I typically put in well over 40 hours a week, but I am able to take breaks when I need them.

3)     I get to skip the commute and save on gas. This is definitely a great one!

4)     I get to take my son to and from school (as long as I am not traveling). This goes with that flexible schedule perk.

And now for the cons…

1)     Staying motivated. This can be huge challenge if you struggle with getting distracted. I’ve never been the best at housekeeping and have to try and stay focused with a sink of dishes or laundry to finish up. If you are the type that needs the buzz of an office to keep you energized and focused on the task, this is not for you!

2)     It can be very isolating. I’m outgoing by nature and worked either in Customer Service or in Education up until this position. Luckily, we have the ability now to Facetime, Zoom, Skype…

3)     Be prepared for weight gain! As I mentioned, I used to be in Education and taught in a classroom environment for almost 15 years. I was always up and moving. Now, not so much since much of what I do is linked to the computer or the phone.

4)     Summers can be rough if you have small or school age kids. I always taught summer school, but was out by lunch to keep the kiddo occupied during the summer. This took a little bit of adjustment on his part to understand what my availability would be like to do the fun stuff.

5)     Anticipate an increase in your internet bill. Yes, I have a company provided cell and laptop, but I pay my internet out of pocket and it has to be fast to handle the online meetings. If I had been a little savvier when negotiating, I would have asked for a stipend, but I was too excited by the opportunity and they are still a growing company. Live and learn.

As with any position, there are bonuses and challenges; it’s knowing your needs and how you will handle the challenges as you identify them. A few things I do to make the challenges not as challenging…

1)     When on a call or in an online meeting, I let the other person know I work from home and to please excuse me if the dog barks (he’s kind of a jerk and barks at everything) or they hear noise in the background. My prankster of a kiddo has been known to come up behind me during an online meeting and give me bunny ears so I usually mention if he is home too.

2)     Find some dedicated space if possible. Our house is too tiny for a dedicated office space so my office is the kitchen table. Luckily, I can clear it off pretty quickly when it’s time for all of us to sit down for a meal.

3)     Take breaks when you need them. Get up and walk around. Flex your schedule to allow for a quick workout or task that is bugging you so you can get back to work with increased focus.

4)     Set boundaries. It’s really easy to check the phone or the email whenever; however, you do not want to create a scenario where people think that you are available 24/7 (unless that is part of your job). When leaving messages or emails, I share that I am typically available during traditional business hours during the week; however, I can schedule alternate hours if needed.

By the way, as I sit here and type this, it is during one of my breaks. The school year has started so I actually managed to throw on some clothes (i.e. not is my pajamas!) and get the kiddo off to school. Now that I have this out of the way I can refocus and get back to my day job.

Thank you for reading! Please feel free to Like/ Share/ Comment. I look forward to hearing how others feel about working from home!