Working from home is not so bad

In these uncertain times, more and more people are forced to stay clear of crowded offices and work from home. As someone who’s been doing this for nearly nine months now, I’ve been through some highs, lows and crazy moments. To help demystify the road ahead, here are some of best things you can look forward to.

 1. You’ll love that extra hour of bed in the morning

If you’re looking for a good read, “Why we sleep” by Matthew Walker is life changing. He explains how sleep plays a pivotal role in everything, from the size of a man’s testicles to how easily you cry. Getting less than eight hours a night eats away at you all day and can lead to an infestation of illnesses over time, including Alzheimer’s. Humans are the only animals to force themselves awake before they are ready, and it’s so silly.

But when you get that delicious eight hours, your whole body loves you for it. When your commute is only as far as the next room, you can soak up that glorious sleep and rest the way nature intended. Sleep well and enjoy every gorgeous second, it's doing you so much good.

2. Proper breaks

Oh babes. The breaks. Say no to bullsh*t walks around the building, chats at the water fountain or frittering money on a plastic coffee for a change of scenery. Instead, say hello to a meaningful pause in your day where you can recharge judgement-free. Your brain just doesn’t work so well after 45 minutes of focus, anyone who’s studied for a serious exam will tell you that. When you try to force it, you wind up reading the same sentence a million times or staring at a forgotten sock on the floor. Taking 20 mins here and there makes a world of difference to your productivity and limits your eye strain.

So ... What do YOU want to do? It's your break time. Depending on your circumstances, you could go out for a yummy treat, pop off for a run, head to the gym, have a glorious bath or read on the sofa. Enjoy these little moments, these breaks are what makes life worth living.

3.   Zero judgement days

How do you prefer to work? The social pressure to conform has been removed. Kick your heels out of the way, shove your suit where the sun don't shine and tell your boring work space where to stick it.

• Want to work in your cosy PJs? Do it. Style out that onesie.
• Fancy playing loud throwback 90s music? Do it. Spice up your life!
• Are you feeling pancakes for lunch? Do it. Yum.
• Inclined to work upside-down on the sofa? Do it. Like a wonderful little monkey.

You don’t have to offer a room full of people a cup of tea ... no more sneaking from the kitchen avoiding eye contact. Walk tall, grab a biscuit. To hell with it, eat all the biscuits! You are EMPOWERED! Ever had that dream where you head into work completely naked? Live it out! (Maybe not on a video call). Don't worry about what you're wearing. Why don't you go 80s with your hair and make-up today? Bring out the mullet and electric blue mascara!

You are now in a ZERO JUDGEMENT ZONE. So make the most of it. One of the first things I did was smother my teeth in braces. Now is the moment to try a brave new thing.

4.   You'll get SO MUCH MORE DONE (... if you want to)

Since freelancing, the amount of work I can do is outrageous. I don’t mean to brag. Having a day without meetings, without distractions, is incredible. Honestly, you’ll do twice as much in half the time.

… You may even find that you tackle that pile of dishes or ironing volcano between workloads too. You absolute ledge.

5.   You’ll be amazed at how much money you save

Think about your average working week in an office. How much are you spending?

Maybe you pay to use public transport or petrol. Maybe you buy meal deals most days... Or suffer through a team lunch out that nobody wants or can afford. You might need to cough up for someone’s birthday, baby, leaving do, charity skydive... Expensive drinks after work which you kind of should go to… perhaps you feel obliged to spot one for the boss… probably you should get a round in for your team. Maybe you need to get new clothes or frequent haircuts or nicer nails for work. All those add up a lot. According to a survey by The Telegraph, in Britain, we spend more than 16% of our salary on work stuff. Take all that away, and you’ll be amazed at how much healthier your bank balance looks... What would you rather spend 16% of your salary on? I hope it's something you love!

The awkward bit

Of course, there are also downsides to working from home too. I'll follow this article up with some the main obstacles and how you can help overcome them. It's not always easy, and sometimes I still feel so lost but there are things you can do to make it a lot more manageable. I'll share them soon!

For now, I hope you enjoy these delicious few days or weeks of working from home. It opens a world of potential and opportunities, which you just don't have in the office. Savour every second. With any luck it will be over before you know it.