When you choose to work from home, you have a fantastic opportunity to create a quality home and work-life balance.
Many people find that they are more productive when they work from home and that it creates a happier way of working for them. However, some people also struggle with the isolation of being away from the contemporary office environment and fall foul of distractions.
It’s a 50-50 split of whether home working will work for you or not, but if you approach it in a positive and determined way, it will be a fantastic decision that you won’t look back on.
The key is to understand home working completely and then knowing what you’re letting yourself in for - good and bad.
To help you out, and to show you just how manageable the potential downsides of working from home can be, let’s look at 5 potential pitfalls and what you can do to side-step their effects.
Your Friends Call Around For Coffee
This is a very common scenario which can play havoc with your productivity levels and leave you feeling stressed out. You don’t want to say ‘no’ to your friends, but at the same time, you’re supposed to be working. The thing is, if you’re home, people will simply assume you’re available for a chat.
So, how can you deal with it? Let people know that you’re working and the times you’ll be on your lunch break or finishing work for the day. Let them know that you’re available during those times but not outside of them. You might also find it useful to turn your phone onto silent and work in a space where you can close the door, therefore not hearing the doorbell.
You’re Tempted to do ‘Odd Jobs’
We all have jobs at home that we don’t have the time to get around to doing, but they weigh on your mind. When you’re working from home, especially if you’re doing a task that you don’t particularly enjoy, it’s very easy to procrastinate and do those ‘odd jobs’ instead. Big mistake.
When you’re working, you need to be in the mindset for work. You’re at home, yes, but you’re not AT home. That means you’re not in the house to do home-related things. Avoiding this particular pitfall is all about being disciplined and being in the right frame of mind. You should also have regular breaks, and if you really want to, you can do those jobs then.
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You Sit in Bed And Don’t Get Dressed
Now, this is a contentious one. Some people think that one fo the biggest pros of working from home is that you don’t have to sit at an office chair and instead you can sit in bed with your pyjamas on and tap away at your keyboard. Now, yes you can do that if you really want to, but it’s not going to get you into the right productive frame of mind for work and you’re probably going to wreck your back - beds are not designed for office work!
It’s a far better idea to design a quality home office, with comfortable and supportive office furniture, and to get up, get dressed and go to that space when you need to work.
You Stay Home All Day
Yes, you’re working but that doesn’t mean you don’t need a break. It can be very tempting to sit in the house and get all your work done, and then do whatever you need to do around the house, but you need fresh air and exercise too!
Schedule in regular breaks and sit outside in the garden with a coffee at those times. You should also head outside one your lunch break for a quick walk around the block. This gives you a boost of energy and focus and allows you to be healthier and more productive.
Failing to Communicate Regularly And Feeling Isolated
One of the biggest issues, when you start to work from home, is that you may feel lonely or isolated. This is especially the case if you’ve been working in a regular office for a long time. You need to communicate with the office regularly, both for your own sanity but also to ensure that your employer knows what you’re doing and to update you on anything you need to know.
On a social note, why not set up a WhatsApp group to stay in touch with everything that’s going on, and arrange to meet up outside of work for a catch up perhaps once every couple of weeks?
As you can see, home working problems can easily be overcome with a little creative thinking!