Often I find myself in the midst of a conversation with a friend or acquaintance discussing the fact that I work from home most of the week, to which they respond with something along the lines of, “that’s awesome!”
It is awesome, until it isn’t. Working from home has just as many pros as it does cons. Some perks include saving money on gas and lunch, getting a better quality of sleep and setting my own schedule. The freedom to set your own schedule allows you to make a better work-life balance. One of the biggest benefits of working from home is not feeling rushed to do everything. There is no rush to get ready in the morning, eat breakfast or have coffee and get out the door to drive to the office. There is no traffic from my bedroom to my kitchen to my home office. I also find I can get more done at home with greater efficiency.
However, this absence of urgency sometimes also makes for an absence of motivation. As previously stated, once I finally get in the groove and mindset to get my work done at home, I get it done quicker and more efficiently without office distractions. Getting in the mindset proves to be difficult sometimes.
There is something about going through the morning routine of getting ready for the day that makes one feel like a more productive member of society. When you don’t leave the house to go to work, this routine goes out the window. This is more of a mental barrier than anything else, and forcing yourself to treat each morning the same and dress for the job is easier said than done, but getting it done is vital to successfully work remotely.
The days I do get to the office, I sometimes find myself easily distracted. Spending three days away from others brings a certain excitement of finally being around other people.
There are benefits and drawbacks to a more traditional, in-office work schedule and working remotely. While some of the barriers of working from home can be tough to overcome, the freedom it allows is not something we might be willing to give back. At the end of the day, when the work is done and the client is happy, where the work was done no longer matters.