Working from home, like everything else, has it’s pros and cons. For me, the benefits outweigh the challenges but others find it very difficult.
Here’s what I haven’t heard many people share about working from home:
Cons
- It’s difficult to determine a person or group’s mood/tone virtually, over the phone and email. Natural reactions seen in person can be hidden by mute buttons or a pause in streaming
- Sometimes your bad day could be all mental. If your mind is full of clutter, negative things could be only your personal reality that nobody is aware of
- System outages are harder to get fixed virtually. Tech support can’t reach you as quick as they could if your were in the same building
- Your family might expect you to do household chores during the day (…and you might fall into the trap of actually doing them)
Pros
- You can control the mood of your space, play music/light candles/set the temperature to your comfort level
- You can eat fresh homecooked breakfast and lunch because your kitchen is right there…and use the microwave as long as you want
- Time saved from not commuting can be used to prepare for the day/finish up admin work leftover from meetings. Reduce the amount of work carried over to the next day and start your day with a clean to-do list
- Top benefit: More time to spend with your family. You can be more present and available for the ones you love
