Working From Home – What to Consider
What I love most about working from home is that you have the flexibility to work whenever you like. You can work at night, during the day, whatever suits your circumstances best.If you have children, you can pick them up from school, work when they are asleep or on a play date. When they are ill, you can look after them without having to take a day off. You can work weekends and decide to take time off in the week. The flexibility is great. And, of course, you do not have to travel.On the other hand, if you have very strict deadlines, you can find yourself working seven days a week. You also have to be very aware that your work never really leaves you. Work will always look you into the eyes. You need a lot of discipline to stop yourself constantly going to your computer to check your emails.At home there are far mores distractions compared to a strict office environment. If you are not careful, you can find yourself making many excuses to get up and embark on something far more interesting or more urgent.It is also very important that you screen your telephone calls. Somehow people believe that when you work at home you are always available. This also applies to family members. They need to learn that when you are in your office, you cannot be constantly disturbed. After all, they would not interrupt your work all the time if you were working outside the house.Having worked from home for now over 10 years, I find that at times it can get very lonely. The isolation can really get to you. Here again, you have to organise your life in such a way that you get out and meet up with people from time to time.I don’t think that working from home suits everybody. But if you are aware of the drawbacks and discipline it takes, it can be a great success.
