Last Updated on Mar 13, 2020 by James W
In both the US and the UK, there are now more people than ever before choosing to work from home. At first glance, the idea sounds rather attractive – you don’t have to get up and go to work in the morning, and you decide when to work. While choosing your schedule might sound like a dream come true, it can soon turn into a nightmare if you get things wrong. Loads of jobs allow you to work from home these days. When you undertake this new phase of your life, you will find that it is quite different to what you had imagined.
- You need to set a schedule
Deciding when you can work is a luxury, but you need to make sure that you don’t abuse it. If you don’t set proper schedules, you will risk leaving projects until the last moment. If you don’t want to lose track of your working day, it is worth making a note of your schedule. When you divide up your time, you will find it simple to stick to a routine.
- Try to avoid home distractions
When you work from home, there are all manner of distractions with which you have to deal. If you have pets, for example, they might be quite noisy throughout the day. It is difficult to settle down to work when there is a dog barking in the background. You will need a quiet space where you can work each day. It might be a home office or just a quiet corner; either way, you need to find what works for you.
- You should motivate yourself
Motivating yourself will be your biggest challenge, and so you might need to get expert help. You might need to find the right person for you, for example. Getting a life coach to help you might mean the difference between success and failure for you. You need to figure out what works for you and what drives you. When you know that, there will be no stopping you.
- It’s difficult to switch off
After the working day is over, what do you do? People who work in offices have the luxury of coming home to a haven away from their place of work. You have been home all day long, and so you might not know when to switch off for the day. You will need to find a way to differentiate work-time from free-time.
- Communicating with clients is difficult
Since it is unlikely that you will see your clients, you will have trouble communicating with them. Of course, you can use chat functions online or call them, but you lose something when you use these systems. You will need to be clear in your messages so that you and your customers are always on the same page.
- You must get out of the house
It is tempting to get up, do your work and then curl up into a ball and watch TV. That is quite possibly the worst thing you can do for your mental health. If you go for days without leaving the house, you will start to feel miserable. You need to get out there and socialize so that you feel ‘normal’ as such. Make plans for the evening, get a gym membership and get out to see people.
- Get up, get dressed, get started
Crawling out of bed and starting work while you are in your pajamas is a terrible idea. Sure, you don’t have to commute to an office, but you should still get dressed in the morning. Get up at least an hour before you intend to start work so that you can get dressed and have a small breakfast. In doing so, you prepare yourself for the working day.
Working from home has many advantages, but it has some disadvantages too. Before you take the plunge and go it alone, you have to be sure that you understand what it entails. Now that you know what to expect, you can get started.
