The first thing that comes to mind when many people think about working from home is working in pajamas. But that’s just one of the benefits: reduced cost of office space, zero commuting, and flexible working hours- especially when you’re dealing with global team etc.- all make working from home an attractive option. That is why many freelancers, contractors, entrepreneurs and full time employees across the globe chose to work from home.
And while working from home is usually way less stressful, it still presents its’ own challenges. Discussed below are some of the issues faced by work-from-home professionals and recommended solutions.
- Work life balance: Separating your personal life from your professional life is hard at times. You shuffle between tasks and it may work most of the times. But you will need to prioritize most of the time. Why not you step out for some time regularly? Find a café nearby and go there during quiet hours. How about public library in your area? Some coworking spaces offer hourly rates along with great amenities like free coffee and an outdoor work area. A change of scenery might be exactly what you need to get those creative juices flowing.
- Working too much: Sleeping in, working in pajamas and eating breakfast on the couch- these are the common work-from-home stereotypes. But actually, people working from home tend to put in more work hours, especially because there’s no separation between work and home- they’re literally always at the office. So it’s important to be cognizant of the time when you are working at home. Plan to wrap up on time at least two or three days a week. And remember that your weekends are for you and your family only!
- Lack of social interaction: Everyone needs friends. Plan lunches with friends, step out for a day or two during the week, and work in social settings. Cafés and coworking spaces can be great for achieving this objective. Networking events at coworking spaces are always worth visiting as they help polish your networking skills (plus they sometimes have drinks!).
- Keeping the workspace sacred: When working from home, it can be difficult to get your family members to respect your workspace and schedule. Paperwork may be damaged – not to mention all the noise! Being able to deal with distractions is a part of working from home. However, sometime working at a coworking space can alleviate these problems as you will be working alongside other like minded professionals. This is specially useful when you have that important conference call or video meeting.
- Getting bored in general: Monotony. These are the words that come to mind when someone mentions working from home. Worse, these things can lead to a serious drop in productivity and can seriously hinder your creative process. The key to breaking the cycle of routine work is quite simply to break your routine.
In short, you can maximize the benefits of work from home by not working from home all the time. Cafés, coworking places, and libraries offer plenty of flexibility for stay-at-home professionals and make for a great change of scenery.
This article was originally published on KOWRK.