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Who works from home? Need your advice please!
Hello everyone! I've never posted on this board before, but I'm hoping people here can help me out with a work situation.
My company has been trying to sell our building for a few years now
and finally succeeded a couple of weeks ago... There are only a few of us here (about 12 total) so the new building will only have room for those who absolutely need office space (less than half of the staff). Most of us (including me) will now
become "mobile" and work from home or wherever. We're getting laptops,
cell phones, etc. to facilitate this.
That means that after this week, I'm mostly going to be working out of my home office. I'm excited about this in some ways, but sad/worried about it too.
For those of you who work from home, I'm wondering how you keep from going crazy being all by yourself for such long stretches? We'll probably have a weekly, face-to-face staff meeting, and are free to meet up with other coworkers as needed throughout the week. But mostly, I'll be on my own at home. Do you miss having a separate office to go to, and being in the same space with other coworkers?
How do you keep from getting distracted by things at home (like doing chores or fun distractions) and staying focused on work? And how do you separate yourself mentally from work at the end of the day when your home IS your work space too?
What kind of practical obstacles have you experienced working from home? Thankfully, we have a home office with a desk and chair, I'll have some storage space for files and my laptop, and no one else is home during the day except my dog. Did you notice a big difference in your bills/expenditures because you are home more?
Re: Who works from home? Need your advice please!
Wow this could post could have been from me. I am in a similar situation in that I will soon be working 4 days/week from home with one weekly in-office meeting. I have the EXACT same apprehensions regarding discipline, the need for human interaction, schedule, etc.
I can't wait to see the responses
Thanks!
I work from home about 95% of the time, maybe go into the office once every other week or so. I live about 40 miles from my office, so for me I love the option of not driving in, especially on snowy and rainy days. It does take some getting used to, as far as not being around people all the time. Some days the only people I see are girls at the daycare center and the workers at the grocery store. It is nice to see everyone when I am in the office.
I do get distracted by house work and once in awhile take 5 minutes here or 10 minutes there for laundry, dishes, etc. But I figure in the office I would be socializing with people a lot more than that, so it evens itself out.
I haven't run into any practical issues, as like you, I have an office, desk, etc. Once in awhile my husband works from home too, but he has his own office so we just see each other in passing. I couldn't speak to increased utility bills as I've worked from home ever since we moved into a new house, so have nothing to compare to.
I've never had an issue with separating work from home, so suggestions there. I often look forward to the end of the day when I pick up my DS from daycare and spend the rest of the night with him. If you have a family, you'll want to be sure to separate the two.
I'm sure you'll figure out a routine that works for you. Maybe you'll chat on the Nest more often now to keep connected with people. Or instant message with coworkers. That's what do during the day. Talk about work stuff and personal stuff too. Makes me feel not so alone.
I wasn't much help I'm afraid. Good luck! I'm sure you'll enjoy it. More freedom and less commute time!
I once in a while would work from home at an old job. I think the main thing is that if your DH is ever home he needs to know you are working from home so can't be distracted. I think it is fine to to a break here and there to do laundry or make something. You get breaks at an office job too and some people spend a part of the day socializing.
As far as more money in bills, you have to figure you will be saving money on gas so that may make up for an increase in utility bills. And you can always make sure you don't have lights on in other rooms or the tv going to save on that too. You could play the radio from your computer.
I remember when I did online classes for school, I found that I needed to keep a routine and stay on schedule. I would think the same would be for work. Get up at the same time everyday and get working. Once 5 hits shut everything down and enjoy your evening and just keep yourself separated from work.
I would love to work from home. I know it would be tough at times to keep focused but I would actually enjoy not having distractions of people around me. And you get to wear comfy clothes all day!
I work from home every once in a while. What I do is make sure that all of my household chores are done before "work hours." So I usually would make sure that everything I want done is done the night before, or I wake up early to do it.
Another thing you should consider is finding a nice coffee shop with free WiFi to go to every once in a while.
Do you have WiFi at your house? I sometimes take my computer to my porch when its nice too!
I work from home and I like it, but there are definitely drawbacks, too. Like PP said, definitely make sure your spouse is aware that when you're home during working hours, you're working -- you're not available to chat or watch movies or cuddle or whatever. My husband is still getting used to that and I've been working from home for two months. I also suggest having a dedicated area that is your work space. I actually don't have that right now and it drives me crazy!!
The biggest thing, though, is to make sure you get up and get dressed in the morning. That might seem obvious, but no one's mentioned it so I will. It can be so tempting when you're working from home to hang out all day in your sweats since you know it's just you and your dog, but you will definitely feel different if you actually get dressed, even if you're just wearing jeans or something. I definitely give myself breaks, too; I would get breaks at the office, so I take breaks to relax a bit, do a chore here or there, run to the store for 10 minutes, etc. (My job is also more about a set number of responsibilities a day rather then working until a certain time, so it's a weird circumstance.)
I don't really feel lonely, but I'm a journalist so I do a ton of interviews. I think since you're getting a staff meeting every week, that will help, and like others mentioned chatting with co-workers, playing the radio, or calling them with questions rather than emailing might help. But I find the quiet helps me be more productive.
GL!
I work from home, but recently, I've struggled with being disciplined, especially as the weather has gotten nicer. It has been helpful for me to have a set time to get up and make a list of things I want to accomplish. I have made a spreadsheet with regular appointments and filled in the other time with things I want to do more of (like reading, eating lunch with a friend, working out, etc.) If I write something in as a standing appointment, it is more likely to get done.
Also, getting dressed in "work clothes" puts me in a more professional work mode. For socialization, it is helpful to make plans for lunch with friends, even if it's bringing your lunch somewhere. Coffee shops are good places to get work done and feel social. I make a point of talking with people like cashiers, bank tellers, etc. to feel less isolated.
I am full-time work at home. I see coworkers maybe once a month and most of them once a year, if that. I have a room set aside as my office and I've found that I have to make sure that I leave it and not return at the end of the day. When I first started I would keep checking emails/voicemails all the time so I was never feeling like I was "off."
The chore list does get in the way some times, but having set work hours helps. Yes, I'll use my lunch break to do a few little things, but unless it is something that can run in the background, I can't promise I'll get it done during work.
The socializing, or lack of it, has been the hardest thing for me. Thats why my local coworkers and I go to lunch once a month. We all need that touchstone with others in our same position. Working totally virtually has been a challenge, but it sounds like you'll still have regular contact with your peers, so that should be easier.