Is Working From Home REALLY as Good as it Sounds?

Okay, look. If you are only looking for my humble unsolicited opinion, I would jump up and down and scream HECK YES! I absolutely love the freedom that working from home offers me. This would be quite a narcissistic and short-lived blog if I was only going to talk about myself. I feel obliged to give you both sides of the coin. Flip.

There are many theories circulating that everyone will be working from home in the future.  I don’t know how much I agree with this, it can get pretty lonely. For instance, right now, as I am writing this blog, I am actually talking out loud. Nuts, right? If I was at the office writing this blog, someone would have thrown a shoe at my head by now. Adult conversation is a necessity to keep all of our marbles in tact. Obviously, working from home doesn’t really give you that option.  I mean, there are the obvious reasons why working from home is a super wonderful and convenient idea: no soul-destroying and dream crushing commute, no annoying co-workers that feel the need to share every detail about their son’s cello lesson (with video), the flexibility, less distractions (back to Ann and her cello-playing son),  and the fantastic and brilliant fact that you get go to work in your comfy yoga pants and slippers.  It’s even been scientifically proven that working from home produces much better results and those that do are much more productive.

Now the bad… Since your office is located right next to your kitchen, it may be difficult to separate your home from work life. Working an extra hour while the kids are outside playing is much more feasible. Speaking of separation, there are some people who thrive on acceptance and constant acknowledgement. Working from home doesn’t always offer you that, so you tend to have to brag about yourself a bit more to your superiors in order to ensure that they appreciate the effort you are putting forth.  Bragging is almost second nature to me, so that one doesn’t really phase me.

The bottom line: If you are a highly disciplined person who prospers in a flexible environment, then working from home is definitely for you. I enjoy playing my music while I work, dressing up or down depending on my mood, and being able to set time aside to get my tasks done without distraction. According to a Chinese study, home-based workers proved to be happier and less likely to quit. So grab your laptop, march out of your cubicle, and set up shop at your kitchen table. Err… you get my point.