As technology continues to evolve and the economy gets better, the trend toward telecommuting or running a home-based business will continue to grow.
Although working from home gives many significant perks, it also has challenges. While dealing with daily commuting and traffic, there are obstacles that are unique to the home office. Here are a few obstacles to working from home and suggestions to overcome them.
1. Staying Focused is a MUST
There are countless distractions from laundry, dishes, television programs, children, friends dropping in, and simple noises outside. It’s already hard to feel like you’re working, simply because you are in a home environment and not your work place.
Suggestion: While you may be a great multi-tasker and think you can alternate between work and household tasks and distractions throughout your day, there has to be some balance. Your productivity will eventually suffer. When I was ‘teleworking’ twice a week it became very difficult to work and not want to run to the store for quick grocery shopping; iron a few clothes in the morning before I got started; read just one more chapter in my favorite book and various other things I looked around and saw needed doing. I knew I shouldn’t, but who would know? Eventually my work slacked and I had to stay up later in the evening to catch up. Hence, what was the purpose of working at home?
I turned my loft into a dedicated area for my office. That allowed me a place to focus and avoid distractions. When I walked up to my loft, I became really serious about my work, totally focused and accomplished much more without interruptions.
For you, it may be using just a little corner of a room that has just the necessary essentials to do your work, preferably with your back to the window (lets avoid the gazing and day-dreaming) and even putting up a door if there are too many distractions. Whenever you need to take a break or regain your focus, get a coffee or relax in another room for a brief time and then get back to your work area.
2. Boundaries are Abused
In a traditional job at the office, everyone understands your work schedule. Personal calls are minimal and you don’t handle personal errands at the Office. However, boundaries tend to disappear when you’re working from home. I received unlimited personal calls and found myself making excuses that I could just take a minute that zapped my time and energy. I was called on to run errands just because I was home and free. Yes, my work suffered. “A lot of people think, ‘Oh this is going to be great,” says Steward Friedman, director of the Work/Life Integration Project at the University of Pennsylvania Wharton School. As Friedman has pointed out, one of the hardest aspects is “creating boundaries at home that really keep you focused.”
Suggestion: While you can still take advantage of the flexibility of working from home, stay conscious of how easy it is to lose track of time in your workday. Always remember that your job is still just as real and important as your friends, family and office counterparts. NOTE: respect your own time and keep to your schedule because others will not unless you set and keep those boundaries.
3. Balance the Work
While one of the greatest perks of working at home is working in your pajamas, no invasion of your space, and starting when you want to work, there is a down side to it all. Working from home gives you no physical or mental barrier between work and home life and you will lose track of a stopping point. Without a natural stopping point, the day gets longer and it’s harder to put work aside, hence, becoming a Workaholic.
Suggestion: Set a reasonable work schedule and stick to it. Start at your scheduled time, take reasonable breaks and lunch, get back to the schedule and most importantly STOP when your scheduled work day is over. This takes great discipline but you can do it. If you are really serious about a home-based business or simply teleworking/telecommuting, you will have to be determined and disciplined.
4. Isolated and Invisible
Its great not having to deal with the drama of office politics and sometimes gossip. Some co-workers can be pests, but others may be uplifting and great partners on major projects. Without regular, visible contacts, Friedman says, you won’t have “the spontaneous exchange of ideas and information and enthusiasm.” You could easily feel isolated. Meetings can happen without anyone remembering to inform you. I didn’t realize how much I missed the daily social interaction until I started teleworking.
Suggestion: If you normally lunch with a co-worker, then schedule an occasional lunch. Set up some get-togethers for after work to catch up on all you may have missed. While using social networks as your virtual “water cooler” may reduce isolation, it can be a time-zapper also. Take advantage of phone calls, video calls, and instant messaging to communicate also. Continue reading →
