Working from home feels liberating because individuals no longer have to worry about what to wear, do not have to wait through endless hours of traffic and can have a flexible schedule that balances one’s personal and professional life.
At the same time, working from home can get difficult as well, especially when one does not follow a defined schedule and discipline. This idea of a flexible schedule should not be interpreted in the literal sense, because it could lead to stress and confusion. Rather, one should work, eat and have personal time on a schedule. More importantly, this schedule should be communicated to other members in the house, especially young children, because work from home comes with many interruptions.
Another aspect that needs attention is discipline. Workers should enforce it strictly because unlike in a corporate environment, there is no one overseeing you. A person who sits in front of a window, turns on the TV while working, listens to music or multitasks office work with household work can tend to lose focus. Such a loss of focus can reduce productivity and increase the chance of making errors. To avoid such unpleasant scenarios, it is important to have a good measure of self-discipline when working from home.
Communication is another hurdle that comes with working from home. In an office environment, colleagues are around at the same time and it is easier to discuss any issue with them. However, when a person is working from home, he or she is isolated and will have to make an extra effort to reach out to co-workers to ensure that there is a greater level of understanding and collaboration. To this end, conference call services can come handy as workers from home can connect quickly with colleagues at work.
In short, working from home is fun provided a strict schedule and discipline is maintained.
Edited by Maurice Nagle