30 Things I Wish I Knew Before I Started Working From Home

When I recently began working from home, I realized there were a lot of things I had not factored in. These became more and more evident as I tried to settle into a work routine at home.

So what are the things that one really needs to know when beginning to work from home? Here they go:

There will be interruptions galore;
You have to battle tedium;
There will not be much support, technically or otherwise;
Remunerations might not be regular;
Social life will take a beating;
You will develop new skill sets;
New friendships will form.

There will be unforeseen challenges to face as you begin working from home but again, there is absolutely nothing that really cannot be worked out. One needs to be clear about one’s focus and tackle these as they come along. Even on seemingly tough days, being calm and handling situations will see you through.

Some aspects of working from home and how to handle them

Home front management

Managing baby. Having a toddler to care for can make things quite demanding for someone working at home. No need to feel overwhelmed by the situation. Instead work your way around it by delegating duties to other kids or your spouse or parents, so that baby gets looked after and you can work in those spells guilt-free.
Spousal responsibility. Even if you are blessed with an understanding spouse, there are times when they might feel too neglected. This could inevitably lead to misunderstandings and unpleasantness. Try and explain the demands of your situation to them. Work out your schedule so that both of you can carve out at least some time in the day for each other. Go out for a stroll or a movie, or simply spend quality time together to tide over differences.
Sticking to turn-around time. Granted that working from home affords amazing flexibility but even that has its limits. There is a time by which you are needed to turn in work. Always plan your work in such a manner as to factor in some unexpected interruptions, so that in spite of it all you can still finish up your work on time.
Being taken for granted. Often times it happens that working from home is not considered as ‘work’ enough. Just because you are at home, people think you are ‘available’ at all times. Whether it is attending to children or running some errand, most of it is considered your domain. After all you are home. You need to be very firm and impress upon your folks that this is as much work as going on-site is. In fact it is even more so because you are actually handling many domestic responsibilities by being around. There is only that much that you can do, and being taken for granted is not something that is at all welcome.
Too many interruptions. Too many people walking into your workspace, kids demanding attention, phone calls and doorbells, neighbours dropping in can be highly irritating. Also the flow of work is disrupted affecting output of work. You need to make it very clear that this is actual ‘work’ and certain rules need to be maintained. You need clear timeframe to work uninterrupted. Also define an area in your home as your workspace and maintain its sanctity as well as you can. This way your family will also learn to value the importance of your work, and treat it with the respect it deserves. Be firm about defining some rules to minimize interruptions.
Lack of discipline. A bit of indiscipline invariably creeps in the routine over time in a home setting. Thinking that things can be put off to be done later and that one always has time can eventually lead work to pile up. Not only this, failure to look after oneself physically, as in getting less exercise and snacking unchecked can lead to a host of health problems as well.
No work-office space separation. For people who work on site it is a big plus to finish the day’s work and get away from it all, literally. However late you might be working or needing to stay back late, you know that at the end of the day, you will be coming back home. On the other hand, if you are working from home, this work-office space separation is totally lost. This can get a bit too much over time. Even employers tend to overlook this aspect, the need to physically get away.
Lack of professional approach. Many people who have chosen this work from home option over on-site work tend to take things a bit too easy. They get very laid-back in their approach to work. Just because they are home, they are dressed slovenly with not a care towards their appearance. Granted not all of you out there would require interacting with your manager or boss over Skype or any such similar visual media, but that does not excuse being untidy. Personally I make the effort to put that token lipstick and put on a smart outfit on most days. This reflects on your work output as well, believe me.

Technical

No support. Let us face it. At home, you are not only alone and isolated to a space with very less human interaction, you also have to face and solve technical glitches (if any) on your own. Any help that you might seek will also be virtual and you can only hope to be able to sort it out on your own. With most jobs becoming online it is essential that your workspace needs are functioning at their maximum to ensure smooth work flow.
Workspace limitations. There is only that much room you have to yourself at home. Within that space, you need to equip yourself as best as you can with every kind of stuff you might need. Right from ergonomic-friendly seating to having access to all sorts of wires, cables, and accessories at arm’s length, you need to arrange it all.

Self maintenance

There are many aspects to keeping yourself in good condition for work from home. Being in a fit state is of utmost importance to be at your best. When you begin work from home, or even after being on it for some time, you do not realize the importance. These are some issues I faced and overcame:

Mental fitness

Boredom. This will surely creep in over time, especially if you are working long hours. This is not good for you or the work that you will eventually produce. Make sure to take frequent breaks, do some chores, listen to music, or take a sip of coffee in order to feel refreshed when you eventually get back to work.
Loneliness. Being on your own for long hours, day after day, can be very difficult to deal with. This affects productivity negatively. You might begin to feel totally isolated without human interaction. Take time out to call a friend and chat for some time to feel the human connect at times.
Depression. The work that you took up with so much enthusiasm can cause you to slip into depression if you take #11and #12too much to heart. That is indeed sad but unfortunately not that uncommon either. Take care to interact with real people off and on and do things to break the monotony of work to avoid falling into this rut.

Physical fitness

Sedentary. Working from home and not having to commute to work makes an ideal case for a sedentary lifestyle. Too much sitting around is part of this. You need to be careful not to get into this routine. It does nothing for you. Lack of physical activity can lead to many problems over time. It is essential for your own well being that you make an effort to get up from your work at intervals and take a walk around, stretch yourself and then resume.
Overeat. This is something peculiar to working from home. Just because you know you are home, there is food lying around or you are actually surrounding your work space with munchies, and that no one is looking, you get tempted to grab a snack out of habit. You might not even be hungry but this is just one way to kill boredom. I make it a point to keep nothing at arm’s length. The thought that every time I feel like a bite I have to physically get up and grab it is a big deterrent.

Social fitness

No social life. Too much work or pressure on timely delivery might make you work too hard and too long, leaving no scope for socializing and interaction. This is a trap one easily falls into. This eventually can make you a social recluse. Completely avoidable.
No time. Not planning your work out properly might lead to not being able to meet deadlines and working continuously. This will not leave you time for much else. Not an ideal situation at all. Balance is of utmost importance.
It’s too virtual. Too much of the interaction is virtual in this kind of setup. Not meeting with real people, even for short periods of time, is good for no one. It can easily lead to feelings of isolation and depression. Make sure some of your interaction is real to get over these feelings.

Remunerations

Delays. There might be delays in crediting and processing pay with certain employers. This might upset your budget in case you are in a tight situation.
Unreliable redressal. At times due to unavoidable reasons, or not so avoidable, there might be discrepancies in payments as well as erratic cycles to contend with. Working remotely might mean you are physically far away from the office site, and following up can only be done over phone or E-mail. The redressal system might not be prompt enough.
Pay cuts. Working from home at times entails taking a pay cut. Many companies pay 10% less to their work-from-home employees. This is to factor in the risk that an off-site employee might not be as productive. Also there are concerns that the company might not be able to get in touch with the employee as and when they wish to. Just remember that the pay cut is compensated by not having to travel to work, tax breaks, not needing formal clothes, among others.

Holidays

Tough with family. It is quite possible that you might not have leave to coincide with school holidays or major festivals. Even a pre-planned holiday might need to be pushed back for later or even cancelled because you are not able to join in.
Expected availability. You are expected to be available and report for work at times even though your employers know you are on holiday. Many a times the thought process goes like, you can very well squeeze in a few hours in between your vacation and do some work that demands attention.
Vacations compromised. The quality of your vacations gets compromised often if you are a remote worker. The very idea of going on vacation is to be able to let go completely and relax. Having to keep to deadlines, take calls, or answer persistent pings will not only spoil your vacation but also disturb the family.

Positives

Being there. There are so many positives to being at home. You get to be around your family. Being home ensures you will not miss out on special days like birthdays, anniversaries, graduations, and other celebrations. Your participation might be subject to work flow but you certainly get to join in.
Kids. No one needs you more than your kids. At least until a certain age, let us admit. Once they grow up, or think they are, they will necessarily like to spend time in their rooms doing their own thing. All the more reason for you to be around them when they are small. Every time they wish to, you are there. Of course you need to set certain boundaries, as discussed in # 5 but knowing you are around helps.
Flexibility. Nothing can beat this aspect of working from home. In case you did not quite understand how flexible it can be, you need to begin working and then realize yourself. Not only do you get to work in your pyjamas, you also get to walk to the counter and grab a coffee (and a cookie, no one’s looking) whenever you feel the tedium creeping in. Take care not to go overboard on this aspect though.
New friends at work and outside. Not only do you end up with more friends at work, the resultant networking allows you to make new friends. These could be related to work or to common interests. They bring in new perspectives and new outlook on life.
New groups. Getting to interact with peer groups and possibly sharing work space is a big gain too. These interactions not only help you cope with feelings of loneliness and boredom but might also open up avenues to newer, more interesting options.
New skills. Last but not the least, a big plus of working from home is that as your interactions increase they create opportunities to learn new skills. These might be related to work or otherwise. Either way, they help immensely in opening up new vistas for you.

What other factors does one need to keep sight of?

Do not lose yourself.One should never let the work situation get so overwhelming that you lose sight of why you began working from home in the first place. Plan your routine so that you essentially indulge in a hobby, old or new.
Evolve to stay relevant.Work from home is by nature mostly online. Technology changes by leaps and bounds each passing day. Make sure you keep abreast of the latest technology and in fact stay ahead, so that you are equipped to move up at your job. Utilize the online nature of work to network and make new associations.
It is not a defeat to go back on-site. In case you feel it is getting too much to cope with, it is always an option to go back onsite. Do not berate yourself for not being able to cope. That will not get you anywhere. A change in the landscape might bring about a world of positivity. Next time you wish to get back to home-based work, you will surely be better able to handle all aspects.

It is very likely that you took up a work-from-home job with a lot of positivity. With these points to make you aware, you are already beginning with an advantage. Once you know what to expect and how best to handle these issues, it will become that much easier to excel at your job.

Related Questions

How not to lose yourself?

You should never let the work situation get so overwhelming that you lose sight of why you began working from home in the first place. Plan your routine so that you essentially indulge in a hobby, old or new.

What are the meansto stay relevant?

Work from home is by nature mostly online. Technology changes by leaps and bounds each passing day, be sure to keep yourself abreast of the latest technology and in fact stay ahead so that you are equipped to move up at your job. Utilize the online nature of work to network and make new associations.

Is it a defeat to go back on-site?

Certainly not!In case you feel it is getting too much to cope with, it is always an option to go back onsite. Do not berate yourself for not being able to cope. That will not get you anywhere. A change in the landscape might bring about a world of positivity. Next time you wish to get back to home-based work, you will surely be better able to handle all aspects.

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