Working from home can be SUPER hard, just like running a business can be SUPER hard. There has been a HUGE increase in the number of people who work from home since the start of the Coronavirus outbreak.
If you are one of those people and someone who is not used to working from home, it can be challenging to stay productive and overcome the struggles you might not have experienced while working in an office.
There is a lot to say on this topic! Let’s take a quick look at the pros and cons of working from home, starting with the Pros:
Pro #1:
First of All, You Save Money
Working from home can help you save money first because you don’t have to commute anymore. No more crowded buses or trains and no more annoying traffic jams.
Second, no more unnecessary lunch purchases or snacks or coffee breaks.
You can save a LOT just by buying your food from the supermarket and preparing it yourself. If this is something you still have yet to master, make a note that it’s something to work on.
Pro #2:
You Can Make More Time For Yourself or Loved Ones
This is one of the most common reasons why people choose to work from home. It allows them to enjoy a better work/life balance. You’ll have more time to spend with family and of course, more time (we hope) for yourself.
The time spent commuting could have been minutes or even hours that can now be spent on life-giving activities, including cooking breakfast or dinner for you and your family, enjoying a morning walk with your dog, or finishing the day off with a demanding but soothing yoga session.
Having more time overall has other benefits, too, like being able to attend school events that you had missed before because of work and being able to connect with friends who have different work schedules.
And now for the Cons:
#1 There Are SO MANY and Possibly ENDLESS Distractions
While office environments are also known for having their own set of distractions, I’d have to argue that the potential for distractibility when working from home is FAR GREATER.
Let’s say you have two young children running around the house, or a spouse or roommate who likes to chat, or a pet begging for attention.
I don’t know about you, but my distractions usually happen during the most inopportune moments, like when I’m on client calls or calls with prospects.
Did you know it takes about 20 minutes to get back into the zone after you are interrupted? Imagine if that happened 3 times a day: that’s a full hour of wasted time!
Then, there is endless access to social media, as well as streaming platforms like Netflix and YouTube. Watching the latest episode of your favourite show or watching the latest upload from your favourite YouTuber might be difficult for you to resist when you are at home.
Con #2 It Sometimes Leads to an Unhealthy Lifestyle
This is something that I really want people to digest.
For some, working from home is actually beneficial to their health, but a lot of people find it harmful. There is something about working in our own home’s comfort that makes it easier to overeat and less motivating to get up and move. This can be very detrimental to our health.
The good news is that there are so many ways to turn these cons into pros. Watch my video to reveal my favourite hacks to keep you healthy and motivated in your home office.
