Do you work from home?

[JustJo]

I've been working from home for the last 5 and a bit years.

Most days I love it. My commute is nothing...I don't have to buy office clothes...I avoid office politics...and I can be home when my son gets off the school bus in the afternoon.

There's a downside though. Less visibility in the office can mean fewer raises and promotions....some people seem to think you don't work at all and can spend the day running their errands or watching their kids...and sometimes it can be pretty isolating.

Sure....some days I work from home....but some days it feels like I live at work.

I've gotten better over the years at walking away from the computer promptly at 5 and not opening it on the weekends....but there are others where it's hard to get motivated to work when I'm home and the kitchen or the laundry or the book I'm reading are only steps away.

So...what do you do to keep yourself on-track and balanced and happily working from home? What do you like? What do you dislike? If you were giving advice to someone just starting to work from home what would that be?

[aishah]

thank you for starting this thread!

i work from home (unless i'm traveling to speak or teach workshops) and i'm self-employed. i've been doing this for almost two years now. there are things i absolutely love about it and things i hate about it.

one of the most irritating things is that i've found that most people think it must be 110% amazing all the time, so when i grumble about it (even to my partner sometimes) they're like, "well, if you hate it so much, why not find a real job?" and then i have to point out...i don't know anyone who LOVES their job ALL the time, and i know very few people who would rather work than lay in bed and watch grey's anatomy. i really like my job but some days i just don't feel like working, dammit! :P and the fact that i set my own schedule can really be a trap in that way because i'm only accountable to myself most of the time.

i agree that it can get really isolating. i get my best work done when i have the whole day with nothing else to do, but i've been trying to ease into a schedule where i leave the house for an hour or two to run an errand or get acupuncture or something. otherwise i can go days without seeing people or going outside, which is really unhealthy for me. i've been thinking about getting a part-time job just to get out of the house, and i recently started volunteering at the acupuncture clinic once or twice a week, so that helps.

feeling like i'm always at work is the worst feeling! i can definitely relate to that. i used to have roommates so i worked from my bedroom and that was extremely difficult. now that i have my own apartment, i have an office, which helps a lot. i try to do non-work things in other parts of the house, even if it means having to move my laptop around a lot. my computer NEVER goes in my bedroom now...not even for fun stuff. working somewhere separate from where i sleep and sometimes from where i play (although i do creative stuff in the office too sometimes) has helped immensely. and it's one of the few business expenses i can write off on my taxes

i love being able to make my own schedule. this means on most days that if i go to bed at a decent hour and if i don't have any phone or chat meetings scheduled, i don't have to set an alarm in the morning, and sleeping as much as i need to is so good for my health. i can take more time to get ready for work and do other things in the morning (like exercise, journal, meditate, etc.). the downside is for some of my projects, i have meetings scheduled at odd hours (like 8pm on a monday), so it's hard to maintain the same schedule every day and i usually end up working on weekends. i'm trying to ease into a more regular schedule, but all the traveling this spring has kind of screwed that up. sometimes things are regular, sometimes they're not. hoping it'll even out more after june.

i'd definitely recommend keeping as regular a schedule as possible, having a separate space for work, and making sure to have good self-care...for me that means seeing other human beings and also sunlight on a semi-regular basis. and remembering to eat - because most of my work (and a lot of my fun) is computer-related, i can get wrapped up in things on the computer and forget to eat, which hurts my body and makes me useless when it comes to worky-things. so i try to set regular breaks to do that, and do my best to avoid getting wrapped up in laundry and dishes during breaks...hehehe

regarding accountability...i keep a spreadsheet of my hours and (if i'm working on something where it's possible to actually estimate hourly earnings) how much i've made. i make myself fill it out every day that i work. getting to the end of the week and realizing i've only worked 2/3 of the hours i need, or i haven't spent enough time on certain projects, is a crappy feeling. usually that (and not wanting to, you know, get evicted) helps keep me in line. since i also have several projects going at once, i keep a binder with a sheet of paper with my responsibilities, deadlines, and to-do list for each one so i can check them off on paper (i like paper systems better than online to-do lists, but workflowy.com is a great tool for this too).

[1QuirkyKiwi]

I bring paper work home and get it done quickly as it has to be handed in the next day. I'm looking to work from home in the near future. Fortunately, I am able to work well alone and unsupervised because my current career, for the most part, I've had to work alone and unsupervised and on my own initiative. I'm able to work quietly and productively to meet reasonable deadlines that allows me to focus with few interruptions and distractions.

My stumbling block is interruptions and distractions which then makes it hard for me to find consistancy in working productively. When this happens I get stressed easily which then has a snowballing effect of me getting irritable and tearful.

My current job isn't 9-5 and I can't always walk away from it when I want. I accept that this will most likely be the situation again, should I work from home on a full time basis.

[ArkansasPiscesGrrl]

I am also self-employed, with a business I started up last fall. The weight of the "OMG, if I don't put ALL of my time possible into productive working, my business will fail, and I will become a homeless failure!" really gets to me sometimes. Yes, it is wonderful and such a blessing that I can take the time, if I want or need to, to take something over to my kids' house, to run them to school if needed, to go lay out by the pool on a particularly sunny day (I have taken my notes and my laptop with me to the apt's pool. It helped alleviate some of my guilt over NOT slaving away on my computer!) My partner keeps telling me "Ann, the world as you know it will NOT fall apart if you take 5 min to step away from your computer and go outside and WALK a bit!".

I also do some contracting for my old company, and have to justify on an hourly basis, what kind of hours I put in for a paycheck.So that keeps me aware, in a way, of time management.

I have been known, on too many occasions, to find myself sitting working perhaps 16-18+ hours a day. That is crazy for someone my age, I think!

[Linus]

I also work from home but I'm not self-employed. My company allows for me to work from home as I'm a remote employee and I also teach at customer sites (which is where most of my travel comes from). I love being able to set my own hours (unless I'm teaching online -- then it becomes a downside since it means being up early since classes are often in CST timezone while I live in the PST timezone). Since I can set my own hours I can get up early and finish early (HA!) if I want to. I do find the challenge is that I tend to be nearly 24/7 with my job. Since we've gone hourly (and I have no limit on OT, Double OT, etc.) that means every little thing I do I can charge for. It's too easy, however, to not do that because of all the little breaks I can now and again (to check out here or do things for here).

My biggest downside is the lack of interaction with others. When I used to work at our offices in Canada, we'd have discussions and fun stuff. I kind of miss that. And I miss -- somewhat -- the commute. I don't miss biking in the winter but I do miss biking to and from work. To help ensure that the sofa doesn't meld too much to my butt (I tend to sit in the living room with the pugs when I'm working), I've booked a personal trainer and scheduled "personal meetings/out of office" during those times. I need to do the same for cycling as well -- ideally earlier than later.

My biggest plus is being able to work outside (having a cigar and a coffee or something stronger) while it's sunny and watching the pugs run amok.

[Sachita]

I work and operate my businesses from home/farm. My entire day is all about balance and keep disciplined to get the job done. I've worked for myself since I was in my early 20's so I have always preferred working at home. The times I did have an office I still worked at home. I don't like a lot of distractions. I'm a fierce multi-tasker and can do two things at once.

My biggest struggle is knowing when to shut it off. Too often I'm grabbing my lap top to finish something or look something up. I can afford to have days where I just don't feel like working but I also know I have to make that time up. I also have to work towards delegation because I'm such a control freak I end up doing task others can easily do. I'm working on this and seem to be getting better.

Something that works well for me is taking frequent breaks to take a walk outside or if its nice out I'll take my work outside. Luckily I get to work doing the things I love so it all works out great.

I rarely wear shoes and when I do it's simple. I wear very little clothing- T-shirts & jeans or I have all these PJ sets and enjoy simple feminine flowing type things. Anything silky or loose fitting. If I don't have workers around I'll wear these flimsy little cami/slip things. I want to be comfortable. I'm often on the phone and brushing a dog.

Like Linus stated I miss interaction but I do make sure to get out a few times a week.

[Medusa]

I work at home a lot with my company.

Pros:

• I get a LOT of work done because I don't have any distractions.
• My house is super clean because I often wash clothes or pick up in between conference calls.
• My dog is happier because we spend the day together.
• I don't have to get dressed and can leave my facial treatments on as long as I want. Green face anyone?

Cons:

• I miss interacting with my coworkers and still choose to go in 2 - 3 days a week because of this. We are a very tight-knit group and even though we can all work from home, we tend to be at work more often than not.
• I have caught myself eating more mainly due to being out of my routine.
• Feeling isolated.

I mostly LOVE working at home. If it weren't for my amazing coworkers, I'd do it all the time.

[Sachita]

Originally Posted by Medusa

I work at home a lot with my company.

Pros:

• I get a LOT of work done because I don't have any distractions.
• My house is super clean because I often wash clothes or pick up in between conference calls.
• My dog is happier because we spend the day together.
• I don't have to get dressed and can leave my facial treatments on as long as I want. Green face anyone?

Cons:

• I miss interacting with my coworkers and still choose to go in 2 - 3 days a week because of this. We are a very tight-knit group and even though we can all work from home, we tend to be at work more often than not.
• I have caught myself eating more mainly due to being out of my routine.
• Feeling isolated.

I mostly LOVE working at home. If it weren't for my amazing coworkers, I'd do it all the time.

ohhh eating is bad working at home. I get stressed over work and have to eat something. Lately I've been cutting up fruit and adding chia seeds to some stuff. I'm a huge picker and guilty of eating while I'm working. Very bad habit.

[MissItalianDiva]

I work from home with my own business and it definitely has it's pros and cons just like anything else. I tend to be a type A personality so for me working from home can get a bit unbalanced and unhealthy.

I am a workaholic as is so working from home and having constant access to work lines and my work computer usually means I am constantly forcing myself to shut it down. Now that I have a family it has become a constant challenge and I really feel having more hours in the day is a fabulous idea

On the flip side as Medusa pointed out my home is immaculate, my family is well tended to, I choose my hours and project I want to take on, and I have the freedom to be at the mercy of my own self which I love.

Advice to others would be excellent time management, having a dedicated space within the home, choosing "hours" to work so you can avoid burnout and an unbalanced life, don't forget to give yourself a lunch break and get dressed in the morning. For me I found not getting up and getting dressed made me sluggish and a bit depressed/more isolated. Oh and maintain a healthy social life because working from home is a solitary thing for the most part even with video conferencing and business calls.

[Daddislilgrrl]

I work from home as of this year for a great company. As of Sunday, I'm getting benefits (Yipee!) and I'm enjoying my job immensely! It's insane during the holidays, and it's kind of slow during the summertime, so my honey and I are having a staycation right now! First time in years that we are having time to ourselves. For me the paycheck is so worth the job. I am on the telephone with folks all day, so I'm never really alone, and I've virtually stopped eating during the day when I'm not supposed to be eating. This is the first job I've had in over 10 years, and I'm totally loving it. The lack of commute, the ability to go to work in my jammies if I so desire, well those are perks for sure. I guess if there were downsides, I just can't find any yet. I'll keep y'all posted though.

Love to all us workers at home!
Daddislilgrrl

[Okiebug61]

I am not self employed but I am an outside sales rep for a HVAC company and I have a van that is set up as a mobile office. I have a desk, file cabinets, printer and computer. I love it. I can stop anywhere and work on my bids,email my office and take care of any business I need to. Having a company vehicle is awesome, no gas to pay for, no upkeep and my car "Dixie" has very little miles on her and I am loving that.

[Arwen]

I've just started an online course for business women. It's only been three days (kicked off 6/1) and it is AMAZING.

It was cheap as far as these type of courses go and the benefits/bonuses have been off the hook. Seriously.

I recommend this if you want to find others who will support you in growing a business in a whole manner--not just about bottom line but about soul-growth.

Click here.

[MsTinkerbelly]

My Kasey works from home after commuting for many hours per day for many years.

Upside:

No commute
home when finished working
can work on side business easier
can work in jammies

downside:

No or little socializing with peers and co-workers who are friends
Always in the house seeing the same ol' same ol'

[aishah]

Originally Posted by Arwen

I've just started an online course for business women. It's only been three days (kicked off 6/1) and it is AMAZING.

It was cheap as far as these type of courses go and the benefits/bonuses have been off the hook. Seriously.

I recommend this if you want to find others who will support you in growing a business in a whole manner--not just about bottom line but about soul-growth.

Click here.

oh! this is one of my most favorite courses all of leonie's offerings are amazing!

also the right brain business plan is another great resource... http://www.rightbrainbusinessplan.com/

[starryeyes]

Yes, sometimes! I am a sign language interpreter and many health care agencies, universities and businesses now hire us remotely, so I work from a laptop with headphones. It is not the most ideal situation (sometimes Internet connections are slow and it's hard to read the signs) but it's nice to work with pajama bottoms on, lol.

I also own my own company where I market this technology to schools who have deaf children in remote areas with out access to qualified interpreting services. My buinsss partner and I are going to start heavily marketing our business in the summer and hopefully get a some contracts next school year. We shall see!

Smiles

[Arwen]

Originally Posted by Arwen

I've just started an online course for business women. It's only been three days (kicked off 6/1) and it is AMAZING.

It was cheap as far as these type of courses go and the benefits/bonuses have been off the hook. Seriously.

I recommend this if you want to find others who will support you in growing a business in a whole manner--not just about bottom line but about soul-growth.

Click here.

Just heard this is going up to $199 7/3 so if you are interested, now's the time to do it. You can also check out some goodies free from Leonie here.

I can't say enough about how much I've already gotten from this. I'm learning how to create passive streams of income as well as networking with other women who are dedicated to living amazing lives.

The initial $99 gets you a year's membership which means you can dive into any of the threads and mine them for great information. It's for all business owners who are serious about taking their business to the next level.

It's coaching. It's metaphysical. It's practical. It works. It's amazing.

There are financial advisors, B&B owners, Reiki healers, knitters and more here.

I'll stop now. I know I'm being an evangelist, but it's that damned good, y'all.

[fever]

I can't say enough about FHTM. I just attended the convention in Vancouver, and am so happy to have found a company with this much integrity and honesty.

Energy has been de-regulated in 7 states so far. By gathering customers to switch to our energy company, you will have residual income for life.

I truly believe that everyone should have a home based business. Why give your hard earned money to the IRS?

Contact me for more information. We have a special program called TAXBOT that all home based business people should use. It is amazing!!!

www.fhtmca.com/candiharrison

[Daddislilgrrl]

UPDATE: I just signed up for my 401K yesterday and I believe that is the beginning of my life as a real worker at home! I was also asked by my boss to work a special project in the next 3 weeks, and I agreed, with her knowing that I'm taking a weeks vacation from Aug. 5-9. Our best friend here in town will stay at the house with the animals, and we are off to San Antonio! YIPEE! That's another perk about working at home, you get to take time off in the summer at my job when you want to...

Then the following week is my birthday! YAHOO! I'm going to be 49 this year and am thoroughly enjoying it! Now I do not have to work, but I'm getting appointments for my bday, so it's going to be a busy day. Hoping my honey has something planned.

Love to all!
Daddislilgrrl

[stephfromMIT]

I won't be able to, since I'll be a professor. But Mandy hopes to be able set up a studio in our future home.