The Downsides of Working from Home and How to Make Them Non-Issues

Sick days, while they still happen, don’t mean a scowling boss or guilt at making coworkers sick or leaving them to function without you. You’re able to work with the customers and clients you want to work with. You can pick and choose projects. You can work from your couch, the coffee shop, or Maybe, most important of all, you’re in control of your own destiny and able to be there for your family when they need you.

Yes, working from home has a lot of perks.

It also has some downsides that people just don’t want to talk about. We’ll here we go. We’re not only going to talk about the downsides of working from home, we’re going to talk about how to get around or through them.

Ready?!

One of the most difficult aspects of working from home is the lack of human interaction. Seriously, I once found myself chatting on the phone with a prospective client and not wanting to hang up simply because it was a real human being with a voice. Now, I love my dog and my cats however they’re really poor communicators. It’s very easy to get downright lonely or worse, to start talking to yourself and to forget how to talk with others. There’s nothing more awkward than actually stepping out into public after a month or two of isolation and realizing you’ve forgotten how to interact with others.

The good news is that with a little planning and recognition that loneliness does happen; you can eliminate this from occurring.

The answer? Plan social outings. Yep, that’s it. Schedule a regular lunch with girl friends, join a book club, head to the gym and join a workout group, join your local small business association or chamber of commerce and attend events. Keeping in touch with the human world will go a long way to stave off loneliness and save your sanity.

Getting into a rut is one of the other downsides to working from home. Not that 9-5ers cant fall into ruts too, it just seems easier to do when you work from home. The good news is that a little planning and forethought can keep you from falling into a rut. Staying out of a rut is vital to ensuring that you can continue to be enthusiastic and motivated about your business. While scheduling your day is important to keep you productive, mixing it up once in a while is also good. Vary when you work, vary where you work – I often head to the local coffee or sandwich shop to keep from making a permanent bottom indent on my couch.

Take a walk in the middle of your day. Call a friend. Vary the type of projects you work on. Work with a partner. And oh, yeah….take a day off once in a while just for the heck of it. Keeping your days interesting and varied will help keep you out of the work from home rut. It’ll keep you engaged and productive.

Staying motivated. It is so easy to procrastinate when you don’t have a boss breathing down your neck. Staying motivated and productive is a real challenge for many work at home individuals. Yes, task lists, goals, and working in a field you love is important but sometimes it just isn’t enough. To stay motivated, consider joining a mastermind group. (This will also help you connect with others socially.) Mastermind groups are excellent at helping you challenge yourself and staying motivated.

Working from home has an abundance of blessings, perks, and benefits. The few downsides can be easily managed so they’re never a part of your work at home life. To your success!