Working from home is awesome. We all want to do it. If your full-time job allows you to work from home, you’ll jump on it. When you become a freelancer, working from home is probably one of the things you’re looking forward to the most. The harsh truth is that working from home can be crushing for your productivity. Here are reasons why working from home isn’t all it’s cracked up to be and what to do instead:
Separate Your Work Life from Home Life
When you work from home your profession and your personal life get intertwined. The result can be an increased amount of stress. Your business brain never turns off. Ideally, your home should be an oasis where you can escape the trials and tribulations of work. Separating your work life from home life can give you the push you need to improve your work-life balance.
Actually Get Work Done
At home you can get pulled in many directions. You can take a break from work to watch TV, to clean the house, to put a load of laundry in the washer. What seems like activities that take you just a few minutes can actually eat up quite a lot of your day.
If you’re going to work from home, resolve to do household chores at a certain time or leave it until the evening. This way you can truly focus on your work for a few hours. Working doesn’t just mean sitting at your computer either. You can sit at your computer screen and not be getting any real work done.
Calculate the hours that you’re truly producing quality work when you’re home to see if you’re being productive. I’ve found that although I may be at the desk for more time at home, the work output is less. I’m comfortable and more inclined to look at other things on the internet than work when I’m at home. Review your own habits to see if there are areas for improvement.
Meet and Network With Other Business Owners
Working from home all of the time means you may not be out in the community connecting with other people. The beauty of connecting with other business owners is that you can find clients, collaborate, and bounce ideas around. A coworking space is one where you work in an area with other location independent business owners. Signing up for an affordable coworking space can get you out of the house while helping you network.
Get Inspired
There’s something about working in the same place day in and day out that can get uninspiring, especially if your home lacks sunlight. Venturing out of your home and working at restaurants, parks, cafes, or coworking spaces can inspire new ideas for your business. For me, working in places other than home is when the writing flows from my fingertips. Whenever I experience writer’s block, it usually happens when I’m working from home.
Final Word
People dream about working from home, but it’s not perfect all of the time. You need to make a point to get out of the house because there isn’t a job you need to go to each morning. Instead of becoming a hermit in the house, look for affordable ways to work out and about.
