When the subject of working from the comforts of my home was suggested to me, I couldn’t be more excited. I thought about rolling out of bed, pulling out my laptop and moving to my enclosed deck still in my pajamas with a cup of coffee in my hand. I even thought I was going to be able to keep my favorite talk shows on in the background. After about a week, I realized I was not productive and working remotely was not all that I expected.
Being as I am not one to fail, I changed my attitude. I realized that the first step was to put on real clothes…maybe not the suit, but jeans and decent shirt. This helped me get my mind in the business state of mind. I also set up a work area designated just for use during work hours. Besides that bottle of water that I always have at my desk, all eating and drinking is done during my break and lunch times in a different room. Work was back on track but then came the loneliness.
I feel that it is normally much more efficient to communicate with email, but since working remotely, I have adjusted my thinking. In most recent weeks, I have picked up the phone to have that human contact and it has made a huge difference on my mental state. I have also organized a lunch meeting monthly or bimonthly depending on the situation.
There are plusses and minuses to working from home. It is all what you make of it!