I have been working remotely for 7 years now. I love it, but it is not for everyone.
I remember a few months in when it really sunk in that I was actually working out of my home. My house was my office and my office was my house, and everywhere I went I could not get away from work. I had a sudden feeling that the walls were closing in. Lucky for me that went away, and I find that I get more done and am able to be more focused than I was in an office.
A few pointers to those starting to work at home:
1. If you are like me and tend towards being a work-a-holic, working from home can mean turning your normal 8-10 hour workday into a 24-hour workday. Set limits and work by them get...
2. ... a home office where you do your work. Make sure it has a door which closes and treat it like an office. You don't have to work in it 100% of the time, but it helps me to have a place I can leave my work. My office is great - I have a big desk, a couch, music, big windows. It is the office that I would like to work in.
3. Get out of the house. Not to work, but to play. Get around people. It is going to happen - you are going to have a crazy project and find yourself locked in your room for a few days. This is pretty normal, even in a normal office. It can easily become your life since there is no one telling you to go home.
The perks of working from home are great - no commute means more family time, and the you get a personal bathroom and kitchen. If you need to take a 20 minute nap no one is stopping you, and going for a jog is as simple as opening the door and taking off.
For me that feeling was immediate, not a few months in, and produced a lot of panic. Having an office with a door that you can close at the end of the day helps tremendously with feeling that you're always at work. Now it's not an issue, I work half the day in my office and half the day sitting on the couch (or somewhere else).
Yup, full time remote for 4 years here, and having a work space separate from your regular life is really crucial. The cabin fever problem never goes away; plan to be active outside your domicile outside of work hours.
Comments
I have been working remotely for 7 years now. I love it, but it is not for everyone.
I remember a few months in when it really sunk in that I was actually working out of my home. My house was my office and my office was my house, and everywhere I went I could not get away from work. I had a sudden feeling that the walls were closing in. Lucky for me that went away, and I find that I get more done and am able to be more focused than I was in an office.
A few pointers to those starting to work at home:
1. If you are like me and tend towards being a work-a-holic, working from home can mean turning your normal 8-10 hour workday into a 24-hour workday. Set limits and work by them get...
2. ... a home office where you do your work. Make sure it has a door which closes and treat it like an office. You don't have to work in it 100% of the time, but it helps me to have a place I can leave my work. My office is great - I have a big desk, a couch, music, big windows. It is the office that I would like to work in.
3. Get out of the house. Not to work, but to play. Get around people. It is going to happen - you are going to have a crazy project and find yourself locked in your room for a few days. This is pretty normal, even in a normal office. It can easily become your life since there is no one telling you to go home.
The perks of working from home are great - no commute means more family time, and the you get a personal bathroom and kitchen. If you need to take a 20 minute nap no one is stopping you, and going for a jog is as simple as opening the door and taking off.
For me that feeling was immediate, not a few months in, and produced a lot of panic. Having an office with a door that you can close at the end of the day helps tremendously with feeling that you're always at work. Now it's not an issue, I work half the day in my office and half the day sitting on the couch (or somewhere else).
Yup, full time remote for 4 years here, and having a work space separate from your regular life is really crucial. The cabin fever problem never goes away; plan to be active outside your domicile outside of work hours.