Let’s Be Real: The Truth About Working From Home

Career Management

Yes, I’m guilty of sitting at home all day. Usually in the same spot for 8+ hours. Yes, I’m guilty of ignoring the dishes while I’m home all day. Yes, I’m guilty of not mowing the lawn while I’m home all day. Guilty of it all and so much more. If you work from home, chances are you’re guilty, too. On more than one occasion, I’m sure you’ve heard a variation of the following…

“I know you’re busy during the day…” (let me pause here and explain that this part is typically said with a heavy sarcastic undertone) “…but could you (insert any chore/errand here)?”

Working from home can be productive, rewarding and pretty awesome on most days. It can also be a pain to explain to others. (Tweet this thought.) There’s no doubt that the first time you tell someone you work from home, they’re going to say one of three things:

  • “So you can work in your pajamas and not shower and no one would know?”
  • “But are you looking for a real job?” or
  • “Oh my god, I would love to work from home and do nothing all day!”

Yes, I consider myself extremely lucky for having the opportunity to work from home, and I’m eternally grateful to my boss for allowing me this privilege, but it’s not exactly the escape from reality everyone is dreaming of.

The Lure of Pajamas

It really is funny how many people think that staying in your pajamas all day would be the epitome of ecstasy and the number one perk of working from home. But here’s the dirty little secret behind that dream: it’s dirty. Yes, I could work in my pajamas and never shower, but that’s not the case. Because I would know, and I am judgemental enough to care what I think of myself. Fortunately for my neighbors, mail carrier and husband (and myself!), I set a hard rule from day one that I would never work in my pajamas. For an introvert like me, the pajama game just feels like a slippery slope into withdrawing from civilization altogether. Even though I sometimes manage to go days without leaving my house and yard, I always make sure to start the day with a shower and proper attire. And that means no elastic waistbands! You wear those too many days in a row and fitting into jeans will become an all-out war. Plus, in the age of video conferencing, who wants to risk a surprise client chat in flannel PJs?

Frolicking with Unicorns

The reality is that although it’s obvious to you “working from home” means that you “work from home,” nobody else really seems to see it that way. To some, working from home is the equivalent of a fantasy land where you frolic with unicorns and dance under rainbows all day. Despite the fact that there are countless careers you can rock from the privacy of your own home, and despite the number of people who say they’re jealous of your setup, many seem to think you’re just “going through a phase” until you “find something better.” Yes, there are actually people who have said to me, “But you don’t have a real job.” Really, I don’t? Do I just sit and hallucinate from 8 to 5? What exactly does it mean to have a “real” job? For some reason, when the magical walls of an office building disappear and you morph into the not-so-magical walls of your humble abode, people begin to think you’re no longer legitimate. No, I do not sit and daydream about unicorns all day. Yes, my job is real, my responsibilities are real and — for those of you wondering — the pay is real.

Slackers Beware

My all-time favorite misunderstanding about working from home? That you don’t actually have to work. Look, slackers are slackers, and a different work environment probably won’t change someone’s work ethic. But whether you work for yourself or an outside organization, when you don’t work, it shows. Working from home will not be an easy out for slackers. Countless studies show that individuals who work from home are more productive. Perhaps it’s because working from home is hard to turn off, so you find yourself continuously focused on it. Or maybe it’s because your distractions are easier to manage from home than in an outside environment. Regardless, I know one thing for sure: as do many others who work from home, I work. If you worked at an office and your deadlines weren’t met, your projects were incomplete and your clients went unserved, there would surely be consequences. The same goes for working from home. Just because your physical work space is different than traditional work spaces doesn’t mean that you’re off the hook for your commitments.   I also have to stop and say that “doing nothing all day, every day” does not appeal to me. I would go stir crazy. In fact, it gives me anxiety just thinking about it — what would I do if I was doing nothing?

The Reality

My reality of working from home is this:

  • I no longer have a commute, but I still wake up 2.5 hours before I start work.
  • I have to be ready at all times to hit the mute button on a conference call in case my dogs spot a squirrel and start a bark session. (Also, my dogs have definitely “photobombed” more than one video conference.)
  • I’m often disappointed with the food options in the “cafeteria.”
  • I’m 100% responsible for being the IT department.
  • I’m okay with being guilty of ignoring the dishes.
  • I love working from home.

Do you work from home? We’d love to hear what your reality of working from home is. Or, for those of you still daydreaming about the possibility of working from home, what is it you imagine this magical lifestyle will offer you? Share in the comments!

Image: Flickr

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