Working from home certainly has plenty of plus points, such as eradicating the commute, but some of those benefits can also turn into negatives in certain situations.
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My favorite thing about working from home
In a job where churning out articles requires getting into a rhythm, avoiding distractions that disrupt your flow can be vital.
Working from home is great in this respect as it means I don’t have colleagues popping over for a chat – although that isn’t unwelcome – and I can stay out of any office politics.
Instead, I can just stick on one of my favorite film or TV soundtracks and get cracking… unless there’s a delivery driver at the door that is.
Why it can be the worst
While working from home means I can avoid distractions from other people, being by myself all day does have its downsides.
One of those is creating my own distractions. With no manager looming over my shoulder, it can be very easy to find myself scrolling on social media when searching for a trending topic to write about or going down a YouTube rabbit hole while checking to see if any new trailers have dropped, so it requires a lot of self-discipline to stay focused and motivated.
But undoubtedly the biggest issue for me is the isolation and loneliness that comes from being on my own all day.
From the moment my girlfriend leaves for work in the morning until she gets back in the evening, I very often won’t see another person all day, except for the odd delivery driver or pesky door-to-door salesman.
A quick chat about what my colleagues got up to over the week doesn’t sound so bad then.
How I cope
While it can sometimes be a struggle, there are a few key ways I am able to combat feeling isolated while working from home.
Comfortably the best of which is having plans in the evening or at weekends. Most notably, I play in a casual six-a-side soccer league one night a week which not only gets me out of the house but also helps me to get some much-needed exercise in.
On top of that, I will endeavor to get out for a walk at some point during the day as the change of scenery and a bit of daylight are also a great way to help lift my mood, even if recent weather hasn’t been the best for this.
Other possible solutions would be to go and work in a coffee shop or a shared workspace but these options cost money, require traveling and may not have as reliable a wi-fi connection as I would at home.
Instead, I’ve recently found myself playing office sounds videos on YouTube or having a ‘study with me’ type video playing in the background.
These help immensely as the sound of someone else working and tapping at a keyboard can really kick your own brain into gear and ensure that you keep typing away yourself.
I’ve also been trying to persuade my neat freak girlfriend if we can get a cat to keep me company but her reluctance to get any pet hair in our house means this debate could rumble on for some time.
