Working from home has changed my life forever. Life seven years ago was extremely different than it is now. working from home will give you plenty of time for your family.
But not everything is all glitz and glamour because working from home has its downside as well. In this content, we're gonna talk about the pros and cons of working from home. So that you'll have an informed decision whether this is the right industry for you.
Some of these are my personal experience. Let's break it down
1. Spend time on the things that matter. For me, this is the best benefit that you can get from working from home, to have more time to do the things you love especially with family. When I was working in corporate it takes me 1 to 2 hours to get to the office. So I had to leave at least 3 hours before my shift starts as traffic is terrible and unpredictable. Then during breaks, need to be efficient and be in my office desk before my break ends. Now that I work from home, the hours that I spend before for commuting is now used for having fun with my wife and daughter. I also get lunch breaks which I use for power naps or just simply play a quick video game or cook something fast. Not only does it give you more time, it's also flexible because you can choose your work that suits your schedule. I personally work at night because it's more peaceful when everyone's sleeping.
2. Save More Another awesome perk of working from home. Expensive meals, commuting, laundry, and even child care are some of the things that you would save if you don't go to the office anymore. And since you don't commute as much there's a lower chance of having a motor accident. Because we saved more, me and my wife were able to purchase our own car and a piece of property we never imagined we could buy if we stayed working the traditional way.
3. Improve Soft Skills. Hiring managers often look for applicants with good soft skills because they are more likely to succeed in work. They are also transferable meaning it can be learned and adapted no matter what kind of job you have. Soft skills are skills related on how you work especially with other people. It includes communication, time management, problem solving and even leadership. Working from home will significantly boost your soft skills that are important in the long run.
4. Job opportunities for People with Limitations For people with disabilities, working from home could be one of the best thing that could ever happen to them. A deaf person can still work in customer service as a chat or email support and can be assisted by speech-to-text software. Those who use wheelchair wouldn't struggle anymore with transportation while people with mental illnesses can have a more controlled environment. It provides more job opportunities to people.
5. Improve Health One of the things I love to do is to jog every day at least 30 minutes to one hour for my health. Working from home gave me the privilege of taking care of myself instead of wasting my time commuting to work. It also lessens the stress, as traditional work often have workplace politics or clashes with colleagues. Now that you know the top 5 benefits of working from home, let's go ahead and proceed to the top 5 problems you might encounter.
1. Loneliness
The number 1 problem of working from home, at least for me is isolation. Humans are social animals and working from home may increase your isolation from society especially if you don't have a family yet. You might miss face-to-face connection and can affect your mental health.
2. Sudden Expenses
It's true that working from home reduces expenses however you might want to save some for investing in your tools and things you need. You may want to upgrade your computer or internet depending on your work as slow equipment means slow productivity.
3. Overwork
Some employers will think that since you are saving time from commuting and other things they might give you more work. I am against this type of client. You should find someone that values your time and your work. It's also much better to create your own schedule to manage your hours properly.
4. Distraction
Most of the time the distraction at the office are your colleagues, phones, computers, and even your boss. However, there's also distraction in working from home. There's your family especially your kids. Then there's animals, vehicles and power interruption. This is where having your own home office is ideal because having noises while in a zoom meeting may make you look unprofessional or not serious.
5. Discipline
Many people who work from home take their job for granted. Since they're at home, they tend to sleep during work hours .or worst, not doing their jobs at all. That is why when you start working from home you must give your best to get happy clients. Happy clients mean more experienced subscribe as it helps support the channel.
I would love to hear your comments and opinions. If you want to connect with me make sure to follow me on Facebook and LinkedIn.
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Top 5 Advantages and Disadvantages of Working.