I spent a number of years working in the Social Work field but with a sudden health crisis my career path took a different route and I now work from home. Now this article is not about the latest get rich quick scheme or how you can not make a living stuffing envelopes but about the realities of working from home. So before you turn your living room into your new office take a look at what happens when you work from home.
1, Dedication Level – When you first start thinking about working from home you create a schedule that has you in front of the computer eight hours a day five days per week working on your latest project or promoting a new project but saying this is a lot more easier than actually doing it. The internet is full of all sorts of information that will help you succeed but unfortunately there is also a ton of ways to basically get distracted by. When I first created my schedule I forgot to allow for Facebook and Twitter time. I can tell you from experience there is no such thing as a free game for what Mafia Wars has cost me in production time would make an accountant have a nervous breakdown. It is essential that you have the dedication to make your work at home project succeed or else you will find yourself at the local fast food restaurant filling out an application in order to pay the electric bill.
2. Mental Health – Have you ever noticed how much time that you spend in a typical work setting talking with actual human beings? Well when you work from home the people time disappears and it is going to have an affect on you mentally. With no actual human contact you begin to talk to yourself and within a few weeks you are looking forward to telemarketers just so you can hear another persons voice during the work day. It is important that you schedule actual people time or else every Tuesday and Thursday will find you on a psychiatrist couch trying to explain that your computer, who you have named Hal, is actually a good social companion.
3. Physical Health – When you spend eight hours a day working from home sitting in front of a computer chances are your body is going to resemble Homer Simpson than someone who is actually in shape. The problem seems to be easy access to your kitchen that is the greatest threat. At a typical job you pack a small lunch and off you go but when you work from home your refrigerator becomes your lunch bag. Also it would be a good idea to spend at least twenty minutes a day exercising for the computer chair does wonders for screwing up your spine.
Working from home is an attractive idea that millions of people dream of but when you turn your dream into reality make sure that along with building your business make sure you take the time to perform daily maintenance on yourself.