When we started with work-from-home it sounded pretty good. Ditching the 6 am alarm, saying goodbye to the dreaded commute, and having the comfort of your own sofa home office in the process.
Who doesn’t want to be able to earn money whilst wearing sweatpants? Sounds dreamy. But with all of us having worked from home for a considerable amount of time, there are pros and cons that we have experienced.
To work from home or to not work from home? Let’s weight it up.
Working from Home – the Positives
1. You can switch off that 6 am alarm, the one that leaves a sick feeling in your stomach every day of the week.
2. You can take a long, peaceful breakfast. You know what, you can even use this extra time to become a health god or goddess.
3. You’re in a comfy home environment. No more sitting at a desk for hours on end, no more pins and needles or stiff legs. You are free!
4. You can choose your own hours. Want to skive off the afternoon and take a nap? No problem, you can just make up the hours in the evening, whilst watching Netflix. Prison Break re-runs are great for “background noise.”
5. Possibly the best thing ever is saying goodbye to that dreaded morning commute. No more cramped roads, no more waiting for buses, no more sitting in traffic. Your new commute is from the bedroom to the lounge — perfect.
Working from Home – the Negatives
1. So you know how I said it’s great that you don’t get co-workers dumping their work on you? Well, what about that work that you want to delegate to someone else? Damn.
2. You lose out on second opinions. You might be able to get your partner or roommate’s view on things, but ultimately it can be positive to have likeminded individuals around you all working towards the same goal.
3. You might start to confuse your work and personal life. It’s a fine line, and working from home can start to cross it. When do you call it a day? Do you put more hours in because you’re at home? Do you take a lunch break? So many questions.
4. It can be quite isolating. Spending a lot of time on your own can be unhealthy for your mind. As humans, it’s important that we spend time interacting with other humans (as tempting as it is to not).
5. There’s a chance that your productivity might slump. Apparently, working in sweats does not make a productive day make. Shocking, right?
6. What about those fun hangouts, chai sutta breaks, and lunch with colleagues? Even the watercooler discussions. Missing them so much! Damn!
7. There’s a lot to think about — an overwhelming amount, in fact. Of course, all of these points are subjective and much of what counts is dependent on your unique situation.
I would recommend finding a balance – a way where we can enjoy the comforts of working-from-home, and at the same time, bring the benefits of office to our home-spaces.
Finding a balance between work-from-home & office
Booster is an initiative in this direction. We are helping teams virtually bond over with each other and at the same time help the employees take care of their well-being while working from home.
To schedule a demo for your team, simply comment on this post or click here – Host a virtual team bonding party
