Working from Home: Is It for you? The Pro’s and Con’s

It’s 2022, and working from home has become the new norm, or at least the new norm for some people. Amidst the pandemic that is still seeming to be ever going, this comes with new challenges employers are facing with where work can be done.

I personally have faced many challenges since June 2019 with my career and employment changes. I had worked from home, worked in the office, and at times little bit of both. Presently, I am working Full-Time from home permanently. Many people find working from home a MAJOR perk, while others, not so much. I am going to break it down to hopefully help anyone that is unsure if working from home is for you, or if you just need to be out, doing hands on work, or work that consists of interacting with others.

I can tell you as a HR Corporate Recruiter, this job can be done 100% remotely. I am on the phone and computer all day so really, this job CAN be done just about anywhere. With that being said, my experience working from home has been at times I will say, challenging. I like to think working from home provides flexibility, work life balance, and zero commute time. While these are amazing perks, there are definitely some downsides. Let me give you my experience and get into the pro’s and con’s.

WFH PRO’s:

The flexibility is great! I can jump out and run a quick errand at lunch, or I can do a quick at home workout. I also don’t wear makeup most days. Other things that I find that taking a 5 minutes break to throw some laundry in, or get the crock pot ready for dinner. Saving money on coffee, breakfast, and lunch is also huge for me. I always tried to be the person who packed lunches but then never wanted it when I got to work, which resulted in more $$ spent on my end *sigh*. OH, that’s another huge perk for me is saving money on those items as well as gas (also less wear and tear on my Jeep).

While these are some amazing perks that I personally enjoy about WFH, I also find there are a decent amount of challenges I face, where many others do not see this until they are actually in the position of 100% WFH. Now, let’s go to the CON’s in my experience.

WFH CON’s:

Did you ever think there would be a work from home con? HA! I didn’t think so until I was in the position of it. So, my WFH con’s may differ from others, but these are some important things I think is worth noting and considering a WFH job. First, I have 2 Maine Coon Cat’s. Charlie & CeCe. If you know don’t know this type of breed of feline’s well, they are very playful, need A LOT of attention and like to be wherever you are 24/7 in the house. Working with these types of cat’s at home is sometimes difficult 😂. In addition, my fiancé and I live in a thousand square foot 2 bedroom apartment. While that does not seem to bad, it’s tough to separate work from home life at times. My fiancé leaves for work as an electrician at 6 am and is home by 3/4 PM. A bit of a distraction when he comes home, but I have learned to close the door until work is done. I find that I need to stay far more organized in my home than I was before, because clutter = distractions. Space is very important to have for me and ensuring that I have all the right tools to be successful to be able to WFH.

Here are my 5 biggest and final tips if you are wondering if the “Work From Home” life is for you.

1. Make sure you have a clean, quiet separate space with a desk big enough to do your work

2. You defiantly need a separate monitor, keyboard, and a mouse to attach your laptop to. It is far too hard to look at a laptop all day.

3. Discipline. Discipline. Discipline. If you do not discipline yourself, you may not get any work done at all.

4. Organization. Get a separate calendar, checklist, and notebook for your work stuff and create tasks and checklists.

5. Get out and get fresh air. Being cooped up in the house will destroy your mental health. Call friends, journal, ensure you are doing things for yourself to separate your work and personal life.

I hope my experience and these tips helps you decide if the work-from-home life is for you drop a comment if you found this helpful! 💭😀

Stay Friendly my peeps ✌