The Pros And Cons of Working From Home

In the past, not many people had the ability nor the luxury to work from their own homes. But with the recent pandemic, thousands of people have found themselves thrust into the virtual world of online employment. And it’s not what they thought it would be. Here are the pros and cons of working from home.

Video Overview

The Pros of working from home

• No commuting. Commuting to and from work is no longer necessary. This means saving a lot of time and saving money on gas or cab fare. It also means a lesser risk of getting into a road accident.
• Greater flexibility. Working from home gives you the flexibility to choose and manage your own time while doing other things. You can run errands, pick up the kids from school, or take little breaks in between working hours. You get to choose what to do first and what to do next.
• Comfort. No dress codes, no makeup, you can pretty much work in your pajamas whenever you want to. Also, there is no need to get up at 5 or 6 in the morning in order to prepare for work. 
• More breaks. You can stretch, lay down, or eat whenever you’re hungry when you’re working from home. You can sit back lazily and be idle on your chair and nobody will ever scold you for it. In the office, this is practically impossible.
• Save a lot of money. As mentioned, you get to save on commuting expenses. But that’s not all. If you are working from home, this means no detours to the coffee shop or shopping malls on the way home. 

The Cons of working from home

• You need a lot of self discipline. Without a boss around to keep you on your toes, you will need a good amount of self discipline to not stray away from your work. 
• Loneliness and isolation. Being at home 24/7, with no human connection and interaction (especially if you live alone), the isolation can definitely make you feel intensely lonely, even depressed.
• You need to be self sufficient. Unlike in an office where you can ask a coworker’s assistance, at home you are on your own. You will need to be self reliant when you encounter problems and solve them by yourself.
• Having a work space. If you live in a small house with not enough space to create a separate workstation, this can be a problem. You may have to work in the living room instead. 
• Less structure. For people who do well with a more structured workflow, the sudden flexibility and independence can be difficult to adjust to. It may result in feelings of confusion and not knowing what to do or where to start.

More Pros

• More time with family. There is no need to kiss your kids goodbye and make a mad dash for work. You get to spend more time with your family and remotely keep an eye on your kids while you’re doing work.
• Lower carbon footprint. Less commuters on the road means less CO2 emissions and less pollution. 
• Less stress. Working from home means no evil boss to yell at you, no talkative officemate that won’t shut up, no worrying about being late, and no supervisor constantly spying on your every move.
• Healthier eating. Homecooked meals are way healthier than a big mac with french fries and a diet coke.
• Increased productivity. When you’re working from home, it allows you a quieter and more peaceful environment, in contrast to the hustle and bustle that normally takes place in an office. As a result, you become more focused and productive.

More Cons

• Less human contact. Working from home means staring at your coworkers’ faces on the computer screen, which is not as fun and meaningful as personally interacting with them. We are social beings that thrive on human contact.
• Temptations at home. With no supervisor around to monitor your every move, it can be easy to get tempted by a lot of things at home, like turning on the TV to watch the news, or logging into social media to catch up with friends. Video games are also one of the worst distractions at home. 
• Less physical activity. Working from home means no walking to the bus stop, no driving, no commuting, no entering the elevator, no climbing the staircases, and no dashing to and from meetings. At home, everything is within reach.
• Can become dull and monotonous. At home, there is no officemate to make a funny joke, no gossip queen to give you the latest scoop on things, and no admirer to make things more interesting. It’s just you and the computer screen together for the majority of the day.
• Missing out on all the fun. In the office there’s always something happening. An employee getting fired, a scandal leaking out, the boss’ birthday party, toasts over a salary raise… You get none of that while working from home. 

If you are looking for home office ideas, here is a post that will help you out: In A Home Office Rut? 5 Ideas to Revamp Your Workpace

Social Media can be one of the biggest distractors when working from home. Read more about how social media is affecting our lives: Social Media Affecting Our Everyday Lives