Working from Home Sucks. Here’s Why
Challenges of Working from Home
Disclaimer: I personally love working from home. That said, it’s not always rainbows and roses unless you have all your ducks in a row.
This blog post is dedicated to the potential dark side of working from home, especially as a freelancer.
As if you needed a reminder, right?
If you are already making a living from the (dis)comfort of your home, then you already know everything that you must deal with on a daily or weekly basis.
Sure, there are countless benefits to working from home, and most are quite obvious to us (rush hour traffic, anyone?). But do these goodies outweigh the painful annoyances of living the so-called dream?
Here are the most common things you will put up with at one point or another.
A Distasteful Lack of Discipline
Expectation:
When you first enter the work-at-home lifestyle, your mind is blissfully contemplating the many ways you’re going to have the perfect schedule.
“I will get up at 8am, make some coffee, stretch and get started,” you say.
“I will take a 20-minute break around 11am to walk the dog, enjoy some lunch, and continue my work.”
“Finally, I will be all done around 3pm and still have the rest of my day to do as I please,” you conclude with a smile on your face.
Bullshit.
Reality:
You have been down that hole before, and I have been there myself. You know exactly where I am coming from.
You didn’t sleep well last night because you were anxious or were out drinking one too many with your friends.
Maybe you were just catching up on those old X-Files episodes you’ve been meaning to watch since 1998.
The next day you may or may not wake up at 8am, but if you do, you feel like you were hit by a truck.
But wait, Facebook is showing you an abundance of funny updates from “friends.” You must check that out in order to wake up and start the day on a happy note…
…that is, until you realize it’s already 11:30am and you jumped from the social network to your inbox, followed by your three most favorite websites, and ultimately back to Facebook or Twitter.
Maybe you even went back to MySpace if you were that desperate to avoid work. After all, nothing beats nostalgia, correct?
This routine happens on a weekly basis as you continue to lie to yourself, thinking it will all be better tomorrow or this coming Monday.
Annoying Friends and Family
Expectation:
You come up with the fantastic plan to turn your little room into an office, or maybe even the old basement.
You go as far as creating a sign that says, “Do Not Disturb” so that friends and family know to stay the hell away during your work hours.
This routine works pretty well for a few days, making you feel like you’re on top of the world.
Some people may have knocked on the door once in a while, but they weren’t intrusive enough.
All in all, working from home is the best thing that has happened to you in ages.
Reality:
The battle for work-from-home dominance is suddenly getting tough. You never saw any of it coming.
Not long from now, a random friend or relative texts because he needs help running an errand.
Perhaps they wish to have lunch. At the last minute. Without forewarning.
Since you feel like a total dick by ignoring them, and that “Do Not Disturb” sign makes you look asocial, you reluctantly reply back and accommodate them into your already-tight schedule.
After all, spending some time with them shouldn’t take more than 30 minutes, right?
Wrong.
This is one of the most common challenges of working from home, and we all know how it feels.
Increasing Isolation
Expectation:
You notice that you’re spending a little too much time on the computer and that your perfect schedule isn’t panning out.
No worries, you say to yourself; you will get back on track as soon as you catch up on yesterday’s late assignment on your to-do list.
This coming Monday will be a new beginning. You will get back on track like the champion you know you are.
Reality:
Thanks to the fact that nothing has worked out as you’d hoped, you start to put in a few more hours into your work schedule.
Even worse, you actually start to “space out” those work hours; you perform some work around 10am, then a little bit around 2pm, and the rest gets done when you feel like it.
Suddenly, it’s now 11pm. Voila! You’re finally done with work!
… at 11 freaking pm!
Oh, wait, you forgot to do some small stuff here and there. You’ll get to that tomorrow.
The end result is an increasing amount of time stuck at home, in front of your computer. Your plans for free afternoons and hanging out with your buddies aren’t quite happening.
Unpredictable Income
Expectation:
You just polished your resume, found some promising telecommuting gigs and are ready to kick ass.
You go to bed anxiously waiting until morning, expecting to hear back from those lucrative clients you emailed the previous day or so.
You realistically know that you can’t always land the job, but today you feel confident thanks to your ever-growing portfolio.
This includes an article you published for a mildly popular website a few months ago.
Reality:
Days go by, and then reality sets in like a brick. The one client you were really hoping to get ended up ignoring you despite your best efforts.
But wait, one of them actually got back to you!
Oh, wait, the gig sounds scammy. That website is promising $1,200 a week for writing between 2-3 short blog posts.
You decide not to go through with it due to the fear of identify theft, working for free, among other things.
Thankfully, a few clients eventually reply back and seem quite genuine. You’re golden.
That is, until you realize that they are asking you to give them the world – one cent per word at a time.
Some of them will spit in your face and say, “We are a startup, but there’s plenty of room for growth! Join our exciting platform and help shape the web! Be part of the revolution!”
Screw you. Screw you and your revolution.
This is great and all, but it won’t quite pay the bills this month.
Those Damn Burnouts…
Expectation:
You expect to take some breaks in between work, as it keeps you from crashing in the middle of the day.
There is nothing like a good cup of coffee and a half-hour of your favorite TV show. You plan to resume your amazing work day right after finishing that old Everybody Loves Raymond episode.
Reality:
While you have many successful days, there will (almost) always be a time when you simply can’t function. Maybe you worked too hard over the past couple of days or weeks.
Now you can only accomplish half the tasks or no tasks at all.
This naturally leads to a snowball effect as the amount of late work keeps accumulating, thus really setting you back – and not just physically.
Before you know it, you’re overwhelmed and the rest is history.
Good News: Working from Home Doesn’t Have to Suck
Again, these are the most common challenges of working from home that you will likely face sooner or later. Most writers and bloggers are intimately aware of them.
The great news is that this is all very subjective, which means that you can control the outcome. You can win this battle and reclaim your ideal lifestyle.
Some things will certainly happen no matter how perfect of a human being you are (burnouts, for example). But you’re only human, right?
So what can you do when your perfect plans are threatening to crash and burn?
Analyze the root of the problem, then switch things up.
Sometimes it’s not the tasks, friends and family holding you back; it’s the way you set up your schedule.
In essence, you may have set yourself up for failure.
Questions to consider:
Are you trying to accomplish too much throughout the day?
Are you sleeping as well as you should?
How serious are you about that “Do Not Disturb” Sign?
Are you really in the most efficient environment?
If you must work a lot, can you outsource some of these tasks?
These questions can ultimately help you redesign a better work schedule, and thus higher productivity levels.
Don’t feel bad for ignoring family and friends during work hours; you had no problem doing so while working a regular 9-to-5 job.
Don’t sweat those days of isolation, as long as you dedicate some time to catch up with those that care about you. This may include sending a few emails or just seeing them every other week.
Open your computer’s notepad application and brainstorm the following, in addition to the above questions:
What areas of your work day are failing?
Why are they failing?
What can you do to improve them?
Then, and only then, will working from home become the job you always wanted.
Care to post your own thoughts on the Writer Town blog? Feel free to sign up.
Kimsea Sok
05/31/2015 @ 12:33 PM
Thanks for sharing your own experience about blogging.
Honestly, first I start my own blog. I expect to make thousand dollars from my blog. However, the realistic is unlike what I think about blogging. I could not make money almost 4 years, then I made my first thousand dollars online.
I think that blogging is easiest way to make money by writing, but it is more than writing. I’ve got to do a lot of thins such as marketing my blog, connect with other people and build relationship, and so many more..
Thanks for sharing…
Writer Town
06/04/2015 @ 11:11 AM
Yes, and that’s the part that discourages so many people. Consistency is key 🙂
denniswork
06/11/2015 @ 14:34 PM
I have been trying to land a good client, but all I get are the $1.25 for 500 words clients. I am almost hating being a work at home guy. 🙁
It is at such times that I really need help. But I am still struggling with working on my comp.
NicolasC
07/22/2015 @ 16:17 PM
I have worked out of my home for sometime now. I do some stuff online like teach English, write and blog. I have also have done services for individuals where I travel from my home. I have not experienced most of what was mentioned in the blog post. At least not that I remember. I have been blessed apparently.
I think the thing that has helped me most is that I treat this like a regular job. My boys know when and why they can interrupt me. I am also not so rigid that I can’t be flexible. That is of the perks of working from home. If one of the twins is sick, and I get a call from their school, I am there. I would be there whether I am working from home or at “regular job.” I mean what parent wouldn’t, right? Most of what I do can done when the twins are out of the house or asleep. They are getting old enough, where I can work while there are in the home. I have be able to balance the work aspect with the life aspect. Over the years, I have missed very few of their games, other school events and life events.
I think the ability to balance family and work was a result of doing so the same thing when I had a “regular job.” I have walked away from jobs that demanded too much of my time. It was an easy decision to do so, especially when I spelled out before they offered me a position of what and when I would be willing to do and not do for the company.
It has not been easy being a single parent. I would say that is true of most single parents regardless of where they work. (I know, Thank-you Capt. Obvious)
I do agree with one of the last points. That is the point of income. Even though I treat this like a regular job, I do not have a regular paycheck. Based on my history, I do have an idea of what I will bring in. There is no accounting for clients who are slow to pay, having their checks bounce higher than the super bouncy balls, and a variety of other things that Murphy’s Law covers.
Overall, I am happy with the path I choose. It took a lot of hard work, and trial and error. My only regret is that I didn’t do this sooner. I didn’t mean to write a book, but thank-you for reading my comment. I wish you all the best in your pursuit of life, liberty and happiness. God bless you.
Elvis Michael
07/23/2015 @ 13:35 PM
Thanks, Nicolas!
Working from home can definitely go both ways – and apparently it’s going very well on your end. I, too, believe this is due to the incredible amount of discipline you seem to have. Many people start out well, treating it like a regular job and thus not letting friends/email/Facebook bother them. Unfortunately, many of us tend to drop the ball sooner or later — especially when that one friend keeps bothering you and you sympathize.
At least most of these issues are avoidable, which means that working from home only sucks IF we let it get to that point (and sadly, many writers and bloggers do – myself included). I am slowly getting better at it, and it’s amazing to see what a good old-fashioned “To Do List” can do :p
Thanks for sharing!
NicolasC
07/24/2015 @ 07:03 AM
Thanks, Elvis.
My friend Luke is the one that tries me the most. You were talking that about the one friend. I have Luke. I can’t tell you the number of times, I have had a conversation like the following conversation on Friday’s with him:
Luke: Hi Nick, it’s Luke. I know the boys and James (Luke’s Son) are not home this weekend. Marie and I are going to catch a movie late this afternoon and a dinner afterwards. We would love for you to join us.
Me: Sounds great. What time?
Luke We want to see It plays at 3:45, 5:45 and 7:15 and 9:15 I want to go to the 3:45 movie as that is the first eco (economy) movie.
Me: Would you mind catching the 5:45 movie? I don’t get off until 4:00. We can still get in at the eco price as that goes until 6:00.
Luke: You work from home.
Me: I know.
Luke: You can quit any time you want.
Me: If I don’t work, How can I feed myself, the boys, and James? (Note: James seems to have adopted my home as his second home. The question is an adaptation from a you tube video about a Five year old India boy who sell pens outside of a McDonald’s instead of going to school that I shared with him)
Luke: Just a minute. Ok, ok… Marie said she knew you were going to say 5:45. She already brought tickets for the 5:45 show. Can you be here at 5:00? Then we can take one car.
Me: Sounds good. See you at 5:00. Bye.
Luke: Bye..
****************************
Luke constantly reminds me I can stop working any time I want. I am constantly reminding him, if I don’t work, I don’t get paid. You couldn’t ask for a`better friend, though.
It’s hard to say no. Especially with people who care about you and you care about them. Communication is the key. Being completely open as to why you are saying no.
Elvis Michael
07/31/2015 @ 10:47 AM
Your comment is spot-on, Nicolas. There will always be someone in our circle that does this, whether it’s a friend or a family member. Yes, we can technically take breaks whenever we please, but it’s best to treat what we do like a “normal job” as much as possible. A little break could suddenly turn into 5 hours at the mall….
Elvis
SarahBogo
10/09/2015 @ 22:56 PM
Great article! I’m so glad that I’m not the only one who thinks working from home is the best and sucky at the same time! I’m still getting the hang of it.
Elvis Michael
10/10/2015 @ 16:24 PM
It can certainly be a challenge. Thankfully we can adapt some good strategies and also educate family/friends about our needs. It gets much easier over time if we remain disciplined.
Sunday
11/09/2015 @ 00:23 AM
Hi Elvis,
This is a reality check for bloggers! I am familiar with all of the points discussed. I have been there and I want to concur with you on the expectations and realities of working from home!
What I have come to learn is to promote ” a highly disciplined” lifestyle when it comes to working from home.
Without sticking to a “strict” rule nothing can be accomplished.
Agreed there are times when the “unexpected” disrupts our “perfect” plans for the day or week, yet it takes the discipline of focus and keeping the end in insight to succeed.
From the onset, anyone wanting to succeed working from home should be prepared for the unexpected – even from areas we least expect like friends and family!
However, setting goals that are specific and measurable should go a long way to boost your confidence.
Indeed, the challenge is subjective but we can apply objective remedies like sticking to high discipline, good healthy attitude, and focusing on what to achieve!
I left this post in kingged.com as well
mcdice18967
11/17/2015 @ 05:34 AM
Thank you so much for the awesome resources…
Freddy Gandarilla
11/30/2015 @ 20:25 PM
Hi Elvis!
What an Honest post man!
I really enjoyed it. It is spot on – on the journey we go through when we first get started with a home based business.
I agree with what you have shared here. At the beginning, it can be very hard to get into the right schedule, and to not procrastinate, and stay focus on productive activities, etc.
And it is Okay to start this way. Because everything is okay.
You know why? .. because everything can be changed and improved.
You can change your ways, and you can get into better habits.
That is the beautiful thing about the Human Being. We have the ability to change, and improve, and become better.
And I think, we tend to beat ourselves up a lot, when we think it is not okay to be, who we are being, at the moment.
I think acceptance is very important in life. It can help tremendously when starting a Home Based Business too.
Accept who you are at the moment, so you can move on with more love, and be able to change Naturally.
The best things in life happen naturally, right?
This is what i have realized, from my own experiences of working from home. And trying to treat it like a real business.
It will all come down to that – learning how to treat it like a real business, so it can pay you like one! 😉
Thank you for sharing this valuable post man!
It is a great subject to talk about!
Keep up the great work!
Have an awesome week 😀
Elvis Michael
12/06/2015 @ 23:16 PM
Freddy, once again you’re simply spot on 🙂
Out of all the things discussed in this article, the best thing I recommend is to always stay ahead. We won’t always be able to abide by a certain schedule, no matter how “perfect” it might feel. We will wake up too sleepy or tired one day, too grumpy, or may simply need to do other things for friends and family. That’s usually where the whole “perfect routine” comes crashing down. Thus, it’s always a great idea to stay ahead of everything.
Thanks for your two cents, you rock!
Lawrence Berry
02/09/2016 @ 20:50 PM
Working from home can be a blessing and a curse. First, you get the comfort of missing the rush hour traffic and doing your career work from the comfort of your home, but on the other hand, you are distracting from being in the comfort of your home. Working from home is much like that of being an entrepreneur and you have to have tremendous amounts of self-discipline to be successful at it. You have to focus on what you want to accomplish and get it done as quickly and as efficiently as possible without mush distraction. This can be a tough feat, but that is the price you have to pay for working from home. There are goods and there are bads to everything. I am glad that you exposed these things, so people like myself can be better prepared for the challenges to come.