Throughout my career there have been occasional stretches where, through absolutely no fault of my own, I have found myself "between jobs". And during those times, to keep the lights on and the bills paid, I've found myself working from home. In the past, it was usually only for a few weeks or months at the most and it wasn't long enough to lose my basic business skills or develop bad work habits.
But now I've been working from home for over a year, and it would appear this is the way it's going to be for the foreseeable future, and while there are obvious benefits (and lack of benefits), there are also numerous pitfalls and slippery slopes and I've developed these tips to help others who may find themselves in the same situation.
#1. Remember To Bathe.
This would appear at first to be a no-brainer, but after a couple of months you'd be surprised how easily this one can slip through the cracks. You sit down at the computer with your morning coffee to check your email and all hell has broken out with some of your projects and you find yourself having to immediately put out some fires. Before you know it, it's noon or 1pm and you realize you haven't yet showered. It's tempting to think "Well, the day's half gone and there's always tomorrow...", but don't. Just don't. If you have a significant other, this one is easy to keep in check because before you know it, they'll threaten to leave.
#2. Remember To Shave
Kind of goes with #1. Personally, I've always hated shaving. Lucky for me, the 90's rolled around and the two-day stubble, hipster grunge look became fashionable and I could get away with only shaving a couple of times a week. But when you work from home and you never see your clients, it's easy to think "Why Shave at all? They'll never know I now look like the Unibomber." Don't fall into this trap. They Amish don't use computers, and you do, so don't look like one. Again, If you have a significant other, this one is easy to keep in check because before you know it, they'll threaten to leave.
#3 Wear Clothes
Working in your underwear has a certain appeal, especially during the hot summer months. Or maybe sweats or gym shorts. But, at the end of the day, it's unprofessional. It will also impact your feeling of self worth, especially when you're doing your billing. You will find yourself asking yourself "Was this job really worth $1000 if I did it in my boxers?" So avoid this problem by wearing clothes, preferably something with buttons. If it's held up by a drawstring or elastic, it's probably not appropriate. And don't wear the same clothes every day no matter how much it cuts down on the laundry.
#4 Set Boundaries With The Dogs
Dogs don't understand the concept of "working from home". No matter how many times you explain it to them. And they are masters of guilt. If you aren't careful, you'll find yourself on the floor with a tennis ball wondering where the day went. What I do is set aside a half an hour of play in the morning, and another in the evening. And in between, I ignore them. I ignore the constant whining and the growing mound of chew toys piling up next to my desk. It was rough at first, but they've now settled into a daily routine of quiet bitterness and seething anger and shitting on the carpet. But mostly they sleep.
#5 Set Boundaries With The Clients
When you work from home, almost all the clients assume you have a drive-up window and you're open 24 hours. You need to disabuse them of this notion right off the bat. You may think it's showing drive and initiative to answer their drunken texts and emails at all hours of the night, but it doesn't. What it does show is you're a sucker and before you know it you'll be working the graveyard shift more nights than not. Besides, they'll more than likely disavow their drunken midnight requests and refuse to pay for the work you spent til dawn working on. Now, on occasion, real crises do develop over night, which will lead you back to tip #1. It's all interconnected.
#6 Keep A Regular Break Schedule
Yes, the boyfriend has sadistically stocked the pantry with all manner of junk food and it's right down the hall. That doesn't mean you get a "break" every 20 minutes. Before you know it, you'll be as big as a house and not fit in your desk chair.
#7 Avoid The TV.
This isn't an issue for me anymore because the TV is clear across the house and there's never anything on. But early on, in the other house, it was as I allowed myself a daily break for "The View". Elizabeth Hasselback quickly solved that problem. But then there was always the siren call of Judge Judy and Oprah. Don't fall for it.
#8 Practice Your Social Skills
If, like me, you have absolutely no verbal contact with other humans during the course of your day and you're daily vocabulary is now limited to "Who's such a good boy?" and "Walkies!", you'll want to practice basic social skills like speaking. Nothing worse than sounding like a moron on the off chance a client calls.
#9 Happy Hour Still Starts At 5:00
You may be having a bad day and there's a box of wine in the fridge and, yes, it's always 5pm somewhere in the world, but don't drink on the job. It's unprofessional and you'll end up sending some emails you regret.
#10
Educate Your Friends And Loved Ones About Working From Home
No, I don't have time to wax the floors or bang out your wedding invitations because I'm "not doing anything".
