Busting the common misconceptions about working from home

There’s nothing like a horrid commute to work to make anyone dream about the benefits of working from home. Some are fortunate enough to have a job that naturally allows this (particularly those who are self-employed), but for many others it remains a pipe dream.

As for me, three years ago I made the switch from working in a large, bustling office to freelancing from the spare room of my renovated rental terrace.

But before you start assuming that the grass is greener on the other side, here’s the real scoop about working from home:

Hear more about people working from home on Somewhere Else:

Consider my rating scale when reading below:
1-3: pure fiction
4-6: part fact/part fiction
7-9: mostly fact
10: totally fact

1. I will be more productive (10/10)

Perhaps the biggest misconception about working from home is that you’re more likely to be distracted and won’t be able to get as much work done.

Yet, after working remotely for several years now, I can confidently say that this has not been the case for me. In fact, I would argue that there are more distractions in play when working in your typical office setting, given the constant interruptions of meetings, and people dropping by your desk for a “quick chat”.

Of course, this wouldn’t apply for those who lack self-motivation and are easily distracted but, commonly, us remote workers tend to utilise our time rather efficiently, and often work longer hours too – which brings me to my next point.

2. I will have better work/life balance (1/10)

When I first transitioned to working from home full-time, I recall daydreaming about achieving the perfect work/life balance.

I vowed to rise early and go for daily morning walks, I swore to take a full hour-long lunch break every day, and I pledged to have a hard out at 5pm, in order to spare enough time to make my way to the gym each evening. I was excited to meet a more zen version of myself, but in reality I’m yet to meet that person.

When there are no set work hours, overly productive people, such as myself, are led to believe that all the hours in the day are work hours. And when you work where you live, every moment feels like a moment you could/should be working.

3. I’ll always work at my own beautiful home office (4/10)

Working remotely instead of working in a typical office means that you can create your very own office sanctuary at home. But that doesn’t mean you won’t be tempted to work from your bed or from your sofa instead.

Don’t be fooled by the popular hashtag on Instagram, #deskgoals, which will have anyone convinced that all freelancers typically spend their days working away at picture-perfect desks, surrounded by indoor plants. Instead, allow me to let you in on a little secret – more often than not I’m plugging away on the couch, with my laptop resting on my lap, and I highly doubt I’m alone in this.

4. I will have less social anxiety (8/10)

Here’s another confession: I tend to suffer from social anxiety. Just the thought of team presentations, brainstorm sessions, and spontaneous after-work gatherings is enough to make me break into a sweat.

So for me, working remotely has allowed me to eliminate this. But while I have rated the success of this example rather highly, I stripped two points for good measure, given that I have come to discover a whole new subset of social interactions required when working from home.

This list of awkward interactions includes run-ins with the delivery man, our overly talkative plumber, and our friendly, though rather chatty, neighbours – all of whom, I’m convinced, due to the fact that I’m frequently home during business hours, thoroughly believe that I am perpetually unemployed.

5. I will thrive being a homebody (8/10)

A homebody is a person who prefers pleasures and activities that centre around the home and, for the most part, that describes me to a tee.

However, I have to admit that after working from the comfort of my home for some time now, the lines between work and home have become rather blurry.

You begin to miss the strangest of things, like that elated feeling of leaving your office building on a Friday evening, or taking off your shoes at the end of the day – which is a bit impossible if you never wore shoes during the day to begin with.

With that being said, I remain a perfectly happy homebody who works from home. And every day as I watch my partner quickly shove his toast down and scramble for his keys, before beelining out our door, I repeat to myself, “There’s no place like home”.