There are some people who just can’t resist the siren’s call of working from home.  The setup is appealing for a number of reasons—you’re the boss of your own time, you’re in the comforts of your own home, and you can more easily juggle both business and personal concerns. But just like all types of jobs, working from home has its perks and its downsides.  There may be certain types of personalities who are suited for it, but there are some who may find that it takes more effort to work from home than have the usual 8-hour shift at the office.  If you agree with any of the lines below, working remotely from home may not be for you.  Here’s why:

“I need structure”

Working from home means that there’s no supervisor brooding over your shoulder checking to see what you’re doing. Okay, your present supervisor may not exactly do that, but you catch my drift.  Working from home is not for lazy employees who can’t self-motivate.  If you don’t stick to a certain schedule, you’ll find yourself accomplishing next to nothing, especially if you’re online and Facebook, Twitter, 9gag, Tumblr, and your personal blog become more alluring than the blinking cursor on Word or Excel.

“I’m easily distracted”

 

Apart from online distractions, there’s also family matters, personal phone calls, dog poop, baby sitters, delivery boys, birds flying right to your window and dying, and other distracting incidents to deal with when you’re at home.  The rowdy colleagues may also be a distraction, but at least you’re in a more controlled environment when you’re in an actual office.  Working from home means that the lines between “private and personal” and “professional” become a blur.  Obviously, it takes more effort to work when you’re working from a place reserved for personal matters.

“I’m a social butterfly”

One of the biggest advantages of working from home is that you’re free from gossiping colleagues, but it also means that you miss all the fun during company outings, New Year’s Eve parties, and other social affairs.  You also miss the chance to meet new people and network with people in your industry. If you’re the type who thrives on having a posse of colleague-friends and love attending company functions, it may be better to stay put in an office.

 

Of course, the challenges of working from home can be overcome by a little effort on your part.  For one, you can dedicate an “office space” at home and draw up a schedule that has to be followed strictly. You can also attend networking events and seminars to fill your need for socialization.  It takes a bit of self-discipline, but it can be done if you want to reap the benefits of being a work-from-home employee. If you want to read more on the topic of remote workers, check out this post from the RingCentral blog.

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