Working From Home and You: 4 Tips to Keep in Mind

With the complete and undeniable death grip the Internet has on our everyday lives, working from home is no longer just bait that scam artists use to entice people to "make $5000 in one week." Yes, those types of scams still exist, but people have hopefully become more weary of the ability to make a fortune by putting together random products that come to your door in a million broken pieces.

As an independent game developer/freelancer, I am part of a growing trend of people who work from home, and while it does sound like a dream, it definitely isn't for everyone. I present to you a short list of reasons why working from home has its advantages and...well...not-so-advantages.

(1) The One Calorie Commute

The distance of your commute to work is directly proportional with how many steps it takes to get to your designated workspace. Yes, this is both a good thing and a bad thing. The advantage is that you don't have to deal with the hypothetical jackass in the car behind you who is drinking a huge cup of coffee with one hand, texting with the other hand, and trying to signal with his elbow while tailgating you so he can cut you off even though the light down the street is red and the lane he is entering ends in 50 feet. *gasp* Yes, that had to be said all in one sentence.

Now that takes skill! Or stupidity...one or the other.

What could possibly be a convincing negative compared to the above hilarious but terrifyingly possible scenario? You probably burned more calories snoring the night before than you did walking to your workspace, especially if you live in a condo and have no stairs like I do. While this "disadvantage" pales in comparison to the vehicular nightmare scenario, it isn't a good thing.

Tip: If you work from home, try to make time for physical activity.


(2) Being Productive

Anyone who has spent time working from home has had someone say this to them: "Oh, you're home during the day, you can *insert random favor/chore/miscellaneous activity here*, right?"

While it's true that working from home allows you to have more time to focus on work, it also opens the door for procrastination and other distractions that one would normally be able to avoid at the office. That isn't to say that working at an office doesn't have its own share of distractions; just that working from home has more of them.

As long as you are aware of potential distractions, working from home can be a ton more productive that working away from home. If it's right for you, you'll know it.

Oh dear God, not again!!

Tip: When working from home, take yourself, your time and your work seriously and others will, too.


(3) Saving Cashola

Probably one of the biggest advantages that working from home brings is the amount of money you save. You don't use gas and you can eat meals at home. Just make sure you don't get your social fix everyday by walking down to McDonald's to chat up the awkward pimply-faced manager about how much of the meat is actually meat, all while scarfing down value menu cheeseburgers.

"I told you sir, I'm not allowed to give out nutritional information!"

Tip: Take advantage of the money saving opportunities that are presented to you in your home office situation.

(4) Interfacing With Someone Other Than the Family Pet

Lets face it. Water cooler conversation isn't quite the same when the water cooler is your kitchen sink and your fellow conversationalist is Fluffy the cat waiting for you to fill up her kibble dish. Once she gets her food, she's not going to stand around and listen to you complain about how your client wanted to bump a graphic up by 2 pixels for the fifth time earlier this morning, only to tell you to bump it down by 10 pixels later in the afternoon.

When even the cat wants space, you know you've got problems.

Tip: Make face time, or get some sunlight to break up your day (something I'm guilty of not doing as often as I should be).


These are just the tip of the proverbial iceberg, but if you ever find yourself in this situation or are currently situated as such, chances are you will deal with (or are dealing with) most, if not all of the above points. The most important thing to remember is that you are your own boss and employee, so find a balance between this dual-role and you'll be working from home like a pro in no time!

An inspiration to us all.