When people hear me say that I work from home, I think they misunderstand what exactly that means. Do they picture me lounging on the couch with a drink in one hand and the remote in the other, surfing Netflix and waiting for the phone to ring so I can hear the latest gossip? Do they not realize “work from home” has the word “work” in it? There are so many misconceptions. Here are my top 5 myths about working from home.
It’s Easy
Let me make it very clear… there is nothing easy about working from home. It’s true that we don’t have to get dressed and sit in traffic. We don’t have to deal with office drama, public bathrooms or parking but we are still working, sometimes more than those in an office, believe it or not.
I am at my computer, working, from the time I get up until the time I go to sleep. I don’t really have “hours” because I’m juggling family life and work life. I almost always have my laptop or my phone in my hand. I have deadlines that I have to meet and don’t have anyone to remind me or help me to meet those deadlines. It’s just me. So if I don’t get something done, I don’t sleep.
It Gives You More Time With Your Family
I’m home all day long but that doesn’t mean I’m hanging out with my kids or my husband. While I do step away to cook, eat and pick my kids up from school, I’m probably working 12 hours a day, minimum. I try to limit my work hours during the weekend so that I can dedicate that time to my family, but depending on my workload, that is sometimes impossible.
While my friends are off on vacations, enjoying their loved ones and their adventures, I’m usually rushing back to the hotel room to catch up on work, otherwise, I get behind.
Flexibility to Chat, Watch TV and Nap
I can’t tell you how much more my phone started ringing when I started working from home. It was like I suddenly had more friends, only I didn’t. These friends never called me during office hours when I worked in an office. While there isn’t anyone watching over me, I’m still working. I still have things to do. I’m either typing an email, researching, on client calls, on social media (for work, not fun), working on a campaign, writing, photographing a product or a number of other things. Can I put in my earbuds and chat while I work? Sure! But it’s hard to concentrate when you’re chatting so most of the time, I just ignore the call. Nothing personal, I’m just working.
Anyone Can Work From Home
As awesome as working from home sounds, it’s definitely not for everyone. You have to be able to block out the distractions and concentrate. You have to be able to focus on your tasks and get them done without anyone reminding you to do so (especially if you are self-employed). You have to be a great multi-tasker, able to stop one thing and start another at a moments notice. You must be willing to compromise your personal time. If you are the type of person that is at the time clock exactly at 5:30 to go home, you probably wouldn’t be the type of person that could successfully work from home.
You Can Clock Out Anytime
Yes, we can close our laptop and turn off our phone, but chances are when you work from home, you will do neither. You find yourself answering emails at 3am just because you happen to see it and don’t want to keep the other person waiting (though they are probably sound asleep, as you should be). It’s like you have a totally different mindset when you work from home. Think about it. Would you go get out of bed at 3am, get dressed, drive into the office and answer emails? Probably not. But when you work from home, all logic flies out the door and you want your clients to know that you are available for them anytime they need you, even when you should be sound asleep.
Do you work from home? What do you find are your biggest challenges? Comment below!
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Bindu Thomas02/01/2019 4:13 am
I agree with your points. I do work from home, and it’s not always easy. Great post!
My Tran01/31/2019 3:16 pm
Hey mommies – can someone tell me what company they work for that will allow you to WFH?
Heather Castillo01/31/2019 4:04 pm
There are plenty of opportunities, you just need to research them and make sure they are legit.
Shoma01/31/2019 3:11 pm
This post right here is so on point. People have such misconceptions about working from home. Let them stay a day in my shoes and they will see the truth!
Kathy01/31/2019 11:39 am
I can totally relate to all these. They are definitely true too. I love working from home, but it’s not all that great sometimes. I’m working pretty much all the time.
Fatima Torres01/31/2019 9:53 am
I always get funny looks when I say I work from home. Some people leave it at that, others ask what I do. When I tell them, they think they can do it too. Honestly, it’s not for everyone. You’re right, it takes a lot of discipline and understanding how to sell yourself — daily! I wish more people would understand that being a blogger is more than just posting pictures and working with brands. I’ve learned a lot over the years, and sometimes it means you have to cut back on (real life) social life a bit to make more time for your online one because of work.
Thanks for sharing this! It’ll help others who aren’t in the industry understand that it takes more than what most people assume.
Sam | Away She Went01/31/2019 9:51 am
I work mainly in an office, but occasionally I work from home. I always hate when I have to call into a meeting because one of our dogs always barks when I’m on the phone. It’s not very professional to have a barking dog in the background lol
Lynndee01/31/2019 9:43 am
Yep, working from home is not at all easy. But keeping a schedule sure helps a lot. It balances my time between work and family.
Catalina01/31/2019 8:14 am
Oh yes! I am totally agree with you! It’s so true that those who work at home, work even more, and definitely is not for everyone. It’s not easy at all!
Dalene Ekirapa01/31/2019 8:09 am
Working from home is easy! Well, that’s the funniest myth I keep on hearing over and over! It actually is not because first, it requires your discipline.
Chubskulit Rose01/31/2019 7:38 am
I totally agree with you on all of these. I do appreciate it as a blessing though because I can oversee what my kids are up too.
AmberLynn01/31/2019 5:25 am
I was one of the people who believed in the myths before last summer. As a teacher, I get summers off, but I worked more over the summer than I did during the school year. Between getting ready for the school year, babysitting my niece, and wanting to grow my blog, I was busy from sun up to sun down. Thanks for addressing the myths of working from home. (P.S. It is still my goal to work remotely, and have the flexibility to work from home. However, I don’t plan to do so for a while. )
Ricci01/31/2019 2:48 am
Oh gosh, I think I would be a terrible worker from home. I would procrastinate and watch Netflix all day and not get a single thing done. HA!
liev cruz01/30/2019 11:23 pm
You speak the truth here. lol I also work from home. But I also love doing outdoor activities so I try to keep the balance.
Cheryl Eugenio01/30/2019 10:21 pm
This is so true — working at home is not what it’s cracked up to be. There are plenty more distractions, I have to admit (and more chance to snack!)
Beth01/30/2019 10:19 pm
Working from home can be great, but it does require a lot of self-discipline. The more kids and pets you have, the more interruptions you are likely to have. It can be challenging to train friends and family not to call during work hours (the best way is not to answer the phone during your work hours, and instead call them after dinner.) Conversely, I know a lot of small business owners refuse to check their inbox or listen to voicemail in the evening so they can maintain balance.
Terri Steffes01/30/2019 9:47 pm
What I find works for me is that I get dressed every work day. It puts me in the right frame of mind and I get a lot done!
leah01/30/2019 8:51 pm
ha this is so true. if only we were able to simply clock out and be done! noooope!
Pam01/30/2019 8:20 pm
I work from home, and it can be hard. It definitely requires a lot more discipline than people think.
Marcie W.01/30/2019 7:16 pm
Working from home definitely has its pros and cons. I often struggle with knowing when it’s time to stop for the day, however, I do love the flexibility it offers.
Lauren Floyd01/30/2019 4:19 pm
I worked from home in a full-time job the first four months of my son’s life, and it really was a struggle. I still balance both as a blogger at Honeycomb Moms. You really have to excel at multitasking and work play breaks into your day.
Sarah Althouse01/30/2019 3:23 pm
Working from home with a new baby was WAY harder than when I just went to work. There is zero downtime.
Sarah Bailey01/30/2019 1:44 pm
This is totally true, I think a lot of people don’t realise how hard it can be to work from home. People should definitely read this if they want to know about the reality of working from home.
Ashley01/30/2019 12:40 pm
I work outside of the home, but I’ve always been intrigued about working from home! Seems like a great choice.
Tasheena01/30/2019 12:17 pm
I think those that have never worked from home will never truly understand the discipline in which it really requires.
Vanessa01/30/2019 11:50 am
You are right on the money with these myths. When you’re home, people just assume you have time to chat, run errands or do something they wouldn’t ask if you were in the office. Plus, I think youre more productive at home without all the co-worker drama/distractions (At my job anyway).
Marta Rivera01/30/2019 11:49 am
Sadly (shamefully), I spend less time with my family now that I work from home. It’s so hard to get a consistent work schedule down when I’m not beholden to a boss or a time-clock. I need to be better about that.
Candy01/30/2019 11:22 am
Hard when hubby works from home. Noises and more people get in the way. Office space is ideal for him to close door and get work done
cait01/30/2019 9:44 am
ITS EASY ha- oh my gosh i wish ha and yes we can take naps?! mmm i wish – im more like running around, prepping meals, doing laundry, attempting work, conference calls and more- its exhausting but so glad its not just me!
Amber Myers01/30/2019 8:24 am
Yup, so true. I do work from home, and it’s not always easy. When the kids are off school, I can get distracted and it’s tough to get things done. Plus I still have to make sure I run all the errands and such.
Alexandra01/30/2019 7:43 am
I think I need to share this post with a few of my friends – sadly as I work from home, it means to them that I have free time all the time lol!! They constantly ask me to run errands…!!
Algene04/12/2018 11:11 am
Working at home is so much fun and exciting. One of the most common misconceptions is that working from home entails easy tasks… If only people know how complicated and challenging our tasks are!
rika04/10/2018 3:28 pm
Working from home is much harder than working for a compay or at the office. I find it hard to balance my work and life. I often feel guilty if i spend too much time on the screen when my kids are around.
Terri Steffes04/09/2018 8:55 am
I might disagree that these are myths, but I will say that these are definitely things that I will ignore when trying to get a post out, or schedule an interview, etc. There is always something to be done when you run your own business.
Jenn @ EngineerMommy04/08/2018 8:14 pm
I can’t stand the myth that it’s easy. In fact, in some ways, working from home is much harder than working for a company. That has been my experience at least. It may be more convenient at times to work from home, but the work never ends and it’s tough to find a work-life balance.
Anita Anderson04/08/2018 6:40 pm
There are times that I wished I did work from home. It would be easier with the bus and kids in the morning.
Tasheena @ SimplyTasheena.com04/08/2018 4:23 pm
Working from home takes a very disciplined person. You have to be able to work on your own with little supervision.
ANOSA04/08/2018 8:31 am
I guess one of a myth when you are working at home is that people think that you are jobless. Lol, they think that you are just at home. And of course, working at home is not easy too. You have to learn how to deal with family members while working.
Up Run for Life Healthy Lifestyle Blog01/31/2018 3:25 pm
These myths are spot on. My husband works from home and loves it because it shaved off a huge commute time. However, he often has to close the door because he needs to get stuff done during business hours.
Melissa Dixon01/31/2018 9:07 am
It really can be a struggle to carve out time to work and time for other tasks when home. I am lucky it comes pretty easy to me but I have seen some people struggle with this most when it comes to working from home.
Tim B01/31/2018 8:59 am
I find it hard to work at home when the kids are around because they don’t have a volume control like a TV remote control and don’t understand you have to focus on other responsibilities so they constantly are asking you to do something for them or complaining about a sibling. It works out really well for me when they are at school though 😉 It is true you have to be self-disciplined to avoid being distracted by wanting to do chores around the house or relax while working from home.
Cherri Megasko01/31/2018 8:18 am
Hahahahaha! Isn’t it funny that people believe these things? I worked for an advertising agency for 22 years. Twenty-one of those years I worked from home. People would come over while I was working and just expect to sit and chat. I just had to be rude and tell them they had to leave.
Stephanie Pass01/31/2018 4:08 am
Even before I worked as a blogger, I was self employed and worked from home in the medical transcription field. It’s definitely hard. You have to force yourself to stay on task.
Ricci01/31/2018 2:04 am
I have a full time job outside my home and I blog and I honestly think my outside job is easier! I can leave my work there and not think about it like I have to think about blogging when I’m at home.
Sara01/30/2018 8:27 pm
I already knew about a few of these because my husband works from home, but it was still a very interesting post! There really are a lot of misconceptions about working from home.
Kim @ Berly's Kitchen01/30/2018 7:44 pm
I love this post! My family has a LOT of misconceptions about what my husband and I do for a living. We definitely do not have a ton of free time or time to nap. There are schedules, deadlines to meet, and lots of focus. This is awesome! Thanks for writing it!
Lisa Favre01/30/2018 3:20 pm
Yes, yes, and yes! Anyone who thinks it’s easy is kidding themselves! People don’t really understand the work and hours that goes into working from home.
Jennifer Van Huss01/30/2018 2:12 pm
Although I envy those who work from home, I don’t think I could do it. Being responsible for myself would put too much stain on me. I wouldn’t know how to shut off work to enjoy life.
Joely Smith01/30/2018 1:31 pm
Yup you nailed it!! It is NOT easy working from home! I have done it for 2 decades and just today someone said “Oh it must be nice working from home”. Eyeroll … I mean sure I would not want to go back out into the workforce working for someone else but it seems family and friends never really get it that we ARE working and can’t be interrupted constantly. Love them but I need to earn a living too lol. Everything you said I relate to!
Mama Ash01/30/2018 10:09 am
Flexibility to nap?! Hahaha! I WISH 😉 My biggest challenge is procrastination. Sigh….