What I Like (and Dislike) About Working From Home
I have been working from home a few months after the COVID-19 pandemic spread to Singapore in March/April. Our company has decided to protect us by sending us home to continue with our work and liaising with colleagues and customers daily via Zoom.
Although not used to it in the beginning and definitely missing my colleagues (are you reading this!), it seems like I have gotten so used to this lifestyle of not having to squeeze with the rest in a packed train and waste an hour to commute (also means I can wear what I slept when I start my laptop) to work.
With the help of technology nowadays working from home has become so much easier and we are able to communicate easily through different communicating options like email, phone calls, Zoom, etc. It helps that I am doing a digital marketing role so I should be doing my work remotely in the first place anyway!
To make sure I don’t miss my office so much, I have decided to list down the 4 things that I love so much from working from home. And just in case if a boss is considering if he or she will want their employees to work from home.
1: More Productive
It has become more productive when I am working from home, because I work at my own pace, without any distractions. One of the most effective ways, I found out, to stay productive is by taking small breaks throughout the day. A quick 15 mins power nap after lunch (bonus is you sleep on your own bed and not on a desk) helps tremendously in a way that most bosses cannot fathom.
Try to make a schedule, and stick to it, for your day, can also do miracles to your productivity.
Having a plan will help you to stay more productive during work at home. However, the key is to be disciplined, much more than usual, when it comes to sticking to your schedule.
In fact, recent studies also show that working from home is more productive and decrease stress for workers.
2: Less Stressful Environment
When I work in an office, the stress can sometimes be more than working at home, mainly because the boss is always looking over my shoulder. Call for help from colleagues from other departments or internal calls can also take a toll on my workload, and mental health.
These things can cause anxiety to one while working in an office. Working from home actually took all these away because you have your scheduled structure and flexibility e.g. decides not to take a call for now
3: No commuting
Not commuting to and fro saves me time. It fact it shocks me so much (that a red Shockwatch may get activated; those in logistics will know what I mean) on the time I could have saved just by staying at home to do my work.
It is not only the time spent to commute but also the time I need to get myself ready for work; makeup (girls), choosing what to wear (and ironing them the day before), wash up, bathe, etc.
If you are in a client-facing role, this is one of the best reasons to not meet them since it is recommended by the government (our government at least) to avoid contact and the potential spread of viruses. The time spent commuting, small talks with the client on a weekly basis will make you wonder, “why did we even do that in the past when it can be done via a video call?”.
Now, instead of spending time travelling, I can exercise, go to the supermarket, and many other things in the morning that helps to keep my mental health in the balance!
4: More Focused on work
It is generally said that working from home with a regular work setup will help the employees to stay more focused on work.
Working in an office can have many unnecessary distractions and work from home can avoid these e.g. gossip pantry talks, random meetings, and interruptions from collages
What I have done is to spend some time creating an effective workspace at home. A place I will feel relaxed working in and, at the same time, not too many temptations to make you deviate from my job e.g. facing the bed, playing Netflix in the background
It seems like nothing can go wrong from working from home. But in case we need to go back to the office (which we ultimately will), let me remind myself by listing some cons of this “happy” arrangement.
1: Working Slowly
Typically, working from home could be slow for some. This is because when you work in an office environment, you try to get done things on time in order to leave the office on time.
But at home, you sometimes think you have more time than you actually have (time doesn’t stop for you girl) and that makes you think that you can afford to work slowly, much slower than usual.
The usual temptations (as mentioned previously) are also there, like the Netflix drama you have been chasing, causing an extension in lunch hours, or the afternoon quick nap that got out of hand, with no fault of yours. The bed is just too comfortable for you to hear your alarm clock.
As such, I find myself doing overtime at home much more often than I do in the office. It is always the “ok just one more (task). Since I am at home already, just one more” voice in my head that constantly makes me forget about time and clocking more hours than I would have.
2: Easily Distracted
There are many distractions while working at home, such as our bed, phones, Netflix (this is not a paid article I assure you, but if Netflix wants to pay me, you have my email!), etc.
However, I would say the biggest distraction comes from my family; the parent, the kids, and the occasional “very free” friend who decides to pop by for lunch. With the loosening of social distancing measures in the current “Phase 2”, the friend factor is coming back to haunt me.
Not complaining about my popularity but it can be quite stressful for someone who is not earning enough to buy a decent German car comfortably to be having eat-outs with friends on a regular basis. I need an excuse to not meet and I am running out of one.
House rules need to be put in place for the mother or kids to not come during working hours and the phone needs to be in silent mode 1–2 hours before lunchtime I reckon.
3: Isolation
Loneliness is setting in sooner than I thought.
I have always thought that I will enjoy my peace and having lunch alone (not really alone though, I have Hyun Bin and Son Yejin from CLOY eating with me), but it seems like not having small talks during lunch made me feel distanced from my colleagues.
Having lunches with friends are just not enough since they most won’t know what I mean, when I started to talk about my work (mostly bitching about clients or another co-worker), as much as my colleagues do.
I should stay nearer to my colleagues.
4: Communication Challenges
Interestingly, one of the main challenges of working from is this also not being able to have a quick face to face quick discussion which will usually make it easy for co-workers to collaborate faster (Something I complain about if I am the one being asked for help instead, LOL).
Sometimes I just need a quick answer and having to wait for it via WhatsApp or email can be frustrating as it means I will need to skip this task first.
In conclusion, working from home has both advantages as well as disadvantages, but it really depends on how someone executes on their discipline in working from home.
Working from home offer flexibility, saved time, and save money, etc. With the help of advanced technology working from home has been improved a lot especially in this recent years, people live in a digital world of technology, that can improve their skills in any way, they want.
