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You Know You Work From Home When...
Working from home can be a blessing and a curse all in one. It's definitely different than leaving and going to work all day. In some ways, it's much more convenient. In other ways? Well....
Here are some things that people who work from home will surely understand. You know you work from home when...
1. This is how you eat your breakfast and lunch...and sometimes dinner.
Meals are gobbled up with one hand while you type with the other. This is just a way of life for the telecommuter. Don't mind the syrup on my keyboard. It doesn't affect my tYpInG a BiT.
2. Most days, the only way you get food is if someone serves it to you.
Unless one of your family members shows you mercy and delivers food, you are likely not to eat a real meal all day long. Instead, you snack on granola bars, sunflower seeds or whatever is nearby.
3. This is the view from your desk.
For those of you who actually sit at a desk all day, you haven't lived until you've attended a work meeting in your recliner.
4. You've lost your cup of coffee three times today.
Seriously. Where did I leave my coffee? Where could I have put it? Oh, that's right. I reheated it. Two hours ago.
5. You look forward to work meetings so you can get some laundry done.
Come on. Admit it! During conference calls, you mute your phone so you can do some housework. This is the only time your clothes actually get folded and put up! Otherwise, they are in a laundry basket beside your "mobile office." (AKA, the couch.)
6. Your family acts surprised when you put on a bra.
"You're dressed?? Where are you going?" "You're leaving the house??" "Are you off work today?" The looks of surprise are almost worth putting on the bra. Almost.
7. You've been known to wear a suit jacket with a swim suit.
Thank goodness video conference calls only show your top half. Otherwise, the VP of the company would have seen your white legs in that swim suit. This is how you attend meetings all the time. It's kind of like the mullet of clothing...Business in the top half, and party in the bottom.
What about you?
How do you feel about working from home?
8. You believe video conference was the worst invention ever.
Whose bright idea was that anyway? You used to be able to show up to work in your pajamas and with bed head.
If you work for one of the few at-home companies left that does not use video conference, you thank your lucky stars daily for this. You also send death threats to anyone in the company who suggests such nonsense as video calls.
9. You've taken your boss to the restroom with you on more than one occasion.
Thank goodness for the mute button, because when you've got to go, you've got to go! If your company uses video conferencing, this is one benefit you've lost. However, if your company is phone call based, you are free to pee at will.
10. Banker's hours are a distant memory.
Now that you work from home, there are no boundaries. You work morning, noon and night. Your work never stops, and you are never really off.
Sadly, as much as you look forward to your days off, you don't know what to do when you get one. You quickly find yourself bored, and you sneak back to the computer to catch up on some emails for work. That's when you start to question your mental well-being.
Working from home is definitely not for everyone, but once you're hooked, you're hooked. It's a love/hate relationship as you love your job but hate the hours you keep. As much as you dream about having a work-free home, in reality, you would not trade this life for anything.
