You have tried working remotely, but you couldn’t figure it out, and now you think that working from home sucks. This wasn’t what you expected, but you don’t enjoy working from home nearly as much as you expected. So, why does working from home suck? That all depends on you and your personal work preferences.
Thankfully, it is possible to change your work-from-home methodology with high-quality home time management concepts to make your working-from-home experience more enjoyable. We’ll outline a few reasons why readers tell us working from home sucks and give a work-from-home story that may seem very similar to those struggling with a work-life balance at home.
Why Does Working From Home Suck?
When I hear people saying, “working from home sucks,” I feel for them because I used to think the same thing! I thought working from home made me lazy, and I could never stay on task as I did at the office. However, I’ve changed my tune in the last few years by implementing high-quality time management techniques that have helped make this process easier.
However, I know you probably feel like working from home sucks now, and that’s a valid feeling. People often struggle with this change and may find adjusting to a work-from-home life very hard. Let’s break down a few reasons why I think that people think that working from home sucks.
Reason 1: People Get Lonely
Working from home without co-workers might seem great, but I feel like many people get lonely in this environment. I know I eventually did, even though Slack video chats and other socialization channels did help alleviate this loneliness in a minor way.
Reason 2: It’s Hard to Focus
When you first started working from home, you probably loved being able to get up when you wanted, take a break to watch TV, or even nap. However, these activities can make it very hard to focus, which can be a real problem for people trying to achieve a successful work life.
Reason 3: You Work Long Hours:
If you were like me, you probably thought that you would work fewer hours from home but ended up screaming, “working from home sucks!” when you realized you work far more hours. It doesn’t have to be this way if you know what kind of work-from-home metrics to track and where you need to improve.
These are Real Work From Home Challenges
I’m not here to tell you that you might be wrong for suffering from these feelings. I once struggled with them and experienced real problems working from home. Many of these issues may seem unavoidable, but changing your work-from-home habits can enhance your life and stop your working experience from sucking. Just a few problems you might experience include:
- Extra Stress: Multiple studies have found that working from home can cause a high-stress level in many people, making this experience suck.
- Poor Work-Life Balance: Like many remote workers, I experienced a poor work-life balance that made it very hard to enjoy my job.
- Depression: Unfortunately, many people (myself included) experience depression working from home, which makes this work style hard.
Many major corporations have found that working from home has many benefits. For example, Facebook guru Mark Zuckerberg plans to make all his employees remote, saying, “I’ve found that working remotely has given me more space for long-term thinking and helped me spend more time with my family, which has made me happier and more productive at work.”
That’s one reason I insist that these issues aren’t inherent to working from home and can be avoided with some adjustment. By adjusting your work-from-home methodology, you can achieve a better work experience and fall in love with remote work! If you don’t believe me, I have a work-from-home story to share.
My Story Of Working From Home
Like you, I initially had high hopes for my remote position but eventually thought working from home sucks. Honestly, I got very depressed and had to rethink my entire approach. My work-from-home story is now positive, and I love working this way! When reading this example, see where my story matches yours and follow my advice for better work results.
When I First Loved It
When I first got into the remote work environment, I was not embarrassed to say that I thought I’d died and gone to heaven. Getting up when I wanted was excellent, and not having to fight through early morning and mid-afternoon traffic was beautiful. I saved so much time on that alone.
Not only that, I was saving money by not buying food every time I went to work and wasn’t putting wear and tear on my car. I was a work machine for the first several months and got through my tasks easily. My team laughed and said I was gearing up for a big promotion.
Slowly, though, I started noticing little signs that things might not be as good as I thought. First, I started sleeping in just a bit later every day. After all, I thought I could always catch up by working a little longer at the end of the day! That’s when things started going downhill for me.
Where I Started Thinking Working From Home Sucks
Well, my minor concerns about the setbacks of working from home became severe concerns as the months passed. I noticed that I didn’t focus as well as I used to before going remote. Television became my worst enemy, though Facebook certainly didn’t help.
I also worked too long on tasks and then took excessively long breaks to recover. Two hours of straight work and a three-hour break didn’t give me enough time to finish everything! As a result, I started working longer hours than usual.
This put me in a tough spot at work. I was not getting as much done, and I struggled to connect with my teammates. I didn’t enjoy making jokes anymore and felt alienated and alone. Resentment was built, and I felt like a weirdo left on the fringes of the team to suffer alone.
My colleagues noticed this change and tried to reach out to me. I couldn’t open up to them about it. Worse, my boss noted a decline in my work quality, and I received a few warnings. I knew then that it was time to get my act in shape, and I took decisive action.
How I Got Out of My Rut
My first step was building a routine that made sense to me again. I started waking up on time and getting to work right away without delay. Then, I started using various time management methods that increased my focus and improved my work experience. I finally settled on the Pomodoro Technique.
I loved how this technique broke my day into 25-minute blocks of work and five-minute breaks. It fascinated me how much work I could get done in that time! It also gave me a compelling force that got me through my day: I looked forward to those longer breaks and focused my efforts on getting there.
Finally, I opened up better communication lines with my co-workers, including regular video meetings and team-building sessions. My loneliness evaporated, and I now spend a lot of my five-minute breaks laughing at the best and most hilarious memes on our Slack channel.
Why I Believe Everyone Can Achieve This Goal
While it wasn’t always easy, and I struggled to break through some challenging (poor) work habits, I finally became the work-from-home master I knew I was destined to be! It was well worth the challenge and is something that I think anybody can do right if they follow my example.
For instance, listening to your body and mind and adjusting your work from home goals if you start feeling bad is important. Try to start scheduling brainstorming and team-building sessions with your co-workers to increase your social connection and ensure you produce a creative environment.
Why Amy Freshman Uses Remote Work Concepts
Amy Freshman is the senior director of global workforce entablement for ADP who had this to say about remote work:
“It is about workplace flexibility. It’s about giving our associates the opportunity to be who they are as an individual, whether that is a community member, a spouse or parent, or anything in between.”
5 Main Things To Do, So You Wouldn’t Think That Work From Home Sucks
Are you tired of asking, “why does working from home suck?” and want to do something about it? You’re making a wise decision! We can help you with the following five tips. These tips will make working from home more enjoyable and ensure you have a work-from-home story like mine.
1. Creating a Great Routine
Routine is critical when working from home! It should be like your normal job and include getting up, taking a shower, eating, dressing, or taking whatever steps you usually take. Creating a routine helps you feel more connected to the office and can decrease your work hours. Make sure that in your first 30 minutes, you don’t use your phone or computer to wake up your mind and get to work.
2. Producing a Dedicated Workspace
Don’t just plop down in front of the television and expect to get great work results! Make a separate work office to feel more professional, such as turning a spare bedroom into your work area. If you feel more professional, you’ll enjoy your job more and can focus more effectively on it.
3. Keeping Communication Open
Don’t feel isolated in the workplace but set up open lines of communication with your co-workers. Set up regular video meetings, and consider doing fun virtual events (like board game nights online) or other social events to feel connected to your office environment. I have played Codenames with my co-workers online to stay in touch on 30-minute breaks. It’s a fun and engaging game that will help bring you closer together.
4. Taking Care of Your Body
Exercising whenever possible is essential to take care of yourself when working from home. Create a powerful wellness routine, including healthy meals and regular time outside to keep your blood flowing, get some healthy sun on your face, and refresh your mind between demanding tasks.
5. Making a “Third Space.”
The third space refers to areas outside work and home where you can relax and enjoy yourself. You may need to create another third space without a commute to unwind after your job. For example, you may find that going for a brief ride after work helps you unwind and relax.
Katie Burke Believes Remote Work Increases Possibilities
Hubspot’s chief people officer, Katie Burke, said about their change to a hybrid remote-worker environment:
“Do you want to access talent everywhere, or just in specific markets? If the answer is everywhere, you need to be at least open to the possibility of remote work.”
In other words, remote work opens opportunities for businesses and employees.
Conclusion
After reading this article, do you still think working from home sucks? If so, we encourage you to try these different concepts again to find the method that makes the most sense for you. We believe you deserve to be happy and feel like any remote worker can achieve their dreams by finding the best time management routine for their needs. So get out there and get working!
