Hey lovelies,
I took the end of last week off of work and so I also took the week off from blogging, but I am back now once again.
As it seems that the majority of us will be continuing to work from home for the foreseeable future, I thought I would run through what I believe to be its biggest benefits, and also what I see to be its biggest disadvantages.
Here are my three favourite things about working from home, followed by my three least favourite.
Let's start with the good...
#1: An extra hour and a half in bed
I'm really not much of a morning person. When I'm working in the office, my commute is over an hour, and so I have to get up at 6:30 in order to get ready and get to work on time to start at 9. Now that my commute from my bed to my desk takes approximately half a second, I don't need to get up until 8am. 8AM! Heaven. Still too early for me though.
#2: Saving money on diesel
As I said, my commute is over an hour, and I recently upgraded from my adorable yet small Fiat 500 to an Audi TT with a much larger engine, so my fuel costs are a bit higher than initially expected. Working from home saves me a lot of money monthly, and as I physically cannot go anywhere, I have actually been able to save a lot more money than I would have otherwise!
#3: Having a bit more freedom with my working day
My work are pretty helpful anyway if you need to start late or finish early - you just work through your lunch or make sure your hours are made up another day. But working from home makes it so much easier to start early or finish late, as it means that I don't need to go anywhere.
Working from home also means that I can do quick chores, like sticking a wash load on while I'm grabbing a coffee. They only take a few minutes, but otherwise, they would have to wait until I got home.
I can also have a bit more freedom whilst I'm actually at work. I can listen to music or a podcast without having to worry about distracting anyone, and I can eat fish for lunch without worrying about stinking out the staff kitchen haha!
As much as working from home can help, I must admit I don't really like it. Here are my 3 least favourite things about working from home...
#1: The lack of social interaction
If I have a day of no Teams meetings, sometimes I can go the whole day without verbally talking to someone until I see my family after I finish work. It is so draining and makes me feel really lonely sometimes. I miss the idle chit chat while you're waiting for the kettle to boil and the work banter that you are more likely to have in the office environment.
#2: The total lack of a work/life balance
I honestly don't know how freelancers and full-time bloggers do it. When your desk is literally half an inch away from your bed, it is almost impossible to stop thinking about work when you clock off. It's usually little things, and it is not all the time, but I can find myself thinking about work hours after I have finished for the day because there is no difference between my workspace and my relaxation space. It can be really stressful and I also sometimes panic that because I'm not working 13 hour days when I could because my desk is right there, I'm not doing enough. I would never have normally worried about this, but sometimes I do worry that everyone else is doing more than me.
#3: I actually miss my commute
Despite it meaning that I have to get up at an ungodly hour in the morning and it costs me a fortune on fuel costs, I actually really enjoy my hour-long commute. It's my me time. It wakes me up and helps to prepare my mind for the working day in the morning, and it gives my brain time to shut down before I get back home in the evening. When working from home, I feel like I miss out on this extra step so I "arrive" at work still a bit sleepy and groggy, and I "leave" still fully switched on work-mode.
Ultimately, I am just very happy and grateful that I still have a job. I do feel for everyone that has been laid off or furloughed for an extended period of time. It must be really tough. But I also know a lot of people are struggling with working from home, so I know I'm not the only one. Hopefully, we will all be able to return to work soon, whether that be getting a new job, getting off of furlough or returning to the office.
Are you guys working from home? If so, are you struggling or thriving, or somewhere in between?
With love, Chloe x
