The Perks (and Occasional Perils) Of Jobs That Let You Work From Home
Those who have jobs in a standard white-collar, office environment can understand perfectly well how stressful it can sometimes be in that setting. It can become claustrophobic or monotonous at times, and if you're thinking this about your own job right now, you can rest assured that you're most definitely not alone.
So if you work in a position that allows you to occasionally telecommute - usually a result of work being done largely online and being easily accessible thanks to the wonders of cloud computing - you should, by all means, take advantage of that privilege every once in a while. But you'll want to make sure that it doesn't become a problematic habit.
Working from home can be great. There's no requirement to get dressed up or do your hair. You can dictate your own pace, take breaks whenever you feel the need to do so and, if music helps you work, you can blast it as loud as you want. For some people, that kind of environment is more than the optimal work situation - it's "living the dream," pure and simple.
However, this won't be the case for everyone. Work environments aren't set up to emphasize enjoyment among the workforce - they are designed to promote productivity, and if they're designed well, they can serve that purpose without making employees feel oppressed or trapped.
Conversely, you've probably arranged your home to be as comfortable as possible. For a lot of people, that's not exactly the best setting to get work done in - you're surrounded by distractions including TV, books, exercise, web-surfing and a thousand other potential roadblocks.
If you can find a workable middle ground at home, then feel free to stay in and work every now and then. Otherwise, try and think of how you can optimize your workflow back in the office.
Does your job let you work from home? What would you do if you could?
