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o. This is due to fewer meetings, fewer interruptions, and more focused time not he works that matters.</p><h2 id="6785">Advantage 2 — Improved Mental Health</h2><p id="be66">Something else that comes out of this is because we are more comfortable in our own homes, we tend to be happier with work. The happier we are with work, the better the rest of our mental health will be.</p><p id="a742">Often times, when we are stuck in an office, we do not feel as happy, motivated, or encouraged to work hard. When we overhear negative talk or angry conversations this lends to our mental attitudes too.</p><p id="e9a8">However, working from home, we can be surrounded by family, the comforts of home, and go outside to experience a change in scenery that encourages happier feelings and positive attitudes.</p><h2 id="23dc">Advantage 3 — Increased Physical Health</h2><p id="391e">When we work in an office, we can very easily get tethered to our desks. The only time we get up is to get something to eat or drink. And of course when we go to use the restroom. And then we go back to sitting at our desks for hours on end.</p><p id="53d3">However, working from home, people tend to eat better and take more useful breaks. When we have healthier food in the refrigerator, we will eat a better lunch. Snacks can also be much healthier the break room vending machines.</p><p id="776c">When we need a break we can do something around the house, go in the backyard, or take a walk around where we live. We can use some of our breaks to work out, clean house, or at a minimum spend time in the sun getting our vitamin D.</p><h2 id="5692">Advantage 4 — Money Saving</h2><p id="52ce">Working from home saves money for our employers. They no longer have to buy extra office supplies, pay for the electricity for our computers and all other devices at our desks, and will not need as much office space.</p><p id="a3c6">It also helps us save money because we aren’t using the fuel for our cars, stopping for lunch out, or grabbing the afternoon coffee from the local coffee stand. We will spend less because there are fewer things to spend money on when we are home.</p><p id="e938">When we are spending less, we are able to put this money toward other things we value. And when our employers save, they can put that money toward other things too, like salaries and bonuses.</p><h2 id="77a9">Advantage 5 — Stress Reducer</h2><p id="8bbe">When we are home, we experience less stress. We do not have the hustle and bustle of our commutes, office politics, and encroachments on our personal space by coworkers.</p><p id="a776">Our homes give us a better sense of security, enjoyment, and satisfaction because it is a comfortable space for us. Whereas our offices can feel cold, disconcerting, and sterile in nature.</p><p id="5190">Most of all, we are not being impacted by other people’s stress. When we work in a row of cubicles, you can hear your coworkers having hard conversations. And sometimes we can all roll ourselves up in complaining about this thing, or that situation. Which only leads to more stress too.</p><h1 id="229f">Disclaimer: Work from Home Isn’t For Everyone</h1><figure id="544b"><img src="https://cdn-images-1.readmedium.com/v2/resize:fit:800/0*0Bam1rbCKYAyNCXQ"><figcaption>Photo by <a href="https://unsplash.com/@austindistel?utm_source=medium&utm_medium=referral">Austin Distel</a> on <a href="https://unsplash.com?utm_source=medium&utm_medium=referral">Unsplash</a></figcaption></figure><p id="033c">While I mostly see positives for working from home, I also know that there are plenty of negatives reasons or barriers to working from home for people too. After all, when I first started working from home, I didn’t like it.</p><p id="1b9e">I have found there are some major barriers to working from home.</p><p id="d600">There are three major barriers or reasons why people don’t like working from home. I have discovered these out of my experience and from what I am learning from coworkers in our current climate where everyone has been forced to work from home.</p><h2 id="8cde">Barrier 1 — Space Restrictions</h2><p id="1788">When it comes to working from home, where you actually do the work can be troubling. In my first experience, I had to work i

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n my bedroom because my roommates worked on different schedules.</p><p id="9a4b">And when I came back to working from home part-time, I set up a desk in an attic room which gave me a closed door. Currently, I work in a couple of spots in our house with closed doors.</p><p id="d1cd">However, working in an apartment or small home can be difficult if you have roommates, small children, or a lot of people who can come in and out at any time. This can keep you from getting your work done, or interrupt the work you need to focus on.</p><h2 id="485d">Barrier 2 — Distractions</h2><p id="9300">When I first started working from home there were a lot of distractions for me. I thought I could take small breaks and read books, or play video games. Turned out, I couldn’t.</p><p id="a2db">Other distractions we come across come in the form of chores or projects we have around the house. We think we can work and do these things. But we can’t give full attention to both.</p><p id="20d7">We can ultimately find distractions all over the place. Whether it is our friends and family, tv or music, or all the other things in life, we can find ways to keep ourselves from getting things done.</p><h2 id="4f54">Barrier 3 — Communication Pit Falls</h2><p id="2efa">While we have tons and tons of ways to communicate with people today, sometimes we find ourselves in communication pitfalls. Whether it is using our in-house instant messenger, or trying to get the video all to work, things don’t work out sometimes.</p><p id="dcc3">This happens a lot when you have to have difficult conversations or focus on details. Yet, no one seems to be on the same page, and no matter how hard you try to make a call or video conference personal, it is very difficult.</p><p id="fe02">And, when we want to touch base for a friendly conversation and get some other details for work, sometimes, we can’t get ahold of our coworkers when it is convenient for them or for us. This can be a significant barrier for some of us.</p><h1 id="e404">Advantages Vs. Barriers</h1><p id="9ecb">While many of us are now stuck with working from home right now, what happens when we get back to normal. Will work from home become our new normal? I think it will for many of us.</p><p id="c7a4">And, I believe more people will want to continue working from home.</p><p id="5ce1">However, we do need to weigh out our advantages and barriers to help decide if we want to keep working from home or not. And if you need to sell an employer on it, there might be some push back when life returns to normal.</p><p id="e84d">Ultimately, you can gain a lot from working from home if you can get it to work out. And I have found there are some really useful ways to succeed at working from home. You can read about them here:</p><div id="fb68" class="link-block"> <a href="https://readmedium.com/stop-feeling-trapped-at-work-and-start-experiencing-freedom-at-home-d6c133fb17c6"> <div> <div> <h2>Stop Feeling Trapped at Work and Start Experiencing Freedom at Home</h2> <div><h3>5 Keys to Working From Home</h3></div> <div><p>medium.com</p></div> </div> <div> <div style="background-image: url(https://miro.readmedium.com/v2/resize:fit:320/0*U2SgOrPd1pzBb41G)"></div> </div> </div> </a> </div><p id="d1de">But you need to decide whether you want to make work from home permanent first.</p><p id="7c03">R<b><i>emember your five advantages and three barriers, are there any others that you can think of? Share in the responses below!</i></b></p><p id="e20e"><a href="https://readmedium.com/d4fac4b0d32c?source=post_page-----d6c133fb17c6----------------------"><i>Jack Heimbigner</i></a><i> is an author, creator, and coach. He lives in the country in Eastern Washington State with his family. Connect with him on <a href="https://www.facebook.com/JRHeimbigner/">Facebook</a>, <a href="https://twitter.com/JackHeimbigner">Twitter</a>, and <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/jackheimbigner/">LinkedIn</a>. Start achieving your dreams with my <a href="http://jrheimbigner.com/email-course/">7-Day Living the Dream Email Course</a>.</i></p></article></body>

A Complete Guide to Working from Home

5 Advantages to Working From Home

How to Experience the Joy, Satisfaction, and Freedom You Deserve

Working from home can be very satisfying and full of freedom. But, it can be downright hard too. It isn’t for everyone, but I believe most of us can really enjoy the experience of working from home and can transition to it with the right set of circumstances.

I can tell you about it based on my experience from working jobs with multiple location opportunities. I have worked in a pure office setting, a hybrid style of work from home, and a full-time work from home setting.

These different experiences have given me valuable insights into finding joy, satisfaction, and freedom in working from home. And they have given me a desire to share everything I know about this particular work set up.

In this story, I want to share some best practices for working from home to help you transition to the freedom of working from home you deserve. You may want to bookmark this post to reference it along with your work from home journey.

How I Came to Be a Work from Home Advocate

Right out of college, I started working for a nonprofit which allowed me to work from home part of the time if I wanted to do so. As I had mostly worked in an office or sporting events setting before, this was an interesting change.

At first, I didn’t like it very much. I was too easily distracted by things I had at home and never got any work done. I was also young and wanted to spend more time around my coworkers.

As I moved into my next job, it was a strict cubicle land set up. I came to work every day, sat at my cubicle, and left at the end of the day. No options to work from home. And I was chained to that stinking cubicle. After about a year, this drove me crazy.

Shortly after my one year anniversary at this job in cubicle land, they started letting people work from home one to two days a week. At this point, I was married and had a small child and I wanted to be home around my family more.

This set up was the first time I found work from home to be incredibly fun and encouraging. I also found that it increased my productivity so much that I was finishing my work by lunchtime on most days!

Why Work from Home Is Advantageous for You

I have been with the same company for almost eight years now, and I have transitioned to working from home full-time. And I love it. While I know it isn’t for everyone, there are some important advantages for all of us when it comes to working from home.

I have found there are five major advantages to working from home full time, and they are useful for all of us in today’s world. Especially, as more and more jobs move to remote workers.

Advantage 1 — Productivity Boost

Your productivity can increase so dramatically when you work from home! One of the things I have found over the years with the different jobs that I work is how quickly my productivity increases with simply working from home.

When you work from home, you no longer have to commute to and from work. You also can get started right at the time you need to start instead of being late because of your commute.

Studies show that employees who work from home are more productive than their office counterparts too. This is due to fewer meetings, fewer interruptions, and more focused time not he works that matters.

Advantage 2 — Improved Mental Health

Something else that comes out of this is because we are more comfortable in our own homes, we tend to be happier with work. The happier we are with work, the better the rest of our mental health will be.

Often times, when we are stuck in an office, we do not feel as happy, motivated, or encouraged to work hard. When we overhear negative talk or angry conversations this lends to our mental attitudes too.

However, working from home, we can be surrounded by family, the comforts of home, and go outside to experience a change in scenery that encourages happier feelings and positive attitudes.

Advantage 3 — Increased Physical Health

When we work in an office, we can very easily get tethered to our desks. The only time we get up is to get something to eat or drink. And of course when we go to use the restroom. And then we go back to sitting at our desks for hours on end.

However, working from home, people tend to eat better and take more useful breaks. When we have healthier food in the refrigerator, we will eat a better lunch. Snacks can also be much healthier the break room vending machines.

When we need a break we can do something around the house, go in the backyard, or take a walk around where we live. We can use some of our breaks to work out, clean house, or at a minimum spend time in the sun getting our vitamin D.

Advantage 4 — Money Saving

Working from home saves money for our employers. They no longer have to buy extra office supplies, pay for the electricity for our computers and all other devices at our desks, and will not need as much office space.

It also helps us save money because we aren’t using the fuel for our cars, stopping for lunch out, or grabbing the afternoon coffee from the local coffee stand. We will spend less because there are fewer things to spend money on when we are home.

When we are spending less, we are able to put this money toward other things we value. And when our employers save, they can put that money toward other things too, like salaries and bonuses.

Advantage 5 — Stress Reducer

When we are home, we experience less stress. We do not have the hustle and bustle of our commutes, office politics, and encroachments on our personal space by coworkers.

Our homes give us a better sense of security, enjoyment, and satisfaction because it is a comfortable space for us. Whereas our offices can feel cold, disconcerting, and sterile in nature.

Most of all, we are not being impacted by other people’s stress. When we work in a row of cubicles, you can hear your coworkers having hard conversations. And sometimes we can all roll ourselves up in complaining about this thing, or that situation. Which only leads to more stress too.

Disclaimer: Work from Home Isn’t For Everyone

While I mostly see positives for working from home, I also know that there are plenty of negatives reasons or barriers to working from home for people too. After all, when I first started working from home, I didn’t like it.

I have found there are some major barriers to working from home.

There are three major barriers or reasons why people don’t like working from home. I have discovered these out of my experience and from what I am learning from coworkers in our current climate where everyone has been forced to work from home.

Barrier 1 — Space Restrictions

When it comes to working from home, where you actually do the work can be troubling. In my first experience, I had to work in my bedroom because my roommates worked on different schedules.

And when I came back to working from home part-time, I set up a desk in an attic room which gave me a closed door. Currently, I work in a couple of spots in our house with closed doors.

However, working in an apartment or small home can be difficult if you have roommates, small children, or a lot of people who can come in and out at any time. This can keep you from getting your work done, or interrupt the work you need to focus on.

Barrier 2 — Distractions

When I first started working from home there were a lot of distractions for me. I thought I could take small breaks and read books, or play video games. Turned out, I couldn’t.

Other distractions we come across come in the form of chores or projects we have around the house. We think we can work and do these things. But we can’t give full attention to both.

We can ultimately find distractions all over the place. Whether it is our friends and family, tv or music, or all the other things in life, we can find ways to keep ourselves from getting things done.

Barrier 3 — Communication Pit Falls

While we have tons and tons of ways to communicate with people today, sometimes we find ourselves in communication pitfalls. Whether it is using our in-house instant messenger, or trying to get the video all to work, things don’t work out sometimes.

This happens a lot when you have to have difficult conversations or focus on details. Yet, no one seems to be on the same page, and no matter how hard you try to make a call or video conference personal, it is very difficult.

And, when we want to touch base for a friendly conversation and get some other details for work, sometimes, we can’t get ahold of our coworkers when it is convenient for them or for us. This can be a significant barrier for some of us.

Advantages Vs. Barriers

While many of us are now stuck with working from home right now, what happens when we get back to normal. Will work from home become our new normal? I think it will for many of us.

And, I believe more people will want to continue working from home.

However, we do need to weigh out our advantages and barriers to help decide if we want to keep working from home or not. And if you need to sell an employer on it, there might be some push back when life returns to normal.

Ultimately, you can gain a lot from working from home if you can get it to work out. And I have found there are some really useful ways to succeed at working from home. You can read about them here:

Stop Feeling Trapped at Work and Start Experiencing Freedom at Home

5 Keys to Working From Home

medium.com

But you need to decide whether you want to make work from home permanent first.

Remember your five advantages and three barriers, are there any others that you can think of? Share in the responses below!

Jack Heimbigner is an author, creator, and coach. He lives in the country in Eastern Washington State with his family. Connect with him on Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn. Start achieving your dreams with my 7-Day Living the Dream Email Course.