The Good and the Bad of Working at Home

My blogger pal Kim over at ilaxStudio wrote a post yesterday about how she likes working at home because she has so much more time in her day. This is got me thinking about how excited I was to stop travelling all the time and work from home. I had big illusions about how much easier it would be to be healthy and happy. While that is partially true, I have also been surprised at how there are just as many negatives.

THE GOOD

1. I don't waste any time commuting, so I have more time for workouts. I also get a little more sleep and research shows that getting an adequate amount of sleep helps regulate appetite.

My best attempt to capture my outfit today. A tank and running shorts. 

2. I can wear work-out clothes all the time. This makes it easier to fit in mini-workouts throughout the day. And no heels, which makes my tootsies very happy.

3. I have full access to my kitchen. So I can make healthy meals during the day. I quickly scramble eggs for breakfast, chop up and toss together a fresh salad for lunch. And start the slower cooking parts of dinner in the late afternoon.

my ghetto standing desk

4. I can easily fit in more activity. I stand most of the day at my

self designed ghetto stand-up desk. I have my weights handy and can easily fit in mini workouts or stretch sessions throughout the day. I can take the dog out for a quick 10 minute walk. This wasn't possible at my old job which had an open seating plan.

5. I get to see my BF and doggie during the day. When I am really stressed, nothing helps me quickly relax and get back to work like a cuddle with one (or both) of them.

THE BAD

1. My home no longer feels like the haven it did when I was travelling. Sometimes it feels more like a prison because I am stuck inside it so much. By evening I sometimes feel like climbing the walls. I also miss having the company of co-workers. I feel really isolated sometimes.

2.  I can wear work-out clothes all the time. I rarely really get dressed these days. That leaves me feeling like a slob, which leads to be acting like a slob. Plus, my stretchy gym clothes are a lot more forgiving than my work clothes, so it is easier to put on a few pounds and not realize it.

3. I have full access to my kitchen all day, which means that if I feel like brownies at 3 pm, it is possible to whip some up. And that stupid ice cream I bought it mocking me all day. I also don't have the public shame factor of all my co-workers watch as I eat a third helping of S'mores goldfish (have you tried those- SOOO good!).

4. It is harder to separate work time from non-work time. When I worked in an office, I shut my computer when I left and didn't open it again until the next morning. But now, because my computer is right there, I check it all evening. Plus, my current customer is in California so they often call me well past my normal working hours. I feel obligated to seem extra available all the time so people think I work hard. This wasn't something I worried about when I was in the office.

Do you work at home? What are your favorite/least favorite aspects? Do you feel like it is easier to be healthier and happier at home?