At first, working from home can seem like a dream come true. You get to spend more time with your family, enjoy the flexibility, and don’t even need to get out of your pajamas.
However, as great as all of the different benefits are, you still need to understand that it’s not suitable for everyone. For example, some individuals actually like heading into the office each day and may not cope with remote work.
Below, we will take a look at five questions you should ask yourself so that you can decide whether or not working from home is right for you.
Let’s get started.
Have I worked remotely before?
Has there ever been a time in your life when you have had to work at home temporarily? Maybe you were sick but still needed to get an important task done?
Think about how you coped during that time and whether or not you enjoyed the experience. If you were distracted or struggled to complete everything efficiently, it may be a sign you should stay clear.
Do I have the right set-up?
To work remotely, you need to have a dedicated space. This separates work from personal life and ensures that you can complete jobs in a quiet and comfortable environment.
Don’t forget, you also require certain supplies, such as a good WIFI connection, a computer and one of these monochrome printers. Otherwise, you may not be able to complete specific tasks correctly.
Am I able to concentrate well?
One of the most challenging parts of working from home is that it’s difficult to stay motivated. If you can’t concentrate, it’s easy to leave all of your work until the last minute.
Some people are better at managing this than others, but it’s certainly something that you need to consider. If you can’t stay focused, you’re not going to generate a liveable income.
What hours am I available?
Yes, one of the main advantages of remote work is creating your own schedule. However, you still need to pay attention to how many hours you are available. If you are employed by a company, they may require that you are active for a certain amount of time each day. You also want to be confident that you can complete your tasks on time.
Will my work and life balance be healthy?
Finally, the last question you need to ask yourself is whether or not you believe your work life balance will be healthy. While staying at home allows you to see your family more, it doesn’t necessarily mean that you’ll have a great balance. You could find that you need to take on a more significant workload when you’re part of a remote team, especially if the career change is reducing your income.
Final thoughtsÂ
And that’s it! By answering the above, you should now have a better understanding of whether or not working from home is suitable for you. If you’re speaking with your current employer about remote options, ask if it’s possible to do a few days first until you can be sure you can handle it.