7 Unbearable Downsides of My Work From Home Job

Working remotely is often hailed as the ultimate work-life balance. No commute and the expenses that come with it; comfy clothes and supposedly, more freedom. However, as someone whose contract only requires me to be in office five days per month, I soon realized, there are some downsides to my hybrid work model. In this article, I explore some struggles of my work from home job.

1. Work From Home – Isolation

Working from home can decrease your physical social interactions and in return trigger feelings of isolation. Afterall, we are social ‘creatures’, we humans. Psychologist Susan Pinker notes that “…shaking hands, giving somebody a high-five is enough to release oxytocin, which increases your level of trust, and it lowers your cortisol levels, so it lowers your stress.”

Therefore, with no office chatter, no lunch break conversations, isolation surely creeps in. While silence and solitude can be refreshing, the lack of the physical human interaction can quietly eat away at your joy and motivation.

2. Skyrocketing Home Expenses

Notably, while working from home saves on transportation, lunch and clothing expenses, it still isn’t free. Electricity bills climb since devices need to be charged, sometimes the light may be necessary (for video meetings), depending on the temperature the fan/air conditioning unit etc. may be a need. So in some regards, what you save by being home, is spent by that very nature too.

3. Work From Home – Over Productivity is Real

I have witnessed first-hand that when you work from home, you actually take fewer breaks. There’s no quick walk to a co-worker’s desk or even the break room. I’ve caught myself working for hours straight, barely pausing. It’s easy to fall into the trap of over delivering to “prove” you are being productive and being a good steward of the time allotted to work.

4. Technology Glitches

At home, you seemingly assume the role of an IT (Information Technology) professional. I’ve had meetings disrupted by Wi-Fi drops (which varies significantly based on where home is) and software crashes that took hours to be resolved by the actual IT personnel. Sometimes, a delay as simple as VPN (virtual private network) connectivity and computer reboots can take away from the energy and productivity of the day. In circumstances such as these, frustration can creep in, especially when your performance depends on technology and connectivity that you can’t always control.

5. Visibility at Work Can Fade

Many persons laud the remote/hybrid work model for various reasons. I recall one onboarding session, when one colleague mentioned that he can get by quite fine speaking to no one for the duration of his time working at the company remotely. Another colleague noted that she doesn’t care much for the interactions.

For someone like me, who likes to communicate face-to-face and socialize physically, I care much about feeling visible at work and not just another employee behind the screen. It’s a bit easier to feel overlooked in this work model. Although companies put in place recognition systems and budget for physical engagements, you can still feel less connected to the brand and the mission.

6. Home Distractions

Make no mistake, home is not always a productive haven. It takes great discipline resisting the urge to weave household chores into your breaks which can sometimes go over time. Not only that, but a neighbour’s loud music, unexpected guests and even children and pets can pose as a distraction.

Unlike the structured office space with all the key figures, home requires you to be your own manager, your own cleaner and security guard and sometimes your own IT professional.

7. Harder to Take Sick Days or Time Off

Strangely, working from home can make it harder to rest. Feeling unwell? You might still log on and push through the work day because you are “already home.” This mindset may lead to fewer genuine breaks especially on days when you should be recovering. Overtime this can erode your well being.

Work From Home – Final thoughts

Working from home has amazing perks but the challenges are real and sometimes overwhelming. The key I suppose is being honest about the downsides, finding ways to maintain your social life outside of work and setting boundaries just the same.

In addition, it is crucial to assess where you are in life and whether, with the cons, this option may be best for you right now or not. With every stage of our lives, some tradeoffs are necessary. Oftentimes, the tradeoffs we made last year may not be the tradeoffs we make this year and vice versa,

Be true to your needs and desires and choose work that is dignified and good for you, in the final assessment.

Rooting For Growth with Fiona DaCosta