working from home

I bet you didn't know I won the lottery.

Unfortunately, not the Mega Millions or the Power Ball, but the lottery my company had last year when names were drawn to select employees to work from home four days a week. 
Sorry to disappoint! :)

More and more companies are offering this benefit and I was pretty stoked when mine started piloting a "hoteling" program a few years ago. (Hoteling for us means working four days at home and one day in the office.)  There had been a few rounds of selecting folks for participation but time after time I didn't get picked.
I didn't mind too much because my commute wasn't horrible and I was still a little nervous about distancing myself from the corporate office world at a somewhat young age. My reason for applying was strategic in the fact that I know we want to move and the commute will become an issue, simply because I can't imagine being in the car for an hour before I start the work day and at least that on the way home. My road rage will surely set in so it's best for the Pittsburgh parkway commuters.

I realize working from home isn't for everyone, especially four days a week.
Whenever I tell people that I work from home, I get mixed responses...

"Oh, must be nice!" (incinuating I sit around and eat bon-bons all day in a pink fluffy robe)
"Ugh, I could never do that, I need to be around people" (really? some days I hate people?!)
"Do you stay in your pajamas all day?" (No, but there are days I may not brush my teeth or comb my hair until 5pm, don't judge!)

I started my transition to my "home office" last May, so I've been hoteling for just about six months now. At first, saying goodbye to a cubicle that felt like home for many years was pretty tough... (kidding!).

Surprisingly the switch went pretty smooth for me. Being an IT Project Manager for a company that has offices all over the country, I was used to working with people remotely and rarely face to face. When I was in the office I was typically glued to my computer and telephone, always on conference calls and web meetings working together virtually. 
The same thing is true at home.
There are still many people that probably don't even know I'm not in the office because it's appeared seamless to them. I feel just as productive, if not more. You'll notice that when you're at home you feel you need to make it a point to follow up with people more timely so they know you are there working and available.  My day to day work activities haven't really changed much except sometimes I have a dog laying on my lap. It's really bad when she starts snoring and people ask if I've fallen asleep on the phone!

This opportunity has allowed me to gain hours back to my day by not having to wake up earlier to get ready and commute back and forth. With this extra time I can squeeze in a longer work out or prep for dinner a little earlier, or get things done around the house that I would have previously waited until the weekend to do.

Some things I have learned while working at home...

• Move! By putting on my work out clothes first thing in the morning, I am more likely to exercise during lunch or at the end of day. It seemed like one of my biggest excuses after a day at the office was not wanting to get changed again!
• Don't snack when stressed! I was never one to hit up the vending machine at the office when times got stressful, but being at home makes the convenience of snacking so much easier. I tried hiding certain foods, limiting to snack size bags and just realized I can't buy it at all. Instead I'm trying to use it as an opportunity to have healthier snacks or lunches that I wouldn't typically pack for myself.
• Walk away! Having a room where I can close the door and walk away helps me to turn off from work mode. I used to work from a lap top at the kitchen table or the couch and it was very easy to feel like I constantly had to be logged on all the time.
• Pick up the phone! I make an effort to talk on the phone more with people. Even though I wasn't working with anyone face to face in the office often, I was still hearing the chatter of humans around me. At home it's pretty quiet so I make an effort to pick up the phone to talk to someone for work related stuff when I can rather than email or instant messaging.
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• Get out more! Getting out of the house does wonders, especially on nights when John has class and I've been by myself all day. I try to make a point of getting together with my girlfriends for dinner, taking Izzy to the park, or even just walking around Marshalls! (which usually results in several unnecessary purchases!) Some social interaction never hurt anyone!

There are certainly things I miss about the office atmosphere... but the one day a week I have to be there gives me the fix I need and makes me appreciate that I don't have to come back until the following week!