I’ve worked from home since 2009, well before the surge of remote work that occurred during the pandemic.

Over the years, I’ve learned so much–not only professionally, but about myself, setting limits, and much much more. As a homeschooling mom, I freelanced and wrote articles and reviews here and there before taking on a remote job. Landing my first remote editorial job all those years ago while still homeschooling was a huge blessing for me professionally (and for my pocketbook!), but it also required a shift in my daily schedule.

Along the way, I’ve learned some valuable lessons about the realities of working from home that I think are worth sharing.

Boundaries Are Key

While one of the beauties of working from home is that you’re home, it’s easy to let work time bleed into your home life and vice versa to the point where no one–neither your family nor your employer–is really getting the best of you.

While the benefit of this arrangement is the flexibility, the downside is that you’re never really away from work. I’ve gotten better at shutting off my laptop and letting family time be family time, but it took me some time (and tears!) to get there.

It’s still a constant temptation to be on top of work, even during off-hours. Now, when I’ve clocked out of work and see an email pop up on my phone, I ask myself, “Can this wait until tomorrow?” Sometimes, the answer is no, and my family understands that, too!

You’re Really Working

It’s a real job. This might seem obvious, but when I first began working remotely, one of the challenges I faced was saying no to other activities or declining when asked to volunteer… and not feeling guilty about it. Some people didn’t seem to understand that if I had 30 hours of work still to finish that week, taking a couple of hours to meet for lunch or work at a daytime volunteer opportunity didn’t mean the work wasn’t there anymore. It just meant I would be doing it at 1 a.m. instead.

Yes, sometimes, that trade-off is worth it, and I’ll say yes occasionally if I plan ahead for such breaks, but when I make a regular habit of leaving work until later in the day, I get very behind…and crabby. Respecting my own schedule has become necessary. If I won’t, no one else will, either.

You Can’t Do It All

As much as I’d love to be a superhero who can juggle work and family life effortlessly, I’m not. And that’s okay. It’s all about finding that balance between work and everything else. When my four children were young, I personally could not have managed the schedule I ended up with when they were older–working from home so many hoursand homeschooling, as my husband was also often away with military service.

I am a firm believer in the concept of “seasons of life,” and have truly seen this play out in my own life. Now that I’m an empty-nester, I’m still learning to manage all the different roles I fill: editor, writer, Gigi who watches a grandbaby part time, along with all the other things like exercising, free time… and sleep!

Just know that there is a trade-off. Saying yes to one thing means likely saying no to something else, even if that something else is leisure or sleep!

Grateful for a Flexible Job

I’m beyond grateful that I had the opportunity to work from home and be there for my family.

I am also grateful for professional opportunities that became part of the fabric of our family lives. My children watched me pursue my dreams, attend professional conferences and events, tweak my schedule, reassess when overwhelmed, and celebrate when something great happened. I suppose they’ve seen real life. Not picture-perfect, but a perpetual work in progress!

Common Pitfalls of Working from Home

1. No set workspace.

Working with your laptop on the couch might seem cozy (and more power to you if that floats your boat), but it’s not always the most productive atmosphere for me. If that’s how you are too, I recommend a designated workspace, even a small table set up in a corner of your living room. It can make a world of difference to your mindset, focus, and productivity.

A big turning point for me came when my husband bought me a desk as a surprise. Before that, I would write in snatches here and there with my laptop perched on my lap. Now, that works sometimes, too, but there was something about having my desk, editing manuals, and the writing course I was enrolled in at the time set up that served as a reminder to me and my children that when I was at my desk, I was working.

2. Not having set work hours.

Part of the beauty of working from home is its flexibility. When I was a homeschooling mom, the demands of certain days and weeks were often downright unpredictable. But whether homeschooling or getting distracted by other household tasks (or let’s be honest, the temptation to scroll my phone), I can flex so far that work gets procrastinated, and I find myself pushing to meet a deadline in the wee hours.

I find it best to have set hours for tackling email and any urgent issues first thing in the morning, the next chunk of time to work on my writing projects, and then moving on to the content editing work I’ve done for the last 17 years.

Determine the schedule that works best for you, then stick with it as best you can so you at least have a norm to return to. This also lets neighbors and friends know when you’re busy with work! I know some moms with young children who hire a “mommy’s helper” for a set number of hours per week to allow for blocks of quiet time to work.

3. Not being flexible enough.

I know this sounds like I’m contradicting myself, and if you have figured out this fine balance, please let me know! But I need to be reminded that I do have a flexible schedule. I can get so task-oriented. But sometimes, answering another email or working on an edit can be set aside for a few moments if needed. And that is one reason I love working from home!

4. Working too much.

We tend to think of a workaholic as someone who stays late at the office and brings work home–someone never truly off work. However, this seems to be a common problem among my work-at-home friends. It can be difficult to unplug and walk away from work when it’s always right there waiting, or your phone is blowing up with emails and texts.

There comes a point each day when I close my laptop, roll my chair under my desk, and know that there will be tomorrow. It is imperative to rest and have downtime and not always be on. 

5. Neglecting real relationships.

When you work remotely, you may interact with clients or coworkers online for hours each day, and you can be as mentally exhausted from the interaction as you would be if you were sitting in a workplace.

However, I’ve learned that there is still a need for real-life relationships. Becoming a hermit can be easy, especially if you’re already prone to being more introverted. Set aside time for your friends and family, along with your own interests, too.

Do you work from home? What have you learned in the process?

Main image from Pexels.