Will Working From Home Make You Happier?

Over the past 10 years, I have worked from home, at a traditional office and worked at a job that required a bit of both. Although each have their strong points, I will freely admit to be happier working from home. However, I don't think that it would be the best choice for everyone, as there are a few huge challenges and it requires a great deal of self-direction.



Recent research from The University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee show that people who telecommute or work from home at least three days a week are happier overall than people who work at traditional jobs. Although it was a small poll, it seems that there is a huge collaboration between high job satisfaction and self-managed work.



So, what are the benefits of working from home? Here are the main ones:



Decreased work-life conflict - Depending on how flexible your work-from-home schedule is, you can probably make an appointment in the middle of the day and just plan your workday around it. If you are sick, but still capable of working, you don't have to take a sick day to avoid spreading your germs to the rest of the office.



Not having to worry about what you wear - For some, this is a big bonus. Not having to put on a suit or pick out just the right power tie saves a lot of time, energy and money.



Lower commute time and fuel consumption - Working from home does give you the shortest commute possible. If you've ever spent 45 minutes or more, stuck in traffic, trying to get to work on time, then you know how much stress it can add to your workday.



Staying out of office politics - When you work from home, you don't have to spend time on small talk. In fact, you get a complete miss on office politics as a whole. There is no need to worry about what the person in the next cubicle thinks about your music or you.



Those are all really good reasons that working from home can make you happier. What's more, those are just the main things and, depending on your job, there may be tons of other really great perks. However, there are still some things that make working from home a little less rewarding. Here are a few:



Increased work-life stress - When you work from home, many people will assume that you don't actually do anything all day. You can tell by the way they say "It must be nice...", as though you were getting free paychecks for sitting on your couch. As a result, friends, relatives and even your children will interrupt or ask for your time without realizing that you are "at work". Since you're at home, it's tempting to step out and run errands, but that time adds up and can cause more work stress.



You miss office parties and luncheons - All of the networking events and workplace functions will become a thing of the past. Even if you are invited, you may not know any of your co-workers, which brings me to the next thing.



Lack of workplace friends and collaboration - When you work in the same office with someone, you're bound to get to know them. Then, when you are working on a project, asking them for help or input is a simple matter. Working from home makes it more challenging to collaborate with others and feel as though you are part of the team.



If you think that working from home is something that would be good for you, look for opportunities or discuss options with your boss to see if you could telecommute one or two days a week. This would give you a chance to try it out, before deciding what works best for you.