Work from home opportunity is often a distant dream of many parents who long to devote quality time to their children as well as their personal lives. However, many parents, especially mothers who opt to work from home find it difficult to manage their time and schedule while operating from the comfort of their homes. Many of them end up feeling distracted and frustrated by the time their day comes to an end.
Here, discover whether work from home option is a boon or bane and what’s the right way out.
Picture this:-You wake up late in the morning at around 8-8.30 a.m., unlike 6 ‘o’ clock on other days when you have to rush to your office after preparing breakfast for the family, packing tiffin for your kids as well as lunch for your husband and yourself. On any given workday or weekday, there’s always so much to accomplish that you long for days when you could work from home and not rush through your day. All you want is to feel relaxed, pamper your kids, spend time with your family and still perform your official duties without getting interrupted.
Does that sound like a dream to you or do you think you are better off working from your office?
Well, let’s start by understanding that the work from home option isn’t meant for everyone. In fact, it is one of the most difficult things to opt for, particularly if you wish to keep your professional and personal life separate from each other. In other words, ‘work from home’ facility comes with its own pros and cons.
As for the pros, we already know that there’s no need for you to perform your daily tasks in haste. You can afford to wake up a little later than your usual timing, work at your own pace, enjoy hot & home cooked food and above all spend much time with your loved ones while still working on your projects and making official calls every day.
But, here’s the catch! There are many cons or disadvantages of working from home as well. Read on to find some issues that women, who either choose to work as freelancers or even those who opt to work from home on certain days, experience.
Difficulty in Striking a Balance: Although it may sound cool and exciting, mothers who choose to operate from their homes often face difficulty in striking a balance between their professional work and personal lives. It puts them in an awkward situation where they end up tending to their kids and other family members as well as stretching their work schedule on a daily basis. As a result, many women feel that they end up working throughout the day.
Distracted and Frustrated:
Even when you have the elderly or house help to look after your kids at home, coping with distractions is a huge challenge for women who work from home. Remember, keeping your room’s or office’s door closed at home is no solution because your motherly instinct may arise, urging you to comfort your child before you attend to anything else.
Negative Impact on Career Growth & Advancement
Many mothers who work as freelancers admit to the fact that working from home often hinder their chances of career growth, advancement and promotion. They end up working on low cost projects or lesser responsibilities as compared to what they would have been assigned had they chosen to work from office.
No Quality Time for Kids or Family: Unlike the popular perception work from home mothers are unable to spend quality time with their kids or loved ones. On most of the occasions, they face interruptions from their children or other members of the family. As a result, they are unable to focus all their attention to work. On the other hand, mothers also find it challenging to spend enough time with everyone in the family cannot always be available.
Binge Eating: Many mothers are tempted to indulge in excessive snacking and binge eating while working from home. This often results in unhealthy eating habits and weight gain, something that you may not prefer, especially if you are concerned about your health& fitness.
To sum up, if you think that work from home is a feasible option for you then go ahead and establish your career as a freelancer. On the flip side, if you want to keep your personal and professional lives separate from each other then make sure that you get enough help at home.
– Travelrasoi