Working from home has many advantages that going into an office hasn’t. You don’t have to spend loads of time in traffic, travelling on public transport and waisting much of your day getting from A toB .
You can also enjoy the comfort of your own home and you don’t have to worry about office politics and working in an environment that might be unhealthy and disruptive. As we go from a manufacturing and farming society to an information community we become more flexible where and when to do business.
There is as with everything a downside to virtual working and that is we are not personally relating to others as home working can be very isolating. I have found a compromise which has helped me enormously. I split the difference by working in a coffee shop or cafe. This gets me into the presence of others and at the same time I can work on my own projects. I find just being around others even if I am not talking to them directly helps me concentrate. The chance to look at others from time to time getting on with their lives stops me becoming fatigued and bored with my own activities.
Coffee shops have become extremely popular in the UK and are largely replacing pubs as a place to mix with strangers at a superficial level. The reason I believe is that many of us like to work on their own but still need to see others going about their business whist not directly interrupting you in your enterprise.
Peter Bull ( Author Get In Touch Series )
