Working at home does have some advantages but there are many pitfalls to avoid as well. We all want to imagine that it is a life of leisure but that could not be further from the truth. There are a lot of common pitfalls you must avoid to create a happy and healthy work environment.

So if you are anything like me, you’ve ditched the 9 to 5 office job. That means you are working from the comfort of your own home. So what image do you conjure up? Quietly sitting in your home office with tons of time to work? Writing in a coffee shop without a care in the world? Those are all nice and dandy but a far cry from the truth.

For me, it meant that everything I pushed aside while struggling to go to work was now looking me straight in the face. The closet that was a nightmare to organize began to call me like a siren in the night. Surely it would not take long to straighten out. Wrong!

A month later, I completely re-organized, re-shelved and re-imagined the whole thing. I felt happy until another long forgotten room begins to divert my attention. You know what, it stuck out my whole motivation to write and work.

I know I am not alone. The little things add up and can derail your whole business, But don’t let that happen to you. With a few easy steps, you can avoid the common work at home pitfalls.

Common Work at Home Pitfalls

1. Distractions

Distractions are everywhere! Your kids (or pets) look at you for comfort, playtime, food, etc. Your house will also sense a need to be cleaned. Never picked up a vacuum before? Well, start working at home and all of sudden you get an urge to become Little Miss Merry Homemaker. Hell, I baked some many pies, cookies, and cakes I can’t keep count.

Even working online can be a pitfall. In an office, you had to worry about the boss catching you on Facebook. Now your browser has 12 tabs opened to Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Youtube, etc. Today’s world is full of distractions and working at home people have to be extra vigilant to avoid them.

Distractions are like little vampires looking to stuck the motivation from you. For me, I felt a little guilty if I didn’t wash the dishes or put through a load of laundry. What gives right? I mean, I’m home all day. Well, a quick chore will often turn into an all-day project.

Solution:

You need a firm schedule. Man (or woman) up! Working from home requires a lot more concentration than the average office job. Remember now, you don’t have anyone telling you when you should be doing this or working on that. It’s all up to you. Now don’t panic! This lifestyle needs a little more planning than normal.

For me, I bought a large desk calendar and planned my workday the night before. I have scheduled a time to get up, time to eat and yes, even a time to clean. Yes, emergencies come up but creating and sticking to a schedule will help calm the distractions around you.

Most importantly, treat this like an actual job (because it is). Would you get away with goofing off at another workplace? Probably not! So why should the home office be any different?

2. Lack of Motivation

This is a biggie! Being your own boss has its advantages but can lead to a motivational drain like no other. For one, you don’t have to answer to anyone above you (except a customer). So it’s easy to let laziness deviate you from working.

This one was huge for me while I was battling depression because that disease basically sucks all motivation out of you. Maybe one day you wake up and don’t feel like turning on the computer. You’re working at home and no one is going to know you sat in your PJs watching 6 straight hours of Miami Vice reruns (not that that has ever happened). What can be done today can easily be put off tomorrow? Wrong! Don’t fall into the

Solution:

Treat your day like an office workday. Schedule, schedule, schedule. Create deadlines and stick to them. It may not have the feel of a traditional business environment but your customers don’t want to hear that. Putting things off because of lack of motivation will only hurt you in the long run. No one wants to be sitting at their desk panicking that three or four projects are now due at once. Get a handle on it early. Sometimes you will have to push through. I usually keep a picture or memento of something important to me (usually a picture of a beach). When I feel the motivation slipping, I look at that and remind myself this is how I make my living. Being self-motivated is hard but the rewards are all yours in the end.

3. Multitasking

Working at work means you are a jack of all trades. And if you are a freelancer, you feel this especially hard. Remember you are your own business. In my case, being a writer is more than typing. It’s managing invoices, scheduling new clients and keeping my finances in order. Not to mention you are also constantly marketing and advertising for new customers. It can be a tad overwhelming. This often leads to a drain on my creative spirit (yes, I’m one of those people). Being the master of all trades is not an easy task.

Solution:

Sometimes you have to accept that you can’t do it all. There are a few sites online that offer virtual assistance help (Upwork is one that comes to mind). There is no shame in asking for help. If hiring someone is out of the budget, try to set aside one day or at least an hour of just invoice output or balancing the ledger. The simple steps will often help you avoid the piles of crap that need to be taken care of throughout the day.

4. Isolation

For the introvert like me, working at home seemed to be a dream. No stupid conversions about people’s weekend or hearing about fights between their kids. Complete peace and quiet! What could go wrong? You know what, I missed the social interaction and the mindless BS of the office. By nature, we are social animals. Sitting in front of a computer with no one to talk to can be lonely. You really don’t want to be a hermit only coming out to buy food and then quickly retreating back.

Solution:

There are plenty of Meetup groups out there. Find a passion outside of work and pursue it on your non-work days. For me, that meant photography. I joined a weekend group and we spend a Saturday swapping tips and tricks. It is fun and I have met a lot of great people.

Even joining a class at the gym will help you in more than one way. Not only are you getting healthy but also have a chance to socializing as well. There is nothing wrong with working hard but remember you have to live too.

5. Binge / Unhealthy Eating

No one thinks about it but it’s true. Remember going to the office with your little healthy lunch packed? On occasion, there would be a donut box or cake in the break room. It was easier to eat healthier and not be tempted by all the goodies. You were forced to limit the amount and types of food you consumed through the day. Now you are constantly surrounded by ALL THE GOODIES. One little cheat turns into a whole bag of tortilla chips gone in an afternoon. Staying at home now means access to everything.

Solution:

Create a healthy meal plan a week in advance. Plan breakfast, lunch, dinner, and snacks. And stick to it! If you can’t trust yourself, it may be time to ditch the treats altogether. You need to limit the types of unhealthy food you consume throughout the day. Nothing is worse than finding out you ate half of the stuff in the refrigerator and now are 30 pounds heavier.

Working from home sounds easy but it can quickly spiral out of control. You have to hold yourself accountable and maybe even at a higher level than in the “office life.” So with a few time and lifestyle management tips, you can get avoid the pitfalls of working at home.

How do you battle the work at home pitfalls? Let me know in the comments!