Those of us who telecommute now and then usually enjoy escaping from the office, if only to free ourselves from workplace distractions and the mind-numbing commute for just a day. Yet many of us telework regularly, sometimes daily. What happens after the bloom fades, when the initial exhilaration of working from home becomes routine and tedious, or when we lose productivity? Telecommuting, despite its many advantages, has pitfalls that can make working from home feel less of an asset and more of a liability.
So how does one deal with the downsides of working offsite? Let’s look at three problem areas associated with telecommuting and ways you can avoid being victimized by them:
Trouble with time management
Making the most of our time is a challenge for all employees; however, telecommuters are faced with particular time-related challenges that can easily become problematic. In most cases, we’re in our chair at the start of our colleagues’ workday—online, accessible by phone, and engaged in company business. But unlike them, we live in our work space. 
Our commute involves walking from one room to another, making it all too easy to be plugged in while our coworkers are still in bed or gridlocked on the freeway.
Telecommuters often work odd hours according to necessity and personal preferences. Consequently, we can get into the habit of addressing job-related tasks before 9 a.m. and after 5 p.m. Not only does this result in an unhealthy work-life balance, it can cause our coworkers to assume we are available outside of normal business hours, which can lead to more work being funneled to us when we should be enjoying our downtime.
You can avoid this pitfall by setting limits. Avoid your home office outside of work hours. Use the commute time you save at the beginning and end of day by spending time with your family, enjoying coffee on the deck, reading, walking, doing yoga. You time. Treat your personal time with the same industry and respect that you give to your work. You’ll be more refreshed and better able to engage your professional responsibilities when the time comes.
No man (or woman) is an island
Many telecommuters work in isolation, by circumstance or design. If there are other family members, they’re usually at work or in school during your work day; if not, they’re probably separated from you in another room, ideally behind the door of your home office. 
Even if you are not alone during work hours, you are still isolated from the workplace society. Fortunately, there are ways to stay connected with the social and professional world.
Video conferencing tools such as iMeet enable real-time face-to-face interactions with colleagues, whether they are two miles or half a world away. You can attend meetings that you might otherwise miss, engage in brainstorming sessions, and ask and answer questions on the fly.
Nevertheless, visiting the office in person now and then can ensure that you remain physically connected to the workplace. Your occasional presence will not only strengthen your bond with coworkers and bosses, it will encourage both you and them to maintain your connection. Arrange for lunch with some of your favorite coworkers, the ones you miss the most. Pop in now and then just to say hello and to soak up the ambiance. Even a short visit can restore the connection.
Another option is joining a professional group that promotes your interests. New people mean new contacts. Such groups often offer lunchtime meetings. Mix and mingle, exchange knowledge, and be a part of something new; it just might open doors, and it will certainly provide a beneficial escape from the solitude of your home office.
Also remember that telecommuters are entitled to a lunch break. Whenever you can, spend it doing fun and creative activities. Go shopping. Ride your bike around the neighborhood. Eat a sandwich while watching TV. The point is to refresh yourself and revitalize your spirit. You deserve it, and such activities will provide pleasant, invigorating energy when you return to your workspace.
Stress surrounds us
In a nutshell, stress is the byproduct of modern life, and one of its favorite feeding grounds is the workplace. Telecommuters are not immune. In fact, given their isolation and temptation to work more than they should, teleworkers are arguably more vulnerable than their in-office counterparts. 
The best way to avoid the detrimental effects of stress is to deal with it before it hurts you; we can usually tell when we’ve pushed ourselves too far. There are many remedies, but one of the best is to disengage periodically from the source of your stress. Take a break: walk around the block, fold clothes, call a friend, play a video game. Focus on breaking the stress cycle . . . and r-e-l-a-x. Even a seemingly innocuous activity like making yourself a cup of tea or opening the mail can refresh you, clear your head, and afford you new perspectives when you sit back down at your desk.
Anyone who commutes for any length of time has encountered one or more of these particular pitfalls. The average job has many to offer, and they come in many disguises. The key is awareness, your ability to recognize when you have entered your discomfort zone. Unless you take some action to ameliorate the common pitfalls of working from home, you will find that they soon become your norm. You can avoid many issues that are inherent to telecommuting by being circumspect and attentive. Doing so will not only increase your personal satisfaction, it will make you a more efficient, more satisfied employee.
Tell us here at the PGiGreen blog: what kinds of challenges have you faced as a telecommuter and how have you dealt with and hopefully overcome these challenges? What advice would you offer teleworking newbies as they enter this new work habit?
