In the quest to achieve that elusive life-work balance, more people than ever are pretending to work from home. Pretending to work from home saves you travel time, lessens commuting-related costs, and allows you to focus on not working without the distraction of co-workers who are possibly working. Before you negotiate transitioning from working at the office to pretending to work from home, consider carefully whether it’s the right choice for you.
Can you multitask on non-work related tasks?
Pretending to work from home gives you lots of time to do chores at home. Can you hang up the washing while also sorting through old mail, while occasionally Gchatting your coworker that the report is “coming along”? Are you prepared to book flights for your summer vacay while also watching reruns of Malcolm In The Middle? There really is no end to the life admin you can get done while supposedly working from home, so consider whether you’re ready to take on the pretend workload.
Can you take the initiative in avoiding work?
Without your boss around to catch you re-gramming hilarious foreign shop signs, you’ll need to take the initiative in minimizing your work output. Set achievable goals for website browsing, online shopping, and social media updates. It’s easy to become overwhelmed by the size of the internet, but try to stay calm—pretending to work from home will allow you to explore it all.
Can you sound awake even when you’re sort of napping?
The best thing about pretending to work from home is catching up on all the sleep you miss when you’re at the office. You can sleep in late and nap after each meal and snack, but if someone from work calls, you’ll need to sound wide-awake. Keep a glass of water nearby in case your siesta is interrupted by a call from your boss, and talk a lot louder and more animatedly than you ever would naturally. They’ll never know!
Can you commit to snacking all day long, even if you aren’t hungry?
There’s a lot of food in your kitchen, and you’ll need to eat as much of it as possible every day now that you’re working from home. No one is there to see you cut your fifth slice of cheese before midday, so you’ll need to actively commit to getting through the whole. Ditto that box of cookies. And that bag of chips. And no, it doesn’t matter if you’re not really hungry; that’s no reason to stop snacking. You eat from home now!
Can you spend the whole day neither working nor at home?
Pretending to work from home is ideal for those who have somewhere else to be than at the office or at home. Do you have a family wedding but no holiday days left? Do you have a job interview but can’t afford to take another fake sick day? Is your friend in town for one day only and you just kind of want to go to the mall with her? Simply “work from home”! Pretending to work from home is most challenging when you’re not even at home pretending to work, so this one is only for the true pros.
Pretending to work from home can kick-start both the beginning and end of your career. Don’t rush into it unless you’re sure you have the skills to handle the daily targets you won’t be setting for yourself. And if it doesn’t work out, don’t worry—you can always pretend to look for a new job!
