Working From Home

Working from home is the healthiest job there is.

Ah, working from home. The aroma of coffee brewing in the morning. The scent of a freshly mown lawn drifting in through the open windows.  The smell of BO because I haven't taken a shower yet!  There is nothing that could beat rolling out of bed into comfortable sweat pants, rolling up to my computer in my ergonomically supportive desk chair, and rolling into my work day without the hassle of a harried morning routine.

Here's what I lost when I joined a company with a "virtual workforce":  waking to the sound of the alarm clock in a panic; showering, fixing hair and makeup, agonizing over which clothes to wear; gulping hot coffee and scalding my tongue as I juggled briefcase and coat and all the other junk I needed for my day; practicing the new urban slang vocabulary I overheard from my frat-boy sons while jockeying for the best position at the traffic lights; and inhaling diesel fumes twice a day, five days a week, fifty or so weeks a year.

Here is how my morning starts now: I stretch. I look out the window to check the weather.  Grab those sweatpants and throw my hair into a ponytail. Brew a pot of coffee and walk the dog, smiling at the kiddies on the bus stop, bending to pick up the paper, stretching once again. Turn on the PC and check the weather (officially), snoop on facebook and the Yahoo home page, and decide it's time to get serious about my day.

Sure, stress still happens. I might stub my toe, or find dirty dishes piled up in the kitchen sink. I do actually have to work, which can certainly be stressful depending on the assignment of the day and the team working with me. I have deadlines to meet, challenges to face, meetings to attend, so yes, I do have pressure in my day. But the great thing is, I have means to tackle that tension that I might not have at the office.  And, I have started my morning in a calm and controlled manner, so odds are, I can handle the annoyances that come along in a given day.

I find that I exercise more now that I work from home. During the drab winter months, I slip in a yoga DVD or do Pilates when my schedule permits.  Sometimes it's an evening run in the spring, or an early morning bike ride in the summer. Fall is the perfect time for a lunch time power walk.  For those of you who enjoy machines, a trip to the local YMCA might be in order, or maybe a spin class at the gym or laps in the pool are more your style.  Regardless, those of us fortunate enough to work from home can pick the time, the place and the activities that keep our hearts strong and blood pressure low.

And food, glorious food! I have control over everything that goes into my gullet, and while I do admit to the occasional handful of potato chips or brightly colored candies, I more often than not choose fruit, salad, or last night's leftovers for my lunch. I control the portions that I select. I am not subject to the whims of a hair-netted cafeteria worker for the amount of food on my plate, and I don't have to wonder what the ingredients are in "Friday's Casserole" (as if I couldn't reflect on Monday's through Thursday's offerings and come up with a pretty good idea). I don't have to watch in horror as the local sandwich guy slathers gobs of mayo on my turkey sandwich, or watch a pimply teenager wearing plastic gloves stack questionable sandwich meat on a white bread roll. I can choose low-fat salad dressings, filtered water and whole grain crackers if I so desire. The sky - or at least my pantry - is the limit. Best of all, I save boatloads of money on a daily basis. That is great for my stress level as well.

So, while I do have to put up with some seriously bad breath from my constant companion (the dog), I get unconditional love day in and day out, along with company every time I go to the loo or the mailbox. I get to run to the school to drop off the forgotten lunch or gym clothes or the page that got left in the printer.  I get to work at 6 a.m. or 11 p.m. as it suits me, which takes great advantage of my cycles of productivity. I can watch my kid play volleyball or take that nap if I really need to.  All in all, tremendous stress reducers for me, and what could be better than that?

Bottom line, working from home has had tremendous impact on my health and well-being. I wouldn't trade it for the world, and I send appreciation out to my bosses who support this approach to the modern work day.  Ok, the dog is barking, so time for my walk.  Then maybe a nap.  And THEN I am going to kick butt on that power point presentation.

by Liz Leyh D'Addario