Do you like working from home?

[FauxFox]

I freelance from home because it's good for the family/kids etc and usually I don't mind it but every so often I get really down about it - I don't see clients, hardly ever call them, all communication is via email and it's just lonely.

I'm not good at self motivating and much prefer working in a team and having a boss to impress.

I am not in a position to get a job as part time work would pay less than I can earn flexibly from home and a full time job would not fit around family commitments.

Feel a bit trapped by it all tbh.

I love working from home for precisely the reasons you don't. Don't have to call people, don't have to answer to a boss. But I'm naturally a bit of a loner and I do have my husband working at home too.

I hear your Faux. I purposely book meetings and attending networking meetings to get out. I also volunteered to become a trustee of a charity as it would involve meetings/seeing people.

Can you ring clients instead of emailing sometimes? You might need to be proactive.

When I first started out I attended a few local women's networking meetings and I got the sense the main motivation of attending was to develop a support network rather than selling. Could you attend one of those?

I have also tried to build up a network of people I share some stuff with.

I also found a 'buddy' via this board.

I think you need to create the opportunities....

You're probably right Margo - I can't really call clients as the reason they like my work is that i'm proactive and don't need direction/support to generate the stuff they need. They are super busy and it's my job to reduce demands on their time really...

I have tried a few womens networking groups but didn't really like the ones I went to - people trying to sell me aloe vera etc and not really very 'upbeat'...I should probably try and find another one...

I do volunteer with a charity one evening a week and after school/weekends etc are fine it's just my job. I don't mind being on my own but there is no team, no colleagues, no social reward or place in a structure and I find it hard.

I should stop moaning really - am so lucky to be able to make money from home and do all the pick ups etc for the kids. sigh.

Faux but I think the fact we are meant to feel like we have 'won the lottery'/'found the Holy Grail' of a flexible well paid employment 'solution' is also part of the problem. Lots of people assume how flexible and thus wonderful it is. Yes it can be, but I also give up evenings & weekends and get up at 5am to work, it is feast or famine and it is lonely...

You sound stuck in a rut. A quick solution is to find a better suited networking meeting assuming there are enough running in your area. Meetup.com is good but tends to be big City focused. I am in London and it is good for here.

I know some of the ladies gatherings can be a bit 'life coach/aloe vera' etc. Are there any gatherings for your profession rather than based on where you live?

What sort of work do you do? I have joined a charity comms freelancers FB group and someone on there kindly organised a get together, so online can go offline.

There is another thread running about procrastination. I suffer too. I try to focus on one client at a time (turning off email and MN), then have a break, then do more client work and then have a break etc.

Are there any development projects you want to do that you could do a little of each day? Write an ebook etc? Update website copy, add LinkedIn contacts etc...?

Most of the time I love it, but there are times I definitely feel like you OP. That's part of the reason why I come on Mumsnet - to connect with people!

I think you have to try and build a small element of social interaction into each day - even if that's as simple as going to the post office.

Thanks Margo and Bram - i will be glad of the flexibility again come the summer holidays in a couple of weeks i'm sure!

Yes, I feel the exact same. And people don't seem to realise there are downsides to working from home as well.
It can be really isolating and I do really need to make more of an effort to speak to actual humans!
All my work is online/virtual based and I only have one client!
I do appreciate how great I have it, but it really can suck sometimes as well

After 4 years of working from home have had enough - have downscaled current job to 2 days and have taken another job for 3 days a week. I was so excited when I discovered I got it. My first thought was "Christmas Party", closely followed by "I won't be able to wear jeans every day".

I hear you OP. I work from home and I find it particularly hard in the winter. In the summer I can work with the doors open and listen to the birds singing. But I so miss the atmosphere of working in an office, I spent years working in a great industry - very sociable, laid back but professional - ultimately great fun!

With the arrival of children of course my priorities changed and becoming freelance and working from home was revolutionary after over 6 years of manic drop offs / pick ups and followed by a 1.5 hour commute. Hideous.

So yes this is preferable but it still doesn't make the days go any faster...I just wish I could have a bit of a chat with someone to break up the day rather than spending far too much time on MN and kidding myself that I'm actually working!

I life be it but I spend a lot of time on the phone at the mall meet so I get plenty of contact that way. Plus I speak to people at school twice a day on the school run and do activities/take the kids to things where I get contact too. All that and busy weekends means that sometimes I just want to be completely on my own and and quiet (sorry DH)
If I had to spend every day in an office with the same people I would go nuts!!

I love it and I spend a lot of time on the phone at the moment- no mall meets!!!!
Need an edit button

I love it! I do spend a lot of time on email and Skype - most of my work involves communicating with people in other countries and it works well. Love the flexibility that comes from self-employment - although having emerged from full-time plus hours from April-June, I'm grateful to have slightly less on at the moment.

I feel the same as you op....it is great for so many reasons but is isolating and can be hard to motivate myself....

Plus no one believes I actually work!! Lots of school mums think I don't as I can turn up for all the events...they don't realise I will be at the kitchen table all evening catching up!!

Glad it's not just me...feels so rude to be unsatisfied when i'm so lucky to have this situation really