Ashley Hanson

The Downsides to Being an Introvert and Working From Home When you’re an introverted person, freelancing and working in the comfort of your own home sounds like a dream. You don’t have to spend hours getting ready in the morning and worrying about how you look. You don’t have to interact with anyone face-to-face. You don’t have to make small talk with your coworkers or type and feel your boss hovering over your shoulder. Depending on the day, you may not even need to get out of bed. All you have to do is grab your tablet or laptop and plan out a productive day inside your home. However, working from home isn’t always a great idea for an introverted person. If you’re not careful, it can cause more problems than anything good. Sometimes, it can cause you to strain your mental health. When you work from home, you may not get the same levels of social interaction every day as you’d get if you were out working in an office, retail space, or in a customer service position. ​Right now?​ That probably sounds amazing, and I get it as an introvert myself. But, if you’re like me and you’re not the type of person to meet up with your friends after work or go out on the weekends, you could go weeks without any human interaction. It can quickly turn into months where you don’t leave your house except for appointments or to buy groceries. Yes, you still may have to communicate with other people for work, but it’s mostly over apps and email. This can create a startling disconnect. You may even start to feel lonely because you’re spending 99% of your time alone. You could even feel restless in the comfort of your own home because you never leave those four walls. Day in and day out, you’re in the exact same place. Working from home also makes it very easy to blur work and play, and it’s very easy to overwork yourself. It’s easy to keep working way past your traditional quitting time trying to finish just one more project or one more task. You’re supposed to be unwinding and turning your mind to other things, but you’re still working. When you work from home, it’s so easy to forget that your work life and your home life are supposed to be two separate entities. You’re not supposed to be on the clock 24/7. You’re supposed to have downtime and carve out breaks to relax and unwind. It’s easy to get very lazy with anything outside of your projects. Since you’re not going to see anyone or have a video chat, you might as well stay comfortable and stay in your pajamas. You may even find yourself neglecting self care. It’s not like anyone will see that you’re wearing the same clothes you were yesterday because you’re just answering emails or taking calls on the couch. You’re the only one who knows what is ​really going on with you. If you don’t care enough about you to make a point to take care of you ​for​ you, it’s going to turn into a huge problem. While it’s true that you may be more comfortable working from home, you could isolate yourself. You could find yourself spending too much time with your own thoughts, inside your home, doing your projects. If you are an introvert who works from home, or is considering working from home, take time for you. Don’t let your work overtake every aspect of your life, and make a point to get out around people once or twice a week. Striking a balance is the key to being happy, healthy, and fulfilled.