WHY Xtra: 5 Telecommuting Myths Debunked

1. "No schedules!" Au contraire! At-home workers may not have to punch a clock, but the onus is on them to chisel out blocks of their day for work or they risk getting nothing done.
2. "Too isolating!" Social media has helped take the lonely out of working from home, but successful telecommuters schedule regular face-to-faces with colleagues, clients and friends.
3. "No office politics!" Because they’re not at “an office,” telecommuters can have a hard time staying on their boss’ radar. Make periodic visits to your company office if you can, or schedule monthly conference calls with your boss or team leaders so that you can stay in the loop.
4. "I’ll gain so much weight!" Yes, the fridge is just a few steps away, but just as working from home is all about discipline, so is meal planning. Find ways to fight those cravings – make a bagged lunch, if that helps, and drink lots of water.
5. "No child care needed!" Whoever said this never experienced the stress of a conference call with a screaming child in the background. Although full-time daycare may not be necessary when you work from home, hiring a mother’s helper for an hour or two, and scheduling all your calls for that time period, is helpful when a SpongeBob DVD or box of cookies won’t do the trick.

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