I just finished up my first month of working with Bluespark. As somebody who has always had a job that I had to go to, it’s been quite a transition.
My favorite part about working from home is the fact that I get to spend more time with my two crazy dogs, Gambit and Loki. I get to take them on midday walks, get up and snuggle with them on breaks, and toss a ball for them if I need to step away from the computer for a few minutes. Not only is it easier to play with the dogs on breaks, I can also do a quick sweep of the kitchen, tidy up my bedroom, or some other quick house task in between tasks.
![](https://amwelles.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/jekyll/2017-02-13/gambit-on-bed.jpeg)
Another obvious benefit to working from home is the lack of commute. Instead of rushing to get to the car at a certain time, stressing about traffic, and then running from the parking lot to the office, my routine is about as stress-free as can be. I wake up, have coffee, take care of the dogs, tidy my bedroom, and then I’m ready for work. I do make a point to always get dressed (no working in my PJs) so it doesn’t feel like I’m slumming it up too bad.
Even though I occasionally get out of the house to have lunch, that usually only ends up being once a week. Compare that to the 4–5 days I was eating out when I worked downtown… and you can imagine how happy my wallet is about this new setup. I’m also eating better, since I don’t keep things like french fries and pizza stocked in the kitchen.
![](https://amwelles.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/jekyll/2017-02-13/garbage-bowl.jpeg)
One thing that I was doubtful of was my ability to focus. I’ve always done better separating work from home entirely, but I’ve actually found myself able to focus on single tasks for a longer amount of time this way. Sure, I still get pinged in chat occasionally, but it’s nothing compared to having somebody sitting right next to you popping their head up to ask a question every few minutes. I do find myself distracted if the house is messy, but that only encourages me to keep up with the housework so my productivity doesn’t take a hit.
With coworkers all around the world, it can be difficult to remember who is working when. Some of my coworkers are 5 hours ahead, others are 3 hours behind. Bluespark does have core hours (mornings in my timezone), which means I have to have all my ducks in a row before the European team signs off for the day.
All-in-all, the pros vastly outweigh the cons to working for a distributed, remote team. I can’t imagine going back to an office setting after having worked like this.