If you are like a lot of other people these days, you’ve always wanted to work from home. But you certainly didn’t want anything like a pandemic to make it a reality. Now that you have the thing you always wanted, you are probably thinking that you should be more careful of what you wish for. Working from home is not at all like what was described in the brochure. You were supposed to have a lot more time during the day, a peaceful work environment, and a near-perfect work/life balance. What you ended up with was a lamentable mess.

Your kitchen table wasn’t made to be the perfect height for a computer. Your kitchen chairs are even more of a problem. No one thought they would need height-adjustable kitchen chairs that roll. Too late, you realized that nice little spot you could place a small table and laptop doesn’t have a plug. Also, that spot just so happens to be a wifi dead zone. Even after dealing with all that, you discover the real challenges associated with working from home. Here are just a few, and what you can do about them:

Hot flashes and Other Bodily Annoyances

Your body can be a real drag sometimes. It is often the source of your greatest distraction. You are typing along and making progress on a pile of spreadsheets that need some attention when, BOOM! You’re having a hot flash. Suddenly, the only thing you can think about is that burning sensation, and how you can get instant hot flash relief.

Hot flashes are nothing new. But they seem worse when you are at home by yourself and are able to cry and complain and curse without disturbing your coworkers. And that is not the only nasty little surprise your body has for you. That pain in your knee is going to hurt even worse. You are going to have to stop more often to deal with your RSI. These are all issues you had when you were in the office. But you didn’t take a break every 5 minutes to deal with them. Somehow, you just got on with it. When working from home, the temptation is to baby yourself and allow your bodily distractions to take you away from working. But just like in the office, you need to take your supplements and get on with it. Your misbehaving body is not the boss of you.

The 2 O’clock Slump

If you find yourself feeling drained by early afternoon, you are not alone. It is so common, it has a name. People simply call it the 2 o’clock slump. You are going to have to find effective tips for overcoming lethargy in the middle of your work day. When you are working from home, it can be worse than when you are working from an office. At home, you can just go to the next room, flop down on the bed and take a nap. That is not the sort of thing you can get away with at the office.

First, don’t eat such a big and satisfying lunch. That leads to a long and satisfying nap. Second, budget your breaks and spend them during that time of day. Get up, go outside, and walk around the block a couple of times. Finally, save a task that you know is easy to do. What you need is a win. Save those easy wins for the second-half of your day. Finish the last quarter strong.

Family Business

Work/life balance is not losing productivity due to your partner and kids interrupting you every few minutes to take care of family business. You are going to have to redefine work/life balance when working from home. Your family is your greatest asset in life, but your biggest distraction at work. You have to set boundaries. When you are at work, you are not to be disturbed. This is easier said than done. But it has to be done nonetheless.

The key thing to remember about working from home is that it is still working. The location is irrelevant. Wherever you work, don’t let your body, your energy, or your family keep you from doing the job that pays the rent. It is not as easy as it looks. But it is well worth it if you get it right.