The Top 10 Reasons to Work from Home

Tired of the office rat race? Maybe it's time to think about working from home, at least occasionally.

You probably already know the pitch you can give your boss: You'll be more productive (no time wasted on commuting and fewer distractions); you'll save him money (less overhead); and you can be available earlier or later than usual.

But how about convincing yourself? If you're still on the fence about whether the home-office scenario would work for you, consider these 10 reasons working from home can be great. Thanks to Jonathan Mead, who tallied these 10 factors on Zen Habits.

1. Work anywhere. The world is your oyster. Work from your desk at home -- or from the park, the beach, or a ski cabin.

2. Complete control of your workspace. Forget the boring gray cubicles and break out the rock posters and bobbleheads!

3. Fewer distractions. Those nagging chores that'll inevitably bug you pale in comparison to the interruptions you endure in an office -- ringing phones, chatty co-workers, impromptu meetings...you get the idea.

4. Flexible time. You decide when you want to work and organize your blocks of time according to your own preferences.

5. More focus on results, not presence. If you're not gnashing your teeth about being stuck in the office -- and counting the minutes until quitting time -- you're more likely to care about the quality and contribution of your work.

6. More time with family. That flexibility in #4? That translates to working when the family is otherwise occupied, and playing with them a bit more often.

7. No dress code. Go ahead, work in sweatpants and an old T-shirt. No one will see you. And you'll be more comfortable.

8. Yoga at your desk. Feel like jumping into a Downward Dog to stretch out, or knocking out a few push-ups to get the blood flowing? Go for it. No chance of coworkers snickering as they walk by.

9. Less commute, less pollution. It's way, way greener to work at home. Plus, you're not wasting time getting to and from work. Roll out of bed, and two minutes later, you're there.

10. Work fewer hours. If you spend 8 hours a day at your office, how many of those are actually consumed with work? Chances are you're also slacking off a bit, but you're still required to be there for those 8 hours. By working from home, you'll get more efficient with your use of time.

What other reasons can you give for working at home? Post your ideas in the comments section.

(image by faster panda kill kill via Flickr, CC 2.0)