I agree with just about everything eyoungren said.
I think that Working from Home is fantastic if you can make it work, but it does take some planning & Effort to make it successful. I wouldn't change it for anything, but it's definitely not for everyone.
One thing I wish I would have done sooner is buy a larger monitor. I was using my two work supplied monitors and it worked fine, but it is so much nicer to have one very large 34" monitor. That was a big help.
The first month or so I had things set up at the kitchen table and was breaking it down on weekends. That wasn't going to work long term as my wife objected, so I switched to using my own apps on my own computer.
My wife ceded a certain part of the living room to my computers some time in 2016 or so. This is where my setup is. Pre-kids, she had her room, I had mine and we both had the master bedroom together (we've always rented homes since getting married in 1997). But when two kids came along (2003 and 2008) that meant both of us giving that up - which meant the garage for me. But the garage is not conducive during Phoenix, AZ summers. Hence, her ceding part of the living room.
That worked fine, until things with apps went wonky at work. That forced me back to the work laptop - which meant the kitchen again. Yet again, not a long term solution.
Ultimately I decided on a KVM switch. But the purchase of two 30" Apple Cinema Displays (for my own Mac) necessitated finding a dual link KVM and two Apple adapters so the work MBP could drive those 30" monitors (via the KVM switch).
One of the 30"s was a local pickup from craigslist for $100 and the other was around $300 off eBay. My own MacPro is hooked up to six displays so I also took the opportunity to get two 24" Cinema Displays for about $150 each. The work MBP can't use those.
It's funny what you find. Apparently the 2012 MBP will drive two 30" CDs AND a third display (assuming clamshell mode), but a 2015 MBP (which is my work Mac) will NOT. The '15 will only drive the two 30" CDs and it's own internal display OR just two 30" CDs in clamshell mode.
So…all this was my own money, but it benefits me and makes working easier. The work Mac sits out of the way in clamshell mode 100% of the time and there's no intrusion into my space.
I'd also splurge on a better internet package/provider if you need it. I have Spectrum and they have been great overall. I did try a step up from their basic package, but in the end it offered no benefit over their basic package, once VPN speeds were factored in, so I cancelled it, but if you find yourself getting disconnected frequently or people have trouble hearing you over weber or whatever, invest a little to make it better.
We've been with our ISP since 2003 and when we bought our first home in 2018 I upgraded to Gigabit speeds because I was upgrading my home network to Gig-E at the same time. So, when I started working from home I already had the top tier. Since we get cable TV with our ISP we get a reduced price because of bundling.
But once I actually started working from home I sprang for the unlimited data my ISP offers. That's another $50 a month, but the overage fees are insane. Considering I routinely average around 1.2TB of data a month this is a cost I am willing to bear.
One huge thing is an office chair. You're going to be sitting in it for 8+ hours a day, make sure that you get a good one. You don't need to spend $1,000 on a chair, but don't buy a $49 big box store special. I guess that leads into ergonomics. Make sure that your desk, chair, monitor, etc are all comfortable to use for extended periods of time. A small pain in your neck, wrist, back, etc will become a huge pain over time. Eliminate any pain point as soon as you feel it.
I did this in April last year. After working with my own Mickey Mouse setup, I got a large dining table from the local furniture store and a gaming chair. I don't game, but the chair was comfortable and there were no desks large enough (to be inexpensive enough) to support everything I've got going.
Outside of work this is MY space and I spend almost every waking hour sitting there.
Another thing for me is to have a separate room for an office. Obviously this isn't practical for everyone, but it's super helpful if you can swing it. You have a quiet place to work undistracted, it's easier on conference calls to be able to close the door, and you can leave your work behind at the end of the night. That's not as easy to do if your office is against the wall in the living room.
If you live with others, it's important to set expectations early that you are still working. Just because you're home doens't mean you can continuously help out. Obviously there is some flexibility there, but you need to be careful that you don't forget you're getting paid to work (unless you're freelancing or consulting or something like that).
I'm in the living room as I mentioned. It'd be nice to have an office, but see above (kids). That said, I'm used to tuning out distractions and focusing on what I'm doing. The TV is always on for background noise, etc. Doesn't really bother me except when I'm doing something of my own and am interrupted.
My kids are 14 and 18 so they can fend for themselves and they don't usually interrupt. My wife knows my schedule so keeps mainly to herself even when downstairs. That said, all three are only in the house during my work hours in the summer.
And the flip side of that, make sure that you keep work and life boundaries. (Another reason for the office with a door you can close). It's great to work from home, but it's also super easy to hop on and check email at all hours. Don't let it take over your personal life too. There are times when work is busy & it's ok to work a lot then, but if you're working all the time, all the time, then there is something wrong.
I was told that the Mac I was issued was mine to use as I wished. I take that to heart and I work the way I always have. Which is moments of work interrupted by small moments of forum use and internet browsing.
I clock in on time and out on time and that's all my employer gets (barring a real emergency). Once I switch back to my own Mac (on the KVM switch) I am DONE.
I've found that I'm still really engaged with my team at work, but it's much harder to have wider ranging contacts. You will pass people fro mother departments in the halls at work & get to know them & say Hi. But when you're remote, you tend to only interact with people you work with. Those spontaneous connections definitely get lost.
Be realistic with yourself. If you're not self-motivated, definitely put some barriers in place to allow you to work at a high level. Being in the office builds in some barriers automatically, but at home, it's much easier to slack if you aren't intentional about work. (move your computer out of the bedroom and away from the TV, put away distractions, etc)
A lot depends on the specifics of your situation, but if you are working remotely but close to others, try to schedule lunches or dinners occasionally. I have a group of co-workers that I go out to lunch with once a month, and some others that I meet with quarterly. That has really helped to keep me socialized. Freindships are (or can be) a big part of work, and are probably the one thing I miss about going into the office (not enough to go back in, but definitely noticeable).
For me, there's really no one to socialize with as I explained in my first post. I seem to have always been working (professionally) for small companies where what I do is an even smaller niche. In my current job I was only in the office (in the back room) for less than a year before the pandemic hit.
So, I just keep up with my own people.
This is probably a personal thing for me, and maybe not good advice for others, but I bought an extra phone to use for work. An iPod, old deactivated phone or an iPad would also work. I just find that there are times that I need to check my work calendar or email or whatever & it's much easier to turn on the phone, than to fire up the laptop. I also find it a lot easier to turn it back off. With my work computer, I end up getting sucked back into work, where I don't with the phone. But I don't keep my work data on my personal phone, or else it's always there, and it's hard to avoid work. You could be on a long weekend, hanging out with friend, then go to use your phone to order an Uber, then you see the red circle that you have a work email, and it takes you right back to work. Better to keep those separate (at least in my book).
Both my primary phone and my secondary phone have my work email and Google Chat. I find it easier on my nerves to know what may or may not be coming over a weekend and I only respond after hours if there is a need or it's a true emergency.
Emergencies are rare. I assemble the art and components for golf scorecards and yardage books. I don't deal with external customers (the reps are the buffer between me and them). So it works out for me better this way.
