I’ve heard many people ask, “How do you convince people that you really *are* working while you’re at home?” It seems that society has lately been reacting negatively to the “rat race” mentality, seeing those who do not necessarily have to leave their home all day as people who contribute nothing to the community. The misconception that people who run a home biz sit in front of the television or read books all day is so totally false, but unfortunately it is a view many hold.
There was a recent discussion on a message board I belong to about how to respond to those who may try to take advantage of a person working at home. This can include asking for favors such as running errands or babysitting, asking to go out shopping, or asking to otherwise spend a large portion of the day doing something other than working. Our friends and family often do not realize that, even though we may not dress up each day, we do indeed have deadlines and priorities.
A good point was brought up in this discussion. One was that, while it is easy to feel belittled by these comments, they aren’t necessarily personal attacks. It was suggested that in this time and age of wanting to be the best, that many workers (from home or not) are comparing what they do to what others do. For instance, teachers may compare their workloads and accomplishments. And, as hard as teachers work, there are still people who would say teachers have it easy because they only have to be at work until 3pm, and have the summer off.
So, while there is no way to convince others that you really *are* working from home, it should make you feel better to know that it is not only you that is being scrutinized. All that matters is that you believe in yourself, in what you’re doing, and how you feel about it. And if proving to those higher up on the food chain that you really are succeeding is necessary to you, just show them your paycheck and they’ll have no reason to doubt.