Jason Unger

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When we moved, I kept my day job with EH Publishing running CEPro.com — but now I'm working at home.

It's a totally different work style than the cubicle life, with its pros and cons. Here are five things I've learned so far about working at home.

You Work Harder

When you're not in the office environment, you work harder on the tasks at hand. You don't want to give the impression that you're goofing off or taking advantage of the work-at-home situation. You've got fewer people to chat with and less watercooler talk.

With more focus on "being at work," you get more work done.

Staying Connected is Important

No man is an island, and no virtual worker can be completely disconnected from co-workers.

Whether it's through IM, e-mail or, most important, phone, keeping in touch is key. But you have to find that line between keeping yourself in the loop and overdoing it. If you were in the office, would you send that e-mail? Or would you figure it out yourself?

It's Quiet

If you're not working in a shared environment, working at home is quiet. I need to have some sort of audible sounds — a podcast, the radio, iTunes — to keep going.

Obviously, quiet is also good for getting things done. No cell phones or sales calls are interrupting my day because I've set up the environment.

You Have to 'Go' to Work

Rolling out of bed and straight into the office is not a good idea. You're not in the right mindset and you're not prepared to do what you need to.

Get up, shower, get dressed, eat breakfast, and go to work.

When You're Done, You're Done

When I was working in the office, I didn't mind coming home and doing work on the side at night. It's a different location and, therefore, a different job.

But when I'm doing work for someone else in my own office and on my own equipment, I don't always want to sit down and work on my own things after hours. When the bell rings, I'm happy to go in the other room and relax.