Last week, I had to work on-site for a client. It made me realize that there really are benefits to working in an office. I felt more energized, more accountable, and more alert than I often do.

I also felt more anxious, and had to remind myself not to read the piece I was editing out loud.

This got me thinking about my favorite and least favorite things about working from home. Here’s what I think it boils down to:

Pros

• You don’t have to focus on what to wear or how to act. You just have to focus on getting your work done.
• Things like bad traffic, weather, and similar things don’t affect your ability to get to work on time.
• You can do whatever it takes to focus—talk out loud, listen to music, etc.—without worrying about bothering office mates.
• There’s never a worry of forgetting important things at home.

Cons

• There is a danger of forgetting how to socialize. Sometimes when I’m particularly busy, I’ll go a full work week without leaving the house. This can be unhealthy.
• Because there’s no one around, it’s easier to develop bad habits (keeping your desk cluttered because there’s no one to judge it, for example).
• There’s no one holding you accountable but you. If you have a tendency to procrastinate, this can be difficult to adjust to.
• Your bed is right next door.

Ultimately, I prefer working from home. I think a lot of the benefits I felt from working in an office—feeling more energized, more alert, etc.—came more from shaking up my routine than from the office setting in particular. People who work in an office would probably feel the same if given the opportunity to work remotely for a day.

Many of the cons listed are things that I’ve personally dealt with and taken steps to rectify. This leaves me able to reap the benefits of working from home with none of the dangers.