Working from home can feel like a dream come true after many years of commuting to a shared office space, with all its constraints, distractions and lack of privacy -- not to mention dealing with traffic or public transportation. However, a few months in, newly-minted work-from-homers may be finding themselves with the realization that their new situation has its hazards as well.

I find I need a certain amount of order around me to be productive.  I’m not extraordinarily neat or fastidious (wish it were so) but, still, I can’t operate surrounded by visual and auditory chaos.  At the same time, even more crucially, I need to be comfortable.  I need a good chair, a good caffeinated beverage, and for most types of writing or editing work, I need some good background music that’s just interesting enough while at the same time not being too distracting.  This is my “must-have” home office list.

Facing job loss at the time of a pandemic is nothing anyone would embrace, and it’s possibly one of the most difficult challenges of your adult life, but you still have options.  You could seek another job in your industry, a position suited to your unique skill set.  In a strong jobs climate, this wouldn’t seem as much of a gamble as it does right now.  Because, with the job market uncertain, what if you don’t find something right away, this month, or even this year?