As you probably already know, Lana and I are expecting a baby boy next month. We wanted to be closer to family, so a couple of weeks ago we moved back to Ann Arbor and I started working from home full time. People at Tribune supported my decision, and I feel really grateful for that.

So how do I like working from home, you may ask? It is amazeballs. And this is why:

I am way more productive. There are less interruptions which allows me to focus solely on the task at hand. In technology, we are constantly presented with new problems, and according to the research done by social psychologist Robert Zajonc, people who perform non-trivial tasks are less productive when surrounded by other people (even though I’m an extreme extrovert I can confirm that his findings are absolutely true for me).

No commute. In other words, I have more time for work and fun, and I stress less because I don’t have to worry about traffic or weather.

Ergonomic setup. I’ve always been trying to make my work station as comfortable as possible, especially since sedentary work often leads to lower back pain. When I worked from the office, I used Microsoft Natural Ergonomic Keyboard 4000 and Logitech Wireless Trackball M570, but I couldn’t replace the chair I had. Now I’m free to use whatever chair I like, and in this case I use Steelcase Think and I feel really confortable even when I sit for prolonged periods of time.

I can sit by a window and enjoy the nature and the sunlight. Sunlight wakes me up and makes me alert and instantly puts me in a good mood! Bonus points for switching timezones and having the sun set 45 minutes later.

It is cheaper and easier to eat at home. What’s more convenient than having access to your own fridge? It is also healthier: I care about what I put in my body, and if I make my own food I know exactly what goes in it. In addition, it is easier to eat more frequently. Smaller, high quality meals sustain your blood sugar levels and provide you with a constant source of energy.

So far this has been a wonderful experience for me with absolutely no drawbacks. Technology allows me to video chat or share screen easily if I need to. To ensure that everything runs smoothly, I upgraded my internet to the 50/10 speed, and bought a new modem (Motorola Surfboard 6141) and router (Linksys WRT1900AC). And so far, this setup has been rock solid (knocking on wood).