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Why did I choose to work from home? I made one blog post back in 2018/2019 and another one during COVID. I chose to work from home for various reasons. The main reason is due to my chronic illness. They didn’t develop until 2020/2021 so the blog posts I wrote were just on the autism/mental health side. You already know the autism/mental health side regarding why I cannot work a normal 9-5, the chronic conditions didn’t start until 2020 or become more intolerable.
I can’t even get my grandma, someone who knows me, to understand how my brain works, so how can I get an employer, someone who doesn’t know me, to understand my brain when someone who’s known me since I was born.
I originally made the call to work from home back in 2018/2019 when I was an unemployed autistic adult. No jobs are autism-friendly and a lot of employers are not neurodivergent-friendly.
Situations vary. My chest flares usually activate depending on the weather. Extreme heat/warn environments or extreme cold sets it off. On A job it will be hard to stay in a controlled setting. If the A/C isn’t working, I won’t know until I get to the place. If they send out e-mails, I would have to call out until it’s fixed. Otherwise, you may have to pick me up from the ER. I also learned about my gut issues in 2021. I’d need unlimited, unrestricted access to a bathroom. if the bathroom is out, I’d have to call out until it’s fixed.
My IBS flares are not a picnic, they usually last 3-5 days. They go away quicker when I take it easy. No jobs will be willing to accommodate this,
Nonetheless, working from home makes it easier to accommodate these things.
I can set my own schedule, my own flow. More freedom. More control.
Starting your own gig is not a walk in the park, it’s hard to get your first sale. You will probably have to promote like 1000 xs to get a sale.
Being able to have content creation allows me to recharge my spoons. Grocery shopping is taxing on my spoons. If shopping falls on a Friday, sometimes it takes the entire weekend to recharge.
Disabled photos who are unable to work a normal job and can only do social media are just as valid and are not terrible people because of it. It’s easy for people to judge when they are not in that situation.
I could not mask my autistic traits to save my life and was bullied for it at school. I don’t have the mental capacity to go through it on a job. At least online, I can block the person. I told my grandmother (my grandad’s mom) for body shaming me. It wasn’t just that. The entitlement to know why I am not a Barbie doll. Why is she so surprised bodies mature as you get older and some people don’t stay the same?
As an autistic, I need direct clear instructions. At times, not getting these caused me trouble. Back in 2007 when my mom and I stayed with her friend while on a vacation, she told me I could not play with my handheld game. No mention of the son so I thought he can play with it but not me. When my mom caught him with it and confronted me, I told her she said I can’t play it. I was punished because I was expected to know something I was not told. YOU cannot play this game. Is not ” you AND joe” cannot play this game. I was always punished for not being able to read between the lines which is a common autistic trait. Nonetheless, this can happen on a job.
Later on, my mom was like “don’t let someone get me in trouble” No. YOU were not clear enough. Instead of admitting that, it’s my fault for not being able to read minds.
No employer will have the time/patience to provide me with clear step-by-step directions. You can’t leave ANY details out. If there is a deadline, you need to make that clear. not once did my mom be accountable for not being clear in her orders and it was my fault for expecting to know that I was never old.
Working from home, no one to punish me because I can’t read their mind.
Also on a regular job, I can’t assume I will get accommodations. I’ve read from some creators who had to wait for accommodations. I can’t wait. Or be told I can’t get accommodations because “it’s not fair” to the other employees. non-disabled people should not be in charge of accommodations. It’s not about fairness, it’s about being able to do the job.
I decided to be my own boss. If I get sick, I can take off hassle-free. I can accommodate myself hassle-free. I can take off for appointments hassle-free.
Even if I wasn’t chronically ill/autistic, I would have a different argument. They can fire you whenever they want. They don’t care if you have a sick kid/animal/parent. They don’t care you have loads of debt. Working from home, if I don’t only rely on one thing, I wouldn’t have a problem.
I like having freedom. Nowadays things are so expensive, people basically go home, go to work, etc rinse repeat. No time to do things they enjoy. I’ve seen videos from people who make 6 figures from blogging, from YouTube (not only relying on Adsense), and more. It took them time to get there. If I could get my gig big enough, I’d like to hire people who are struggling. I could actually pay them their worth. They can work from home. Have to take time off due to an illness, no problem. They’ll get leave and I will find someone else to fill their spot. And not overwork my other staff because it’s my job to find replacements, not theirs.
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