The 12-step commuter

If things get too crazy at work - phone, boss, deadlines - you can get up, walk to the coffee pot or water cooler and unwind for a minute. Doesn't it take the edge off to walk around a little and get some water?

Okay, it never worked for me either.

Now, when I hit a stress point I sit on the couch and read a book for a while. Or go into the kitchen and pour some milk and open a bag of Cheetos. (aren't Cheetos therapeutic?) Or I grab a bottle of OJ, venture out to the patio and ease into the hot tub. Occasionally I head out to the garage, open the toolbox and fix something. Sometimes I go to the billiard room and practice pool. In the summertime, I might cruise to the backyard to a different kind of pool and hop a raft for a while with a good book.

Ain't it great working from home????

Well, sometimes. You definitely have to be self-motivated. You can't ever let "I can do it tomorrow" enter your mind... and that's a lot harder than you think. (there's a whole stocked bar in my house - yet if I even TOUCH alcohol, I'm done for the day!)

Work-at-home people have to know when to get back to work. My wife can't do it, she takes herself to her office every day - the television, pool and her reading chair are too distracting. I respect her for doing what she needs to do. Workin' at home ain't for everyone.

Yet the business world is moving fast toward incorporating home-offices into the work structure. People everyday are breaking the surly bonds of the commute and working via internet from home. I hope the trend continues... imagine how much more healthy we'd all be! Traffic is a leading cause of stress, right? We'll decrease our dependency on foreign oil and help clean the air. Less money will be spent on road repairs and infrastructure. We'll use less paper, Prozac and parking spots.

But alas, without direct supervision many just won't be able to make the transition. They risk falling victim to Judge Judy, Oprah and The Guiding Light. So for them, the commute continues. And that's okay, working-at-home is not for everyone.

So if you must remain bound to the cubicle, pop a Prozac, head to the water cooler or take a walk. As for me, I gotta run, Divorce Court is starting in 5 minutes.