In this guest post, Rowan Adler, the founder of Love Work at Home, discusses why remote work is better than the traditional 9-to-5, and how virtual workers have more opportunities to excel in both their professional and social lives.
While we’ve been loving work from home for years now, some people who have been forced into it due to the pandemic, aren’t so sure.
We get it. We once enjoyed the office environment too. But at this stage, we really get why remote work is better. Here are our top reasons.
1. It’s much easier to achieve the elusive work life balance
We all know we should be living a more balanced life with more time to exercise, de-stress, and do the things we love. But how to live a balanced life in practical terms is challenging if you work a standard 9-to-5 but spend two hours commuting every day.
Working remotely literally shaves off those hours, making it possible to fit in a gym session, take your kids to practice, walk the dog, or perhaps treat yourself to a few extra zzz’s. When you have a big presentation or meeting, you can spend the time making sure that you’re fully prepared, confident, and ready, instead of feeling frazzled and frustrated while sitting bumper to bumper.
2. You can work from anywhere
When you work remotely you’re no longer bound by location. You can live and work from anywhere. You can follow the sun around your home in winter or join in the trendy vibe of a shared workspace or both. It’s entirely up to you. You can work from any space in any place you choose.
Remote work also means not being stuck in one city or country. Since the world has gone remote and more people are realizing the benefits, “semigrating” has become a thing. In a nutshell, it’s relocating within one’s country whether it’s moving out of the big city into a more rural area or moving from a rural area into the city. And it comes with additional benefits. Some states in the US have been paying remote workers to move states and work remotely to help boost the local economy.
Even certain countries are now offering remote work visas. As long as you can show that you’re working remotely and have plans to stay for a long time, you can move to those countries. And many of them are tropical islands. Ever wanted to live in Bermuda or Mauritius? It’s now possible with their remote work visas specifically designed to attract remote workers and digital nomads.
3. You can work at any time
Remote work (depending on the type of position you have) may allow you to work at any time. Standard work hours or workdays don’t rule your life.
If you’re working for a company that has a different time zone, you can adjust your life around that. For example, if you’re two hours ahead of your colleagues, you can drop the kids off at school, go to the gym, or even work on a pet project for two hours before officially “starting work.”
If you are ahead in terms of time, you can start earlier and get ahead of deadlines. This newfound flexibility is one of the aspects we love most about remote work.
4. You’re not limited to a set amount of work hours
Perhaps you’re finally planning that holiday away or have unforeseen expenses… no problem. If you’re a freelancer or perhaps working a few part-time positions remotely, you can always work more hours if needed.
And, of course, the same goes for working fewer hours. It’s totally up to you.
5. You’re not stuck in one career or one job — you can move if needed
Staying in one job for most of your life is an antiquated notion. One of the many reasons why remote work is better is that you’re not stuck in one career, company, or profession. Though growing your career in a particular company is fruitful, it’s not everything. There’s also a lot to being flexible and willing to change and grow in different companies. In the remote world, the more experience you have across different types of projects, the better.
6. You can work in a positive environment that allows you to be productive
If you’ve ever been caught in the crossfire of office gossip, you’ll understand this point. Working remotely helps you stay professional and be more productive. It can also do wonders for your mental health and stress levels.
Although still connected to your team, remote work affords a level of disconnect. This allows you to separate from those people who you may not gel with on a professional or personal level. It allows you to put boundaries in place so that you can stay happy and healthy.
7. Remote work boosts your career
Working remotely takes your career from the local job market to the international job market. With it comes opportunities for learning and networking You meet and learn to work with people from around the world. Your skillset grows exponentially by being exposed to foreign ideas and ways of working.
You’ll also find yourself feeling more motivated to continually learn and grow in your career as you find more opportunities.
8. Working remotely connects you to others
In a local job, you might not always get the chance to meet and work with people from different cultures. When working remotely, you can connect with others from around the world and form friendships and connections. Remote work tends to bring down cultural barriers and makes the world a better-connected place.
Why remote work is better? If you’re still not persuaded, here are a few more reasons
There are some guilty pleasures that come with working from home that no one really talks about: taboo topics left unspoken. Here are a few of our favorites:
- When you get to the end of the workday and you’re still in your pajamas, it feels a bit wrong but a lot right! Not to mention the rebellious feeling of having an online meeting where you’re business up top but a pajama party below (just make sure the camera doesn’t fall).
- You love your music or podcasts, but you’ve noticed that not many of your colleagues love them as much as you. Now you get to play them ALL. DAY. LONG. Back to back baby.
- Did you ever pour yourself a glass of wine or grab a beer at 5 pm on the dot when working in an office? Enough said.
- The bed is warm in the morning. The balcony catches the light before lunch and the couch is most comfy in the afternoon (for some unknown reason). With a laptop or a moveable workstation, you can have a change of scene throughout the day and enjoy all three.
- Tired of spending half your weekend washing, cleaning, and preparing? Now you don’t spend half an hour grabbing coffee with colleagues, or several hours commuting, so why not use that time to free up your weekends for sheer pleasure and squeeze in the laundry at lunch or tidy up in work breaks.
In a nutshell, remote work is better because it gives you the opportunity to design and live life on your terms. If you haven’t made the leap into permanent remote work yet, go for it. You won’t regret it.
Author Bio
Rowan’s Bio: Rowan Adler is the founder of Love Work at Home, a site that helps people make money online, find a work from home job, or start an online business. Rowan runs his structural engineering consultancy from the comfort of his home and shared workspaces, while also building his online businesses including his YouTube channel, blog, and lead generation website. He’s an online entrepreneur, a loving dad and he loves work at home.
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