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I love discussing work-related topics - it's my passion, and most of my fun moments happen during work. For me, work is one of the most important things, and it's the very thing that occupies most of my time each day and week. In this post, I will be talking specifically about working from home compared to working in an office.
5 Cool Remote Job Benefits to Enjoy the Flexibility
I've tried both so far. I've got my share of working in different environments, so I can share my experience with them. I can't promise you to be absolutely objective because I've already chosen what's best for me (working online), but I'll try to give enough information about both of them.
Advantages of working from home
As many of you know, working from home instead of going to another specific location to do your job can be really diverse. Like, there are many opportunities (most of them only available in some countries), but still, you have to choose the type of work that is best for you. And in the end, it comes to what you can do, what qualifications you have, and last but not least, what you enjoy doing. Let's see what are the top advantages of working from home that is really worth it:
1. Flexible working hours
Oh, yes. That's definitely the first one on the list. Not all jobs provide it, but generally, to work from home means freedom regarding choosing your own schedule and making the best of your time. And it's also my exact number one reason to switch to working from home and leaving my previous job.
Of course, this goes with some responsibility. If you can choose your working hours, place them when you're most productive. Otherwise – you risk compromising your performance. It requires some discipline to start working when nobody is telling you to do so.
In that regard, I know many people who tried working at home, and some of them still doing this but have a hard time organizing their time – work/breaks schedule. I have been fighting this myself in some periods of my life when I had a lot going on and felt too tired to start working.
There is always the possibility that even if you are on a flexible schedule to actually create one for yourself, which you can stick to. But in that case, it will be challenging to follow it, and the main point of working on a flexible schedule is lost. I appreciate that people are different, and that will be the better option for some individuals.
I enjoy flexibility so much that I find it hard to imagine what it would be if I returned to a regular job. How would I feel about it? Probably terrible. Especially for a night bird like me, trust me, it's tough to find such a schedule as the one I make for myself. Mine is not fixed. My program is different every day, but there are some similarities daily because I know what hours I'm most active – in the afternoon.
And my last point here, and I continue with other advantages – break time. The companies I have worked for so far always had that 1-hour lunchtime and two small breaks of 15 minutes. In regards to law and labor contracts – no issue here.
Regarding personal freedom – I don't see how that's fair. A fixed lunchtime? What if I'm not hungry? I'm not really that spoiled. I work hard and do my job, but when someone messes with my break time, we have a problem.
There is one thing I never managed to understand in office jobs – how come following the rules, the break times, and the schedule is more important than efficiency? A person who is using the hours of the day when he/she is most productive and is not bound to work when he/she feels tired is:
1. Much happier and
2. Much more efficient
But the good news is that more and more companies now switch to flexible hours (and I'm pleased about it).
2. No traveling time
Together with the first advantage, here comes the bonus. This is pretty straightforward. If it usually takes 10 – 30 min, even an hour, just to reach the office, depending on location, traffic, etc., working from home allows you to get to work the moment you want to. Isn't that nice?
Not only does that save you time, but it also saves you energy, nerves (if case you don't like traffic, like me), and so on. From my experience, nothing is better than waking up in the morning and starting to work directly from bed by checking email, tasks, etc. No need to prepare for work, get dressed, or comb my hair. But don't get me wrong here - not that I don't comb my hair, I just don't do it immediately.
3. Fewer issues with the management
Even if you have the best boss in the world, there will always be some minor or more extensive issues. Why? Because the fact, that you spend many hours in the office and you have to deal with management face to face, and rarely with emails, at some point, sooner or later, unavoidably, they start taking you for granted. Unfortunately, that's what the sad reality in most companies nowadays is.
It's a different story if you never see management and deal with them by chat/email in the comfort of your home.
Why are problems with your boss less?
✔ If you communicate by email, you have plenty of time to make it the most excellent possible. The same goes for the person you're messaging. Even if there are controversial topics or disagreements in opinion, both sides have plenty of time to think it over and express it in the best possible way. Cool, huh? And…
Imagine the same situation in an office job with a fixed schedule. Nobody needs to ask you to work or be nice because you already signed that contract, and you're stuck there as a slave or something. Anyway, that's my opinion. I'm sorry if someone might consider it too harsh.
4. Working from different locations
The fact that you work remotely doesn't necessarily mean that you need to be at home all of the time. Unless there is a strict requirement for the project you are working on, you can actually travel and visit different places. It depends on whether you want to bring your laptop, but in many cases, if you are comfortable using your smartphone instead, it will make your life much easier regarding equipment.
How are working and traveling at the same time beneficial?
Traveling allows you to see the world from a different angle and to expand your thinking and understanding of things. It doesn't end with that. When you add your job to this adorable picture, the entire experience can make you more productive, inspired, and motivated. It is no secret that the happier a person is, it directly affects his/her level of achievements.
5. More time for friends/family
The closest people to you would be happy to spend more time with you, even if you might be focused primarily on work. You can interact with them during your breaks, have lunch together, or have a light conversation when you are only somewhat absorbed by the job.
Even though you will not give your full attention to them, it is still a bonus of working from home worth knowing. It all depends on the job, though - some jobs would allow a more relaxed environment with fewer assignments, while others would require concentration and commitment to your tasks.
As usual, it's up to you to decide which one you want and strive to find the one that suits your needs. And who knows, you might find out your people would also like to join you on this journey. Finding a freelancer job is an appealing offer for most of us. It's an entirely different lifestyle than usual, so having more friends on your team will help strengthen your connections with them.
This publication covered the most common advantages of working from home. These are things that I experienced or I've noticed in people working this type of job. In one of my posts, I am talking about the challenges of working from home, so – see you there!
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