Some people like to work remotely, while others, on the contrary, avoid this opportunity. There are many biases when it comes to this style of work. As a result, people are either desperately trying to get remote work to stay at home, or they refuse such work because they only think about the negative consequences. Let’s find out who is right.
Benefits of Teleworking
First, let’s stop confusing the concept of remote work and freelance. The fact is that remote work does not always imply freelancing: you may well be a full-time employee of an organization but, at the same time, work from home. A freelancer is a person who is not bound by a permanent employment contract with any company but who carries out individual projects under a service agreement.
Fortunately, working from home has many benefits. Here’s what you can count on:
1. No need to get to work
No crowded buses, trains, or annoying traffic jams. This part of the day is considered by many to be the most stressful and depressing. Tired, irritated and stressed faces of passengers surround you, especially on Monday morning. With all this, you must maintain a good mood. Working from home is a great way to avoid the daily commute if you do not want to start your work days that way.
2. Flexible working hours
Many companies allow their remote employees to determine their daily routine independently. This means you can work when you feel most productive. For some, it may be morning; others prefer to work late into the night. This way, you can work at your own pace in peace. You also have the option to take a couple of hours off in the afternoon for personal matters, such as seeing a doctor or hairdresser.
3. It saves your time
First, you do not spend so much time in the bathroom to prepare yourself for work in the morning. And since you no longer need to commute to work, it will save you a lot of time. Secondly, if you do not live close to your work, you have to spend from 30 minutes to several hours commuting every day. Just think how much you can do in this time: sleep a little longer, go for a run, have yourself a long breakfast, or read a trading guide from Forextime. We are sure that you would like to spend this time on more pleasant and useful things, such as forex trading in Nigeria.
4. Own work environment
You can create the work environment that suits you best. If you do not like or have trouble working from home, grab your laptop and work anywhere. For example, you can work in your favourite café, restaurant, in a park, or a coworking centre near your home. It is also a great opportunity to find like-minded people in your field, to exchange experience and establish business contacts, or just find new friends.
5. Convenience
You do not have to wear a suit and tie, do your hair, or put on makeup. If you are having a bad day or have a cold, you can simply wrap yourself in a blanket, put on your favourite pyjamas and work from the comfort of your armchair or couch. But be careful, as your productivity can suffer from this kind of comfort, so do not overuse it.
6. Saving money
Working from home also saves you money. You do not have to buy public transport tickets or pay for fuel for your auto. Maybe you will not need your car anymore. Besides, you do not need to buy business clothes, and you can cook your own food instead of going to expensive cafés or eating in canteens. Moreover, a cup of coffee or tea from a coffee shop is much more costly than a similar one, but at home. All of this will surely save you enough money.
7. Reducing stress levels
Teleworking can reduce stress levels. It is not just the annoying commute that you can avoid by working online. You also no longer have to deal with a stressful work environment: no more loud phone calls, harassment, arguments and fights with your boss or colleagues standing behind you waiting for results. Ultimately, this will save you a lot of nerves.
8. Better health
Lack of commuting to work every day and reducing stress levels have a positive effect on sleep. Moreover, the practice has even shown that remote workers do not get sick as often as their colleagues in the office. Not only because they lead a healthy lifestyle, but also because they are unaffected by the many germs and bacteria that they find in a closed office and transport means.
A Fly in the Ointment
Like everything in our world, teleworking also has its drawbacks.
1. Ineffective communication
Of course, there are emails, chats, and video calling. But some things are easier and faster to explain when you are around a person. Limited communication options can make collaboration difficult.
2. Low productivity
Some people cannot be productive without pressure. Lots of distractions, lack of motivation and feeling like it really is a workday can have a very negative impact on your productivity.
3. Unhealthy lifestyle
Some people like to work lying on the couch all day. Sooner or later, it will surely cause you terrible back pain. Also, if you work all day without leaving your home, you are not doing your body any good.
To Sum up
As you can see, working remotely has its advantages and disadvantages. It is up to you to decide which ones have the greatest impact on your well-being and happiness. Try to start remote work with a part-time job.