Almost all are working-from-home as of the moment. Everyone is compelled to adapt to the new normal — leaving many stressed and burnt out.
But remote working isn’t supposed to be something forced. Before the pandemic, a lot of people are actually having fun with the remote work setup. If you’re not sure if it’s for you, here are 13 signs you’d be happy working-from-home forever.
You Want Time Flexibility and a Thriving Income
Of the many reasons, many aspiring remote workers dream of having flexibility in their work routines. They want more time for their family or passion projects — not a lot of opportunities have that.
Even if you are new to the setup, it’s easier to learn and adapt than to find something that will give you both time flexibility and a thriving income. So, remote working might be worthwhile to start.
You Can Manage Work-Life Balance Well
The biggest drawback for new remote workers is the blurred lines between work and personal time. How can you separate schedules when you do both tasks in the same area?
Many are even burnt out because of it. Imagine having a meeting while preparing dinner. That surprise calls regardless of the hour.
If you’re the type who can specifically partition your time into time blocks, you will reap the rewards of remote working!
Your Fed Up With the Commute
We all have those moments. Waking up at 5 AM, rushing to beat the daily commute. Only to be stuck on a bus or train full of people.
You might say, commuting is not that bad. But if you try commuting in the Philippines, you will say otherwise. The average commute is around 45 mins to 1hr 30 mins ON A NORMAL DAY. When it’s raining, or a concert of a famous person is scheduled, commuting time would worsen to 6 hours.
To top it all off, the transportation is quite congested. If you want to experience how sardines feel in a can, try it. So if you are constantly battling your commuting in the Metro, you will love your commute when working-from-home.
If you need to “clock-in” at 8 AM, you can prepare for work and “arrive” 5 minutes before. I mean, your commute will be from your bed to your office space. Sweet!
You Want to Help the Environment
We only have one Earth. It might not be the primary reason, but if you like to save the planet, working remotely can contribute to that cause. On average, every American has over 16 tons of carbon footprint in the world. Other nationalities have similar depending on where they live.
This demand in carbon (like fossil fuels) for the production of our consumption, adds up. And it destroys mother nature. With remote working, you lessen this carbon footprint.
Office Noise Distracts You
Ever hear your cubicle mates chat about someone or that recognizable food gobbling by your snacking deskmates? Some even hate the sound of the photocopying machine or that mindless typing sound from your busy workmates.
If you’re the type who’s easily distracted with office noise, remote working is heaven-sent. I mean, you can control the noises you can hear in your own ideal workspace!
You Don’t Like Meetings
Ever find multiple meetings exhausting? Many companies do uncountable meetings just to say they are “productive.” But according to an article in Harvard Business Review, respondents from senior management roles see meetings as:
- something impedes them from completing work,
- Inefficient and ineffective
- Takes away deep thinking
- Miss opportunities to bring their team closer together
So you have the right to not like meetings. Yes, you need meetings to collaborate and brainstorm. But you don’t need 3-5 meetings every single day. With remote work, you can forgo the meetings and have time for precious work.
You Role Needs More Concentration and Alone Time
Speaking of productivity, not all jobs need to be done with other people. Some jobs, like those related to IT or heavily brainy tasks like writing, need more concentration and alone time. This alone time triggers “Deep Work” that allows better creative and valuable output.
And when you’re in an office full of distractions, you can’t actually do as much deep work. So remote working can give you the option to be uninterrupted on your moments of musing.
Comfortable Meeting No One in Person
Some people just don’t like meeting another person, especially for introverts. It takes a lot of expended energy to sustain conversations face-to-face. So if you’re the type who doesn’t draw energy from people, you will love to work-from-home.
You Can Communicate Well Online
Communication is key in remote work. Your chosen communication software serves as your virtual office space. The problem is the communication dynamics are quite different.
You don’t see non-verbal cues. You don’t hear their voices. How can you guess the emotion of your teammates from their chosen emoji when they type? Quite hard.
But if you’re the type with skills in online communication, you can thrive in collaboration efforts with remote working.
You’re Tech-Savvy
Every business has a team. If you have any problems with IT or computer concerns, a team can help every step of the way. Yes, there is an IT team for some remote working companies. But if you’re tech-savvy yourself, you are perfect for remote working.
You don’t need a team to support troubleshooting your machines. And you can even make your workflow more efficient with various software.
You Don’t Need Someone to Push You to Work
Many managers and business owners worry that remote workers will just slack off from their jobs. How can you trust them without being supervised?
Well, not everyone can be a remote worker. But those who are independent enough to finish your tasks without supervision can. Your self-discipline plays a major role. If you’re this type of person, you’ll love remote working!
You Have the Initiative
On top of good self-discipline, clients also need someone who has the initiative to go the extra mile. There’s nothing wrong with giving the bare minimum. But having that initiative to create better output makes you a cut among the rest.
And with the fleeting nature of remote work and clients, your initiative will be an advantage. You will really love the opportunities that will come to you when you work remotely.
Conclusion
There you have it! 13 can be your lucky number because these 13 reasons can mean a drastic difference in your lifestyle.
You don’t need to have everything. As long as you have at least one reason, that’s enough push to at least try. So try out remote working today!
