5 Benefits of Working from Home

The divisiveness and controversial attitude towards remote working has always been baffling to me. However, 2020 is the year where the benefits of working from home have been demonstrated on a global and cultural scale, due to necessity.

I am glad about this.

For way too long, the prevailing attitude towards people who don’t thrive in traditional settings has been questionable and those who do telecommute have been somehow treated as being alternative or counter cultural.

This never made sense.

The reality is that home working might not work for everyone and that is OK, but there are benefits and it can enable a much better quality-of-life for individuals who need it. I hope that the attitude towards this continues to shift and that more employees needs are met in the future.

Here are 5 benefits that should be taken into consideration:

Schedule

I was listening to a podcast recently and one of the hosts mentioned how he took to self-employment because his best working hours never lined up with the hours his employers expected of him. He talked about how he flagged in the afternoon and felt he and his work always suffered for it.

I get that.

I’m someone who is easily overwhelmed; as a writer, writing eight hours straight with some time to eat won’t work. Equally, the same is true if coding. I lose concentration, vision, and my output declines. My productivity is best a little while after waking and a few hours before bed or alternatively as short bursts of working with gaps to recharge. That doesn’t exactly line up with 9-5.

Depending on your job, working from home can allow you to adjust accordingly and if not, if specific hours are required you can at least optimise other areas of your schedule, such as your lunch break.

Personal Environment

Everyone works best under different conditions.

For me, over-stimulation can be incredibly problematic. If I’m too hot, the lights are too bright, smells are too strong or there are too many deep noises; I don’t work well.

Equally, what affects me, might not affect others; actually, I’ve worked with people who are more comfortable with a certain level of noise and bright working environments in the past. So, what works for one, can actually be detrimental to the other.

Whilst some of these issues come down to my own sensory issues which not everyone would have, this does mean that to some level it is impossible for business offices to please everyone or to successfully split-the-difference.

However, home working allows you to optimise and tailor the experience to your own needs, so don’t forget to look around at different furniture to increase productivity and comfort. Investing in a spacious new desk, an ergonomically designed chair, or any other pieces of office furniture could be just what you need. It is equally important to find internet and tv bundles that work for you.

Avoid Office Politics

Whilst some thrive when it comes to office politics, many find that being dragged into the gossip and controversy exhausting at best, toxic at worst. Whether large corporations or small businesses, with different personalities and attitudes mean that to some degree this is inevitable. Whether it’s the venting, the decisions made by management or just the chatter it can be too much sometimes. Taking yourself out of this environment, either permanently or a few days a week can lead to a much sturdier sense of well-being.

No Commute

Studies have shown that commuting impacts our psychological, emotional and social health. High cholesterol, escalating anxiety disorders and increased blood sugar levels are all symptoms commonly associated with long commutes.

By travelling less, time can be redistributed as required across the workday. If more time is needed for sleep, focus on health, or get other things done; that is an option. What all this means is that by not commuting; a better quality-of-life is enabled.

Environmental/Sustainability Impact

It didn’t take long from the start of the 2020 lockdown for air pollutants to reduce and nature to return to parts of the UK. With less congestion on the roads, industrial heating/air-con systems in play and paper being used; home working is clearly the sustainable option.

Remote working is a fast, efficient, and cheap way to reduce your carbon emissions; it also puts you in charge of your own footprint, rather than your employer contributing to a notable chunk of it.