on April 3, 2020
For the past few months, most of us have been relegated to working from home. Most of us don’t have a choice right now – we have to work remotely to benefit the greater good. But it can be a bit discombobulating for those who aren’t used to setting up shop at home.
If you’re one of those folks who’s struggling to find reasons why working remotely isn’t so bad, let me help.
There are obvious advantages of remote working – wearing pajamas all day, having your pets close by, saving money on gas and lunches, the two-second commute, a thermostat you control, and an environment that may or may not include music blaring in the background.
I’ve been working remotely off and on for years. While we have a dedicated office, I still work from home fairly regularly. I’ve discovered quite a few, somewhat unexpected, perks that come with working remotely. But only if you take advantage of them.
1. You can re-imagine how you use the space in your home.
How many people have a formal dining room that’s never used? Do you have some “dead space” in the corner of a living room? Maybe a guest bedroom that rarely hosts guests? Or a hall closet that only holds junk you don’t really need? Now is the perfect time to fire up Pinterest and get creative, and be completely honest about how each area in your home needs to truly serve you. Ask yourself how to be more intentional with your spaces. Have fun turning spaces into something that will be a lot more in-tune with how you really live your life.
It’s surprisingly liberating to give up what conventional wisdom says a space “should” be (I’m looking at you, formal dining room) and instead use it for something that actually WORKS for you (a library/office/den that’s enjoyed for years to come).
Most of us go through our mornings on autopilot. But, when you wake up and have nowhere to go except down the hall to your computer, your morning routine is thrown completely out of whack. You notice things like what time you wake up, or how much time you have with a cup of coffee and the news, or that you can walk an extra block with the dog and still start work on time.
2. It forces you to notice – and upgrade – your routines.
As a result, it’s the perfect time to incorporate some new, healthy habits into your day; habits that would’ve been so much harder to start when you weren’t forced to notice your usual routines.
3. Your time can do double-duty.
When you’re working from home, the obvious expectation is that you … well … work. But, because you’re at home, there’s no reason you can’t have your work hours pull double-duty. There are tons of things you can do “in the background” that shouldn’t impact your productivity or availability. Throw in a load of laundry, schedule that visit from the cable guy, pop something in the oven, or do a few dishes on your lunch break.
Not only does this mean you’re using your time more efficiently, it opens up the time that would normally be spent on boring chores to do way cooler stuff.
4. You can work at your own circadian rhythm.
Assuming you don’t have a micromanager breathing down your virtual neck, insisting that you be visible online from 8am – 5pm, this may be the biggest perk of all for some people. It allows you to do your best work when you know your brain is most focused – whether that be 4am or 10pm.
Not being “boxed in” and forced to be productive when you know you struggle with concentration can be a huge bonus not only for you, but for your organization. Imagine how much more creative and efficient you’ll be if you can work at a time when you know your brain is wired for peak performance?
5. Strengthens your discipline.
Anyone who works at home regularly will tell you one of the most difficult things at first is to stay – and remain – motivated. It requires self-discipline, focus, and a lot of self-awareness to recognize when your attention is waning. It also means you need to learn how to dig deep to “play through” the distractions and get back to work.
Self-discipline, self-awareness, and finding focus (even when you don’t feel like it) are all skills that can be learned and are worth knowing how to do. They’ll serve you exceptionally well in all areas of your life.
6. You’ll get stuff done faster.
For people who don’t have little kids at home (or kids who are otherwise occupied), there are way fewer distractions if you work remotely. You can reach peak productivity quicker than you normally would, which means you’ll probably reach the exact same results, but faster. After all, the value isn’t necessarily isn’t how long it takes you to do something; the value is achieving the desired outcome.
Who doesn’t love beating a deadline AND having extra playtime at the end of the day? It also could free up time to take on more responsibility, or take that online professional development class, or work on a passion project.
Working remotely definitely isn’t for everyone. For some people, it’s a Godsend that sparks creativity, productivity and innovation. But, if you’re struggling with it, try to acknowledge and take advantage some of the perks that come with it. Even though it may only be temporary, you could also find yourself discovering new – and better – ways to live.
