An Upwork report indicates that 41.8 percent of Americans work remotely. This is a significant 87 percent increase compared to before the current pandemic. When considering a remote job, it’s important to reflect on your work style, personality, and schedule. For those with family, school, and other work obligations, working from home offers them the work-life balance they need. Let’s take a look at the benefits of working from home, so you can determine if this would be a good fit for you.
What Are the Benefits of Working from Home?
1. Flexible Schedule
Depending on your remote job, you will likely have a flexible schedule. Say goodbye to the 9 to 5 in-office job! Whether you have another job, go to school, or have kids, having the flexibility to create a schedule that works for your life is everything. This is considered one of the top benefits for remote workers. You will no longer have to choose between getting to the office and taking care of your other obligations. When you work from home, you can get your work done on your time, as long as it meets your deadlines and produces quality work.
2. Work-Life Balance
Maintaining a healthy work-life balance is crucial for your long-term health and well-being. No matter what you do or who you are, everyone needs to take breaks. If you try working all day and all night on a regular basis, this can lead to serious health issues and negatively impact your relationships with friends and family. As a remote worker, you can still put in a full week, catch up on errands, and spend time with those you love. Instead of scheduling events and appointments around your office job, you can easily plan out your work days around anything you need to take care of.
3. Save Money
Visualize a normal office day. You get up early, get dressed, grab a quick breakfast and coffee (if you have time), and commute to work via a bus, subway, or vehicle. If you didn’t have time to get something to eat or drink, then you get something on the way. At lunchtime, you probably order something to eat. By the end of the day, you commute back home. Depending on your work attire policies, you may need to purchase and maintain a professional wardrobe. All of these costs may seem small on a daily or weekly basis, but they add up overtime to thousands of dollars annually.
Now visualize a remote day. You get up when you want to, wear something casual and comfortable, cook a healthy breakfast, take care of any family duties, do a quick workout, and then start your work day. For lunch, you can whip up something delicious in the kitchen that doesn’t break the bank. Your local community may have co-working offices, but you most likely have a personal office at home. When you don’t have to spend money on commuting, parking fees, eating out, or work outfits, this can save you time, money, and stress. Indeed, people working from home can save around $4,000 every year. How awesome is that?
4. Less Stress
A flexible work schedule that doesn’t sacrifice your personal life tends to reduce your stress. This is not surprising when you consider the differences between working from home and at an office. As a remote worker, you can take your time getting ready for work and spend time with those you love. You don’t have to sit in traffic, hoping that you aren’t late for an important meeting. When you work from home, you can have virtual meetings, which tend to take less time and are more efficient due to less distractions.
5. Work and Live Where You Want
When you want to live and work wherever you want, remote work is a top choice. You are not required to live in a specific state or region, unlike a traditional office job. For military families, working from home allows you to take your job with you. After all, no one likes having to start over with a new job every time they move. Want to work at the beach while you’re on vacation? You got it! What about traveling overseas? As long as you have a good internet connection and your computer, you can go wherever your heart desires. How many companies offer this kind of freedom?
6. Environmental Impact
By working from home, you can significantly reduce your carbon footprint. As more companies are allowing employees to work remotely, this can have a positive impact on our environment. Since we only have one planet to call home, it makes sense to each do our part to help take care of Earth. When you don’t have to drive to and from work, this is helping reduce pollution, congestion, and traffic on a global scale.
As you can see, there are several benefits of working from home. While this work style isn’t for everyone, it is a great choice for those that thrive by working independently, setting their own schedules, and collaborating in a virtual setting. Here at Awesome Website Guys, we are a fully remote team that loves our jobs, the flexibility we have, and the differences we make in our clients’ lives. Learn more about our family-first organization and our awesome career opportunities.
Valerie Hare
Valerie is a Content Strategist at Awesome Website Guys. She has a background in web development and writing. When not working, she enjoys going to the beach, walking her dog, and chilling with her family.