Work from home has been around even before 2020, but when the COVID-19 pandemic hit on the said year, many companies from all around the world were forced to allow their employees to work at home in order for them to be safer. Many business owners and employees were first not used to the work from home environment, but after a few months, many of them have settled and have accepted that working at home actually has plenty of benefits that the office environment doesn’t provide. Here are some of the key benefits to working at home.
Less Stress from Commuting
Those of us that have experienced commuting for work would attest that it is one of the most stressful parts of a work day, as you would constantly have to stand up during train rides, walk a few yards to the office, be stuck in traffic, and even encounter bad people on your way to work. Most people would spend more than 100 hours commuting per year, which is quite a lot considering that almost all of work a 9 to 5 job. Most reports would even state that commuting would contribute to daily stress and anxiety, and some people would already feel tired from stress even before they reach their office.
If you are working at home, you wouldn’t be able to experience the stress of commuting since your work can already be done or accomplished in your bedroom or any room of your home. There would also be less physical strain on your body, since you don’t have to stand on the train or walk to the office before going to work. Plus, the time you will spend commuting can be placed for other activities, like doing extra work or just taking a rest.
Achieve Work-Life Balance
We would often spend most of our week working, as there are at least 5 to 6 work days a week for most of us. During these days, we would usually not have time to do anything at home, since we would leave for work early in the morning and go home at night where we would feel too tired that we just want to sleep. So, our work-life balance is affected since we do not have the time to talk to our loved ones, play games with them, or even just eat with them during dinners.
Through a work-from-home setup, we will be able to achieve a proper work-life balance since we can easily reach out loved ones at home while we are working on a specific task. In addition, if there is any family emergency, we can tend to our loved ones faster since we are just in the house and not in an office that may be far away from home. Also, as mentioned previously, the lack of commuting in a work-from-home setup also allows us to have more time to spend with our friends and family members.
Save More Money
During work days, we spend most of our daily budget on train rides, taxis, gasoline when we have a car, and food. When combined, the spending would equal to about $2000 to $6000 per year, which is quite a lot when you know that some of us are working at a minimum salary. Because of these payments, our salary would usually go to the necessities that allow us to work, and only little would be spent on house bills or even expendable assets.
Through working at home, we wouldn’t be spending too much money on train rides, gasoline, and office food since we don’t need to pay for those if we are just at home. In addition, if we are spending money on food, it would actually go to our grocery budget, which also includes the budget for the food that can be eaten by everyone at home and not just you. Furthermore, working from home also prevents you to spend money on unnecessary items that you would often see while walking or commuting to work.
Customizable Office
Most companies would often have a rule that prevents employees from adding posters, stickers, or action figures on their desk, and employees that are not restricted to that rule would still be afraid of placing any precious items on their desk since it might get stolen by another employee.
In a work-at-home environment, your precious items can be safe since your office will be on your bedroom or a special home office. You can even customize the look of your home office by changing the colors of the walls, buying matching furniture, and even having a “recreational” area where you can set up games that you can play to unwind and relieve your stress.
More Job Opportunities
Through working at home, you wouldn’t be limited to job opportunities that are near your home, as you can apply for a remote job from a company that may be a few miles away from you or a business that is located in another country. Because of recent issues with the pandemic and economic crises, many companies are starting to recruit employees that are from far away cities and countries in order to maximize their reach and their capabilities to hire more people. You can take this as an opportunity for you to be able to experience working from home and see if it is suitable for your lifestyle.
Besides having more job opportunities, working from home also allows you to have a more flexible work schedule, which means that you can work at any time of the day as long as you can submit the finished product for your specific task. So, you can do your job in the morning if you feel like you have more energy during that time, or you can do it at night if you are a night owl that gets energized after the sun goes down. Working from home enables you to have better control of your time, stress, and money, but you should always remember that you shouldn’t be too comfortable working from home, as you would still need to do your best in any given task.