The year 2020 has brought several major changes to the way the world lived. The COVID-19 pandemic forced society to close almost everything that caused people to gather in huge numbers. Hundreds and thousands of businesses were permanently shut down as people stayed at home for safety measures. Sports events were canceled. Offices and workplaces were put to a halt to prevent people from gathering. The world stood still.
Indeed, the pandemic was a major shift in our way of living. But even though it brought huge disruptions, people found a way to work remotely. With the communication and cloud technology available to us now, remote work has never been easier.
Suddenly, after getting a glimpse of what it was like to work at home, more office workers now prefer this arrangement. Data from a study in 2020 has shown that around 54% of workers prefer to work from home even after the pandemic.
Working from offices has been the corporate standard for a long time now. With the sway of preferences of a significant number of office workers, should you start working from home too?
How Does Working from Home Affect You?
At first glance, working from home sounds delightful. It cancels out your stressful commute and saves you a lot of time. This saves you money on gas and other expenses that you normally would spend on. Your morning routine would probably be less vigorous compared to when you were working in the office.
Furthermore, since your work can be done at home, you have more time to spend with your loved ones. It’s a bargain you can never find when you are working at the office.
While it does free up our time, working from home is not all fun and games. It also brings major changes to how people deal with their work.
Burnout
Even as you enjoy the perks of working from your own home, you are not free from the risks of work burnout. Around 69% of workers were reported to have experienced work burnout while working from home, and the majority of them are taking less time off than usual.
This may be because of the accessibility of your work. When you work at home, you can access your work at any given time. Laptops, phones, tablets—these make it hard for you to get away from your tasks. With that, you tend to work more and relax less.
Fewer Boundaries
Since you are working from home, there is no clear boundary between work life and home life. Work can be stressful, and you relieve yourself of this stress at home. It can be hard to separate this, and you might find yourself have trouble relaxing.
Note that you are dealing with work and home responsibilities at the same time. It may be overwhelming you try to juggle them both.
Costs
Yes, working from home saves you money on your commute. But spending all that time at home can jack up your energy bills, not to mention the costs for a home office.
Indeed, it’s not a walk in the park. But there are adjustments you can make to live a healthy life while working from home.
How Can You Successfully Work From Home?
To work at home successfully, you need to make sure you have a designated work area. This means that this area should be the only place in your home dedicated to your work. You can flip an extra room, make it your home office, or even place your work set in one corner of your living room.
Make sure that this work area is comfortable but not too comfortable to a point where you won’t be productive. When you have one area dedicated to work, it is easier to create boundaries around your home.
Creating a work schedule also helps you regulate your work activities. With a good schedule, you can map out exactly when you should start and stop working. Make sure to create a schedule that fits your home life.
Also, invest in equipment that makes your work easier. Buy ergonomic chairs and desks to avoid any pain in the long run. Investing in good computers can also help speed up your productivity. Computers such as Dell laptops are known to be durable. With durable computers, you are investing for the next few years to come.
Should You Do It?
This depends on your capabilities to work at home, as well as your priorities. If time doesn’t mean that much to you and you’d rather commute to your office, you can dismiss this idea. But if you want to spend more time at home and earn from there, then the remote life is perfect for you.