Working from home sounds like the greatest thing since chips and guac! But when it comes down to it, is it store bought guac or that fresh guac that is made in front of you?! We are scooping into the pros and cons of store bought (traditional workspace) and fresh (working remote).
Pros:
- NO COMMUTE! This has to be the best pro. If you’ve ever had to commute, you know how stressful commuting can be. Traffic is unpredictable and although you leave the same time every day, the fender bender that occurred an hour ago is causing you to be late. No need to mention the list of other things you could be getting done in the 2 hours plus you spend driving each day. Even better, no commute = saving $$$ on gas!
- Working in PJs No need to put yourself together! Unless you have a video call. In that case, stay in your sweats and throw a blazer or button-up on and fake it til you make it. Again, you are saving time and money!
- Flexible schedule Most remote positions allow you to set your schedule. This can allow you to plan your workday around workouts, kids, significant other, happy hour… whatever you have going on. This is a huge pro if your life is hectic and you don’t have 8 hours+ to work in a traditional environment
- Time to workout Have you ever tried to workout during your lunch break or take a high-intensity class at 5 am before your commute? The lunch workout means your a sweaty, stinky mess for the remainder of the workday and no one is getting their best workout in at 5 am! But cheers to you for doing it! Working from home allows you to schedule your workout any time without having to sit in your filth for hours or be half asleep while you workout. Not to mention, you’re going to want to get out of the house so you are more likely to workout.
Cons:
- Distractions Being home is full of distractions. There’s tv, laundry, cleaning, cooking, kids, etc. Having to remove yourself from distractions and stay productive can be difficult.
- Never clock out You can easily lose track of time and before you know it you’ve spent over 8 hours in your PJs, haven’t brushed your teeth and consumed an entire pot of coffee. So even though it is easy to get distracted, it’s just as easy to forget to clock out.
- It can be lonely! If you’re constantly consumed by work and forgetting about the outside world you may find yourself getting lonely. Working from a coffee shop or scheduling in-person work meetings can help break the lonely environment and keep you from talking to yourself.
- Self-discipline. We’ve already touched on this but we can’t stress how difficult this can be. If you’re not able to tune out distractions, know when to clock out, and remember to get out of your PJs and brush your teeth you will not succeed. Eventually, you will find yourself overworked or barely working.
Working in a traditional environment and from home have many pros and cons we can agonize over. When it comes down to it, it really depends on your personality/preference.
