The Pros and Cons of Working from Home
Working from home has been an increasingly popular topic lately. But what are the pros and cons of working from home? Read everything about the advantages and disadvantages of working remotely in this online blogging guide.
Welcome to the article about the pros and cons of working from home. We feel that nowadays, more than ever, people are looking for new ways how to handle and balance their work and personal life.
Often, working remotely is seen as the best option on how to achieve this goal. Even though we agree that working from home has many advantages, nothing is black and white, and this lifestyle is for sure not for everyone.
Working from home has some disadvantages as well, even though we rather call them challenges.
We've been working from home full time for some time now, and we have nothing but words of praise for it. No, it is not perfect, there are many things people should know before making the final decision, but once you master it and then look at your life retrospectively, we hope you will know it was worth it.
Working from home is a hot topic, but it is necessary to know that not every single profession is suitable for it. Are you a freelancer, and your only working tool is a computer and mobile phone?
Great, working remotely is totally doable, especially if you do not have to answer to anyone but yourself. Are you an employee, but you know that most of the time working remotely would not be a problem?
Then you only have to talk to your boss and consider all the pros and cons. When you are not your own boss, even when working from home you will have to adapt to your co-workers' schedules and needs.
We live in the Czech Republic, and working remotely is still often seen as a benefit from the employer that cannot be overused. People are often worried that they will lose control of the employee, and the productivity will lower.
Even though these are for sure some of the challenges, we think when the person is well-motivated, this should not be a problem.
Before you decide on working from home you need to weigh the pros and cons. What is the advantage for you can be a disadvantage for someone else with a different attitude to work or a different personality.
In this blog post, we've put together the most common pros and cons of working from home. Read it carefully and at the end of the article, you should know whether working remotely is the right thing for you.
Can you grasp all those pros and use them to be the best in your job? Can you handle the cons and turn them into positive aspects?
The line between positive and negative effects of working from home is thin, but with the right attitude, there is nothing that could stop you from pursuing your dreams.
THE PROS OF WORKING FROM HOME
For us, the pros of working from home prevail over the cons. We enjoy that we have much more time for ourselves, we do not have to talk with people we did not choose to be our colleagues, and we also see positive aspects for our health.
But there are many more reasons why it is good to set your office at home.
Here are the most glaring advantages of working from home that should show you that working remotely is what you want.
NO MORE COMMUTING
Not sure how you feel about commuting, but for us, it was always the least favorite thing of the whole process of getting to work.
And we know that we cannot complain because we used to commute to work only between twenty to forty minutes. We just feel that commuting to work is a waste of time, not mentioning that it is often not very pleasant, especially when traveling during rush hours.
Crammed busses, traffic jams, and stressed out people are not something to write home about, and we think it is great that when working from home we can avoid this painful routine.
Not sure how large is your flat, but we will get from the bed to our workspace in less than ten seconds, so in this case working remotely saves our time (and money).
You can use the extra time you will save to do more work, but you can also sleep in and enjoy the slow start of the working day.
FREEDOM
Well, this point can easily turn the advantage into a disadvantage, but if you are at least moderately self-disciplined, we think that freedom is a huge factor why you should decide for working from home.
You can start what time you want, finish whenever you want, do yoga in the middle of the day, or go jogging when you feel you need fresh air, and no one can tell you a thing. No one will look at you when you start stretching your back or go to the kitchen for the fifth time during the morning to make coffee or tea.
We probably value freedom the most of the whole working remotely thing.
Once you'll learn how to stay organized when working from home and how not to abuse the freedom, you will have an absolutely new mindset, and you will never want to go to the office anymore.
Of course, if you are working for a company from home or do the freelance job for someone, you need to adjust your day a bit to other people’s schedule.
But it is usually only about having things done before the deadline than sitting at a computer all day and waiting for new directions.
FLEXIBILITY
One of the positive features is flexibility, but not only flexibility at work but also in your personal life. We know that sometimes it can be a daunting task to arrange a doctor's appointment or take care of necessary errands.
Luckily, when working from home, you are free to do so any time, and you won't have to stay in the office later just to work more hours to compensate for your time off.
Thanks to it you can also arrange your appointments for the less frequented times.
The same goes for shopping and many other things you do every day. Thanks to working from home you can do every day shopping in the morning, and not in the afternoon when the shop is full of people coming from work.
IT IS EASIER TO MAINTAIN HEALTHY HABITS
Another significant benefit of working from home is that it is much easier to maintain healthy habits.
There are no more colleagues eating chocolate every five minutes, you do not need to order pizza with everyone else, simply, it is much easier to focus on your health.
I was used to bringing my lunch in a box every day to the office, but I know that many of colleagues did not do it (claiming they have no time at home), and it was much easier for them to slip to order something unhealthy, even though they were struggling with their health.
Remote work also gives you time to stretch your body whenever you feel stiff.
YOU ARE THE BOSS OF YOUR SCHEDULE
The concept of 9 - 5 is outdated. When working from home you can create your own schedule that suits the best your needs.
Create your own routine, find out when you are the most productive, and stick to it.
Of course, it is possible that you still need to meet some deadlines if you work for a company, but it should be more important if the work is done on time than when did you do it.
We know that finding out the right rhythm can be one of the hardest parts of working remotely.
Some people just cannot handle the freedom, they feel there is still a lot of time to finish a task, but this problem can be easily solved by using proven techniques.
You need to learn to focus, create a daily tasks list, and train the self-motivation. It is a process.
Same as you need to gain working habits when young, you need to learn how to work when not on a strict schedule. But it is well worth it.
IT IS COMFORTABLE
Well, no one can deny this. Working from home is very comfortable (just make sure you are not too comfortable). Having an office in a familiar environment where you feel good is priceless.
You do not have to get up super-early to get dressed and do your make-up, there is no more commuting, and you can adjust your workplace to your likings.
I've seen many offices by now that were not really suitable for working. I also worked for almost two years in an office without a window.
Working from home will simply give you a sense of comfort, and according to our experience, we are much more productive in a place where we feel safe and comfortable.
YOU CAN WORK AS MUCH AS YOU WANT
When I was employed, I very often struggled. Not because I did not like the job, but I often had to sit in the office even when I finished all my daily tasks quickly.
When working from home, you do not need to pretend anything. Once you are done, or you think you've worked enough for the day, that's it.
On the other hand, when you feel your business needs more working hours, it is possible to work longer for a few days until you catch up on everything.
No one will look at you badly that you leave the office five minutes earlier, and all overtime hours when necessary will eventually pay off.
MORE TIME WITH YOUR LOVED ONES
Once you can manage your working hours according to your needs, working remotely will all of the sudden show yet another advantage.
Thanks to better time management, you will have more time to spend with your family or friends.
If you have a family, you can see your kids in the morning before school and then pick them up in the afternoon.
Also, it is much easier to meet your partner as you can synchronize your timetable with his or her schedule.
STRESS-FREE ENVIRONMENT
One of the top reasons why you should decide to work remotely is to reduce stress. When you work in a place you know by heart and where you feel comfortable, the tension will go away immediately.
Even when you need to complete a difficult task, thanks to the fact you won't be surrounded by the fast-paced corporate environment will help you to finish everything on time, more efficiently and without negative thoughts.
Stress is a huge factor, why many people, after several years in a job, feel burnt out.
Your workspace should always be a small corner where you feel well and where all tasks are done without nonsensical deadlines, yelling, and arrogant coworkers.
WORK-LIFE BALANCE
We feel that working from home gave us that much needed work-life balance. That is something we have been seeking for some time now.
When speaking for myself, I was never able to fully fit in a collective at work, because I was not able to pretend that I care about the job more than about my personal life, and I was reluctant to spend at work more time than necessary.
I worked hard, fulfilled my duties, but at 5 PM I just wanted to shut down the computer and go home. When my boss gave me a task to do at 4:45 PM, I felt nervous, because I had other things planned for my free time.
We hope that in the near future more people will understand how personal life is important to be efficient at work and that the life-work balance will actually positively influence productivity and motivation.
TIME FOR SPORT
Nowadays we cannot imagine the start of the day without jogging or at least a short walk around the neighborhood.
Sitting in front of the screen all day must be compensated by sport, but we know that it is often hard to workout regularly.
Working remotely gave us the freedom to plan our time, therefore we are often able to squeeze time for sport in our everyday routine.
TIME FOR TRAVELING
We love traveling. That's why we started our blog at the first place. To share our tips from the road and exotic countries accompanied by inspiring photos. Simply put, traveling is our big passion and hobby.
Another advantage of working at home is that you can organize your time according to your needs, and you can travel as much as you want.
You can even work in a foreign country and become a location independent!
No more begging for a two-week-long holiday, no more raised eyebrows and questions why you need to take a vacation right now, and why you could not have taken it a month ago.
Maybe because it was still too cold for trekking in Nepal?
AUTONOMY
Finally, you can make your own decisions and take all the responsibility for your steps. You are the boss of your time, all your successful decisions are only yours and you will benefit from them.
When you screw up something, it is again only your fail, you might lose money, but no one should be sarcastically commenting on your work.
Nevertheless, how cruel it might sound, you need to always stay positive, learn from your mistakes, and try not to repeat them in the future.
This is part of the journey.
NO DISTRACTIONS
The home office is perfect for limiting interruptions. Of course, other things can distract you at home, but that's nothing you could not learn how to deal with, and there are many ways how to ensure your workspace will be free of distractions.
No more colleagues in the office talking about random stuff that does not relate to work.
You would not probably believe how those small interruptions in the office can slow down the performance, and how much of unproductive time you'll spend at work doing nothing, just socializing.
We know that for some people this might be the reason to go to work, but we prefer to focus all the time and then work less.
And we can socialize in our free time!
YOU CAN SAVE MONEY
No more commuting, no more expensive coffees, business lunches, that all can save you quite a lot of money.
When working from home you also do not have to regularly shop for business clothes that can also help your family budget.
Make instead your coffee or tea at home (it costs fraction), cook at home - that won't only save you money, but it will also teach you how to cook quick and healthy recipes.
YOU WILL TRAIN YOUR SELF-MOTIVATION
Even though this advantage can easily turn into a disadvantage, we think it is really valuable that working from home will train your self-motivation. You won't use it only at work, but also in other aspects of your life.
No one would be standing behind your back and making sure that you finish what you are supposed to.
Here you need to realize that working from home is a privilege, and you must work hard to make it happen.
YOUR MONEY DEPEND ON YOUR PRODUCTIVITY
Working remotely and being your own boss can be scary. You do not have a contract, and the monthly wage varies depending on the season, amount of work, and sometimes even luck.
But the great thing about this is that there is no limit. When you are motivated and deeply focused, chances are that your salary will also be higher than average.
When you are an employee, you will get the same salary no matter how successful the company was that month.
While working at home, you are measured by your productivity, and you will be rewarded for your hard work. Something that’s not often true when you work for a company.
THE CONS OF WORKING FROM HOME
By now it is probably obvious that working from home has its cons. The challenges that come with the home office affect every person differently.
It is necessary to say that all those negatives can be overcome, and it is really worth trying to eliminate the cons in pursuit of working from home.
Here is the list of the things that usually put people off working at home.
IT IS HARD TO TELL WHEN YOU ARE AT HOME AND WHEN AT WORK
One of the negative aspects of working from home is, that you are at home all the time.
Or at work all the time? Well, it is hard to tell.
To avoid confusion, we recommend you to set up a dedicated workplace, where no one will distract you during the day, and you need to set your hours for work carefully as well.
Create a routine that will clearly divide the time for work and the time for your personal life.
The absence of the line between job and home will always be there, so you need to mentally build this line in order to maintain your health and overall happiness.
LACK OF SOCIAL CONTACT
What we see as an advantage many people see as a negative. The truth is that most of the people like to be surrounded by co-workers who are dealing with the same problems.
If you work remotely for a company, you can still be in touch with other people in the office via phone calls or emails. If it is just you, that's much harder.
We actually like that we don't need to meet many people during the day, as we can solely focus on work, but if you require it, but yet do not want to give up working from home, there is a possibility from time to time work in a coffee houses or workshop spaces created right for this purpose.
Unfortunately, it will also add some extra fees to your budget.
LACK OF SELF-MOTIVATION
This is the big one, but we believe that once you make a list of things you need to do that day, you will eventually keep going.
The overflow of freedom can be a curse, but once you realize all the pros of working from home, this negative should not threaten your business.
Of course, there are those days, especially in the summer, when working at home is pretty hard.
And from time to time you can finish your work early to enjoy nice weather, but it should always be a one-time thing, that does not become a habit.
HOUSEHOLD DISTRACTIONS
Unless you walk around your apartment with eyes closed, you will always see what could be improved.
Now, it is super-important to realize that you are at work, if you had been at work, you would not have been able to clean the mess either. So either make sure the day before that there are no dishes in the sink or try to be immune.
Cleaning your household during the time you should be working is a big no.
UNHEALTHY LIFESTYLE
Sitting all day is really not something that would be beneficial to your health. And it is pretty easy to roll over from your working chair to a couch and start watching Netflix immediately.
Also, the kitchen is always nearby, and you need to show strong will not to eat everything during the morning.
Sitting in front of the screen can also cause you back and neck pain, and if you won't exercise, it can become a serious problem.
TIME MANAGEMENT
One of the biggest cons of working from home is that there is usually no other person to tell you what to do or fixed schedule that would tell you what and when to do something.
That's something you need to figure out by yourself.
As we create content for this website, we feel sometimes it is a problem that there is no one we have to answer to, therefore we usually choose to do what is the easiest, or what we feel that can be done that day, and keep postponing the less attractive topics.
YOU NEED TO PROVE THAT YOU ARE WORKING
People usually have a feeling that when you are at home you are not working enough.
That's one of the misconceptions that are hard to disprove.
In reality, you are working much harder because your livelihood depends on it, but no one knows about it. This is one of those stigmas that come with remote work, and it is only up to you if you decide to fight it or leave it.
It is also sometimes hard to explain that you have your work schedule and things that must be done and that you are at home does not mean you are available all the time.
YOUR MONEY DEPENDS ON YOUR PRODUCTIVITY
If you won't be productive enough or you'll make a wrong decision, you will see it on your next paycheck.
If you prefer to work just enough, you are not creative and prefer exactly defined tasks and a boss that will keep you pushing, remote work might not be the right for you.
RESOURCES
So what programs we use to keep Laidbacktrip running?
The absolutely necessary expense is purchasing the domain and paying for hosting.
We opted for Squarespace, an all-in-one solution as we like it is clean and straightforward.
But the most popular option among bloggers is Bluehost because you can install Wordpress.org on it.
In the beginning, we were reluctant to pay more for external services.
But we later found that some of them are necessary, and some of them make our work much more comfortable.
We use a professional email, Tailwind that helps us schedule pins for Pinterest and Instagram.
As we use only our own photos, Adobe Creative Cloud that is an excellent tool for editing photos in Lightroom and Photoshop is a must-have.
To improve our writing skills we use Grammarly Premium.
It all costs several hundred dollars per year, but it helps us with our business.
