Remote work: advantages and disadvantages of working from a distance

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You’ve probably heard of remote work, but do you actually know what it means?

To work remotely means to have a professional activity outside a traditional office environment, whether it is essentially online or not.

That’s because, even if your work is not directly done on the Internet, like the sales of products online, the use of technologies is a common factor of all types of remote work, considering they make this type of interaction easier.

Of course, this working model is more common in professions directly related to the Internet, such as software development, content production, and web design.

But even if you have a job seen as traditional, such as a Secretary or an Attorney, if you don’t need to leave your home to perform your daily activities, your work fits exactly in that model.

Advantages of remote work

Remote work has been chosen by several professionals because of its advantages.

The following are the 5 main reasons why people choose it:

1. You don’t need to leave the house

When you work from a distance, you can do it from your our own home or any other place where you want to work from, as a coworking space, for example.

The biggest advantage is that you will no longer have to face small everyday nuisances such as:

Spending hours commuting;
Overcrowded public transport;
Facing bad weather, such as heavy rains and strong winds.

Staying at home may be the main reason for choosing a remote job, but there are also other advantages to choosing it.

2. You can spend more time with your family

Since remote working allows you to do your job from home, as a result, you can spend more time with your family.

This is a big advantage especially for people who have children and want to follow their development closely.

Besides being great for the children, who grow up with their parents always around, it is something very interesting for parents also, especially because they get a better quality of life.

3. You have more time for personal projects

Don’t think for a second it’s just people who have children who prefer to work from home.

By working remotely, you’ll certainly have more time to do personal projects like studying more, going to the gym or even learning a new hobby.

Remember we talked about that you don’t have to leave to go to a traditional office?

Therefore, all the time spent commuting can be better used in specific activities for you. As long as you organize your time well, you can take off the ground projects that were on hold due to lack of time.

4. You can work from anywhere in the world

Since the remote work does not require a specific office to carry out its activities, you can work from anywhere in the world, as long as you have internet access.

This is a great advantage because you get to know other places and cultures without having to give up your career.

5. You can become more productive

Many people work best in quiet environments.

If you need more focus on your tasks, the remote job can help you become even more productive, since the distractions with noise and crosstalk are factors with which you don’t need to worry about.

In addition, since you are responsible for your own routine and work schedule, you can choose at what time you feel better prepared to carry out your activities.

Some people are early birds, while others work better in the evening. Regardless of the work time you choose, remember to always do your tasks when you can work better and thus be more productive.

Disadvantages of remote work

As life is not a bed of roses, working from home does come with a few disadvantages.

We’ll tell you the 5 biggest challenges for those working remotely:

1. Lack of organization

A big problem faced by those who work remotely is the lack of organization, especially with regard to the workspace.

If you work from home, it can be difficult to separate a room specifically for work. Over time, you may end up mixing up your work duties schedule with your household chores.

It is very important that you not only set specific hours to work, but also have a defined space to do it.

On top of preventing health issues, such as back pain from working from your bed the whole day, you make your mind and body get used to the fact that that specific period is for professional activities.

2. Task loading

Task loading is very related to the lack of organization or inefficient time management.

It may be that, by working from home, you get more activities to do than you can handle, resulting in delivery delays or even sleepless nights to be able to meet deadlines.

Besides jeopardizing your health, it is likely that your tasks will not be executed in the best manner.

So, even though you can work wherever and whenever you want, remember to take responsibility for what you can actually do.

3. Isolation

Working by yourself definitely has its pros, especially when it comes to woking with silence. However, after a while, you may feel isolated and alone.

The internet has made communicating with those who are away easier, but it may also become a problem, especially when people do not need to talk in person to make a decision.

If you start to miss working around other people, today there are coworking spaces where you can take your personal computer and work near other professionals like you.

In addition, an alternative is to attend face-to-face events in your area not only to acquire more market knowledge, but also to meet new people.

4. Communication problems

The fact that you don’t have face-to-face contact with other people who work with you may end up creating communication problems, the famous misunderstandings.

This happens especially if you work in a company that does not have a head office and allows all its employees to work from their homes.

To avoid this kind of problem, try to be as clear as possible in your emails and messages.

Another option is to schedule video conference or telephone calls. When you hear the person’s voice and see their expressions, communication is much clearer.

5. Increased spending at home

Remember we talked about how in order to do remote work you need to have internet access?

If you don’t have a good internet plan, you may have to get a better one.

In addition, it is quite possible that your electricity bill will increase, since you will need to use a computer all the time, besides having to leave the lights on during the time you choose to work.

You could possibly also spend more on food, since you will be the whole day at home. But if you organize yourself well and think ahead about your expenses, you will be able to prepare yourself financially.