The Realities of Working Remotely

There seems to be the notion that working remotely means sitting on your arse all day watching Netflix, Disney Plus, Amazon Prime, YouTube etc during work hours and your productivity drops. While this would be the dream but in reality, you’d be fired for it. This so-called notion isn’t true nor speaks for everyone.

Since my office is 5 hours away in the big capital, I have the privilege to be able to work from home and try my best to visit the office once a month. My introverted self personally loves working remotely in the comfort of my own home whilst I know others who detest it. Everyone has their own preference and circumstances, in other words, each to their own. I do praise the perks it has but it does have its downfalls.

The Perks

1. The biggest driver for me is how much I can save. I can save most of my salary as my main outgoings tend to be food and energy bills. If I was to move to London, I would be paying for rent, council tax, various bills, transport, and food. With the rising cost of living, I definitely wouldn’t be able to save as much as I am now.
   
   
2. A home-cooked lunch is what I look forward to. I never used to fully appreciate this until I got sick of eating out and ordering delivery whenever I’m in London. Nothing beats a home-cooked meal that’s freshly made. Taking it to work and heating it up in the microwave doesn’t have the same feel to it. Do you get what I mean?
   
   
3. I have a better work-life balance due to having greater flexibility over my schedule and can fit home chores during the day. Chores are a great time for me to step away from the screen for 10-15 minutes. Doing them throughout the day means I have more time in the evenings to focus on other things. Also, I don’t have the dreaded it’s waiting for me when I get home feeling anymore.
   
   
4. Productivity has increased. I don’t need to wake up early for the commute which means I’m less tired throughout the day. I’m not a morning person whatsoever so having that lie-in has proven beneficial for me – being sharper and more attentive leading to being a lot more productive. When I compare my productivity between working in the office and remotely, I am a lot more productive at home and get a lot more done which leads to my next point.
   
   
5. Fewer distractions like, no one coming to my desk, I don’t go over to their desks and no kitchen chats. Not having these types of distractions allows me to focus more. I tend to lose my train of thought easily when distracted and it does kill my productivity.

The Downfalls

1. Putting in longer working hours as the commute has been replaced by work. Commuting is a way of breaking the day and signals the end of the working day. Without it, I tend to log off when I feel like I’m done for the day which can lead to overworking. I have the “it’s best done today so I can have an easier day tomorrow” mentality. In reality, there’s no such thing as an easy day.
   
2. It’s harder to clock off and switch off, especially when I have a lot going on. I would still think about it in the evening when I’m trying to relax and sometimes check my phone for any replies. I’d wake up and I would immediately think of work. Work life can take over.
   
3. Burnout is real. I’ve noticed I get stressed and overwhelmed easily when I’ve got too much on my plate and work longer hours, but I never show it. Cool as a cucumber on the outside but mentally drained on the inside. It does eventually take a toll and I do suffer from burnout. Let’s not go into too much detail here.
   
4. Missing the social aspects from time to time. I don’t know at least 70% of my colleagues and wouldn’t be able to put a face to the name. I’m pretty sure they don’t know who I am either. Heading to the office on a monthly basis does remind me of what is missing – the ability to speak to people face to face, team lunches, drinks after work etc. Zoom meetings and online events aren’t the same.
   
5. A continuation of the above. Being able to approach others or ask my team next to me questions and help one another is what’s missing right now. It’s quicker than waiting for someone to respond on Slack. It’s easy to ignore Slack messages for a little longer, but eventually forgetting to reply isn’t a good thing.

Are you remote or hybrid? How’s WFH for you?