The global coronavirus pandemic has caused a lot of lifestyle shifts over the course of the past year and a half. One of the major unexpected side effects of this has been the huge shift to remote work formats and platforms. With offices, shops, and other in-person businesses closed for months on end, many companies transitioned to digital platforms.
Now that things are opening back up again, plenty of people are considering whether they are ready or willing to go back to the old office job. Remote work has become more common and widespread, so it may be a great time to consider whether you are ready for remote work. But how will you know if remote work is right for you?
Let’s take a look at 5 signs that you are ready to take the leap and transition to a fully remote job.
1. You are ready to give up your nightmare commute.
If you are unfortunate enough to work a job that requires you to spend hours commuting each day, then that might be enough of a factor to encourage you to seek out remote work. Whether you are driving a car through rush hour traffic or waiting in the heat and cold for your bus or train, a nightmarish commute can be a draining aspect of your daily life for years. A long daily commute can eat up an unexpected amount of money for gas, car maintenance, or transit fares. And it can drain your precious time.
Think about it: an hour-long commute there and back each workday adds up. That amounts to about ten hours per week, which is equivalent to another full workday of time wasted every single week. And that amounts to about 520 hours per year that you have spent commuting! If your commute takes longer than an hour each way, it will add up to even more. There is a lot you can do with 520 hours each year, so that might be reason enough to look for a job that lets you work remotely.
2. You are self-motivated.
One of the greatest benefits for many remote workers is the ability to work more autonomously. You get to set your own schedule, determine how you will spend your time each day, and ensure that you are getting your tasks done and hitting your weekly targets.
Remote work often still involves digital co-working platforms and ways of checking in with your team. But the majority of your time will be managed by you, with much less oversight than a traditional in-person job.
If you thrive on setting your own schedules and don’t need anyone to push you to accomplish your work-related tasks and goals, then remote work could be the right choice for you.
3. You are always on the move.
If you are constantly bit by the travel bug and want to be able to bring your work with you as you move, remote work is the only option around. It doesn’t work for everybody, but for some people, remote work can be a great reason to explore new countries or locations. If you are an adventurous type who is always seeking new experiences, then you can adopt the digital nomad lifestyle.
Just make sure you can find good places to work as you move around the world. Access to fast, reliable local internet will be extremely important for you during your travels. But with so many digital nomads globetrotting as they work, you can always check out some travel advice blogs to find the best co-working spaces in the town you happen to be visiting that month, or where you can locate the fastest internet connection.
4. You are tech-savvy. There is one factor that is not really a make-or-break game changer but can have important effects on how easily you adjust to the remote work lifestyle. And that factor is whether or not you are comfortable using new technologies. From remote file storage on cloud-based platforms to digital teamwork formats to video chat meetings, new and evolving tech tools will form the bulk of your remote office. So, if you struggle to understand tech platforms, then remote work may present some challenges for you.
If, on the other hand, you are a tech-savvy wiz who loves nothing more than testing out the latest and greatest apps and websites, then transitioning to remote work will be a breeze for you.
5. You want to choose your own work atmosphere.
Having the ability to customize your work atmosphere every day can make a huge difference in increasing your daily productivity and improving your overall quality of life.
You might love to wake up in your own home, commute down the hall to your home office, make your afternoon coffee in your own kitchen, eat a home-cooked meal for lunch, and decide exactly what kind of sound and lighting you want in your atmosphere.
Or you may even prefer to take your laptop and office files down to a local Coworking space. Whether you prefer to focus in calm and quiet, or surrounded by other creatives and remote workers whose high levels of focus can influence your own, you can find a space that’s right for you.
When you are working remotely, you can even mix it up and alternate among different work environments depending on the day or the task at hand. So, video meetings can take place in the privacy of home, and weekly admin can be accomplished at your remote office- or wherever you like.
Final Thoughts.
Whatever the reason that calls out most to you, remote work can provide plenty of benefits to any lifestyle. As a remote worker, you get to choose exactly what sort of work environment works best for you.
You can customize your daily and weekly schedule to best suit your habits, preferences, and peak productivity levels. And you can bring work with you to almost anywhere in the world. Remote work provides a lot more freedom, while still allowing you to earn a living and support yourself. Think about the signs listed above to try to decide whether you are ready to make the shift to a remote work lifestyle.
By Emily Miller (edited by Noah Wright)
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