7 Reasons Why Remote Work Is the BEST (and Everyone Should Try It)

We live in a day and age where everyone is constantly connected and available. Whether it be by phone, email, text, slack, etc, there are a million ways to get in touch with someone when you need something. This is both a cool thing and a curse.

On the downside, it’s hard to turn work off, but on the plus side – you can do your work from anywhere.

But while these communication advances have completely changed the way we do business – in many cases, the work place has stayed the same. Showing up to an office at a certain time, staying for 9 hours, then leaving.

Millennials love experiences though and there is a growing trend – especially among younger companies & teamers – of remote offices popping up.

I am a huge proponent of this sort of working situation – not only because I love to travel and it’s a big part of my life, but because of the incredible benefits working remotely can have on employees and in turn companies as well.

I was feeling completely burnt out on work before I had the opportunity to work remotely. And as soon as I could work from anywhere, my entire mindset and view of my work changed. Suddenly the same tasks didn’t feel as tedious anymore, because I was looking out at a beautiful ocean while I did them. Or that problem didn’t feel daunting because I was feeling immensely powerful and capable after a hard volcano hike that morning.

If you have a company, I highly recommend you consider allowing your employees to work remotely. Or if you aren’t ready to go fully remote, give them a 2 month trial. Even a percentage of the year working remotely could greatly increase productivity and happiness.

Here are a few of the reasons why I think remote work should continue to grow and florish….

Working remote gives you renewed energy & zest for your work. As I mentioned, I was feeling completely wiped. Every day felt like the same battles, the same problems, the same everything. I sat in my seat for 9 hours because that’s what I was supposed to do – but I was losing a lot of my passion and energy. Fast forward to being able to work remotely, and all of a sudden I was able to see my work with new eyes. Though the work didn’t change, each day my environment could and that helped to keep me on my toes - interested and excited. I could go work on a rooftop with beautiful views of the city, I could work at home and play with my puppy, I could travel to a beach and work from there. And the work that once made me feel drained, now made me so grateful for. It was providing me the most wonderful of lifestyles, and so I wanted to fight the battles and solve the problems again.

By working remotely, you gain back precious time. One of the most obvious ways working remotely can improve your life, is by trading your commute for more hours in your day. My commute wasn’t terrible (about 30 min in and 40 home), but a lot of people in LA easily spend an hour or more each way. That’s 10 hours a week! Think of all the things you could do with 10 more hours a week. You could take on another project at work, you could join a gym, you could start a side business. The opportunities are endless.

If all your employees are remote, you have no office overhead. If a company doesn’t have an office space, snacks, furniture, printers, etc, they can save a lot of money! Money that could be spent elsewhere. Which brings me to one of the downsides that naysayers may site is that working remote prevents any sort of company comraderie & bonding. To that, I would say I completely disagree and that a smart company would use some of that money they save in overhead to take their employees on retreats – where everyone gets together a few times and year and ACTUALLY gets to know each other – beyond just surface level, office small talk. A lot of remote companies do this and I think it’s a fantastic way to facilitate relationships when you aren’t in the same building every week.

Remote work catalysts creativity. When your mind is constantly experiencing new things and being subjected to stimuli, creativity can grow & flourish - both from a creative works perspective, as well as creativity in problem solving. Changing up your environment sparks something wonderful in your brain. You are able to see the world differently and thus take on projects and challenges with fresh eyes. Experiences breed ideas and the best way to have experiences is to get out of your desk chair and go live!

Remote work also develops more worldly, empathetic workers. When you can work from anywhere, the opportunity to see the world becomes possible. And not just the kind of travel where you go somewhere for a week or two and completely stay on the tourist trail. You have the opportunity to go deeper and get off the beaten road. You’ll probably see some things that make you sad….maybe it’s a hungry dog or a child begging for food. Things like this remind you how lucky you are and to always be compassionate to others. It makes you think twice before you jump down a coworkers – maybe they are late because their kid is really sick or their car broke down. Maybe there’s a story…there often is.

The ability to work remotely generally increases productivity. When someone has the opportunity to work remotely, they end up working harder generally. They want to ensure that no balls get dropped, that they are doing their job at 110% - lest the opportunity goes away. (At least that’s how it is for me!). Also, without common office distractions, it’s easier to sit down and punch work out. Without getting pulled away from tasks at hand to go to meetings – you can focus on getting your work done efficiently and effectively.

And lastly, remote work leads to happier employees. When employees have freedom in their schedule and location, it allows them to pursue the things that are important to them outside their working hours. And people who are pursuing their passions generally feel far more fulfilled then those who don’t. When we’re happy, we’re better able to deal with difficult situations, think creatively, and be an example to their colleagues. And most importantly, happy people always work harder, stay at companies longer, and feel greater loyalty and devotion. It’s a win win for everyone!

Well those are my thoughts on remote work and why I think it’s such an amazing way of running a team.
If you have any other benefits of working remotely, I’d love to hear them!!!

Xoxo

Lauren

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