How have you found working from home? Whether you’re adjusting to working from home as you normally work in an office, or perhaps you are a full-time freelancer, there are many benefits of working remotely! From gaining some extra time in the morning, or even having the option to go for a little walk during your lunch break, working remotely allows you to be more flexible and adapt your working day to fit around you. We’ve come up with the top five benefits of working from home to help you stay motivated and positive during the pandemic.
If, like many other people you are often running a little bit behind schedule in a morning, by working remotely you will save yourself the time and effort of driving to work and even sitting in pointless traffic! In fact, studies show that on average, the commute now takes fifty-nine minutes for workers, meaning that many people are travelling longer than ever before. Working remotely means that you can create the best morning routine to suit you. Whether that’s an extra thirty minutes in bed snoozing, additional time for you to grab a coffee before you start work, or even a couple of minutes to organise your day ahead so you feel clearer and calmer with your ‘To Do List’, it’s never a bad thing to have more time in the morning! Research also shows that more than thirty minutes of daily one-way commuting is associated with increased levels of stress and anxiety. In fact, a report from Global Workplace Analytics found that 66% of people would rather take a different job in order to avoid a long commute. Whilst your new commute from your bed to your desk might not be completely ideal, note that there are many hidden healthy advantages of working remotely. Not only will you save time and effort, you will also help to reduce greenhouse gas emissions through reduced use of petrol. Additionally, research shows that commuting ten miles to work each day is associated with health issues including increased risk of depression, higher blood sugar levels and increased cholesterol! Another of the advantages of working from home is that you can get cosy from the comfort of your home! Whether that’s grabbing a blanket, a cup of hot chocolate or playing your favourite tunes to start your day off positively, create the working environment which works best for you! You can also try lighting some candles for a soothing atmosphere. Be sure to also have some plants in your workspace as research suggests that plants help to relieve stress and increase your mood and positivity! Likewise, research also suggests that people who work remotely tend to be happier and more loyal employees! This is due to the fact that employees have more time to develop their own interests outside of work. It is a well known fact that as humans we are multi-faceted beings who develop many aspects of lives alongside our career which helps us to sustain happiness. Working from home has been proven to lower stress levels in employees as they can spend time with their partner or friends, schedule in time to develop hobbies and have time to relax outside of working hours. Read more: 5 Ways to Boost Productivity Whilst Working Another benefit of working remotely is that believe it or not, you can actually save a lot of money! Whether through saving petrol money if you have a long commute to work, or the additional costs of working in a city. Whilst we’re not able to go out for lunch or coffee at the moment, you can still take advantage of the benefits of working from home by socialising virtually and cutting back on the cost of going out! Organise a Netflix Party evening, or make some home-made cocktails to chill at the weekend! What’s more, research shows that working remotely can have the same potential impact on air quality as planting an entire forest of ninety-one million trees. Save money, and help contribute to reducing climate change. Statistics have also shown that people who opt to work remotely at least part-time have reduced the number of vehicles on the road by 7.8 billion vehicles! This means that an incredible three million tons of greenhouse gases are not used either. By reducing the amount of cars on the road, this has an incredible impact on our environment and reduces the amount of greenhouse gas emissions, oil, pollution, traffic congestion and psychological impact of commuting (i.e. stress caused through traffic jams and delays). Another advantage of working from home is that you can easily customise your work environment. Whether that’s through wall art, posters, positive messages, plants, even the perfect lighting - you can create a workspace that suits you! By creating the space you like to work in you will find that you optimise your creativity and productivity, allowing you to work for longer. You can also customise your workspace with a standing desk! A recent review by Stylight pointed out that, "The table is like an attachment for our conventional desk so that we can work on it while standing. Thanks to its minimalist design, it is extremely space-saving and easy to use. The birch wood used for the height-adjustable Harmoni-Desk comes from sustainable European forestry. So the standing desk is already on our wish list!" By opting to use ergonomic, sustainable furniture you can easily customise your workspace when working remotely. With our Harmoni desk stand, you can also quickly assemble and collapse your desk back down again; meaning that you are able to build your workstation really easily and have the flexibility to use the space in your house however you like. Our Harmoni standing desks are very versatile given that they are stylish, sustainable and easily portable. One of the best advantages of working from home is that you have increased flexibility during the day! During your lunch break, you can take advantage of the fact that you can finish off any chores or housework you have been working on. Additionally, you can also opt to go for a quick lunch time walk, listen to music or a podcast, or even phone a friend. Often when we work in the office we find ourselves chatting to colleagues or even running errands which can be fun but also tiring, especially during your lunch break. Use your time wisely when working remotely and take advantage of the little things you can do to feel uplifted and ready for your afternoon of work. There are many benefits of working from home including increased flexibility and time, saving money and working during the day in an environment and way that suits you! However, there are also many other advantages which working remotely can do. When done correctly, you can actually be more productive and really feel a sense of accomplishment after completing your tasks and day of work. Working remotely can also encourage you to reach out to people you might not usually. Whether through a quick phone call to catch up, or even a message on Slack, you can check back in with your colleagues throughout the day and send supportive messages of encouragement to one another. As we all continue to adapt to working remotely, remind yourself of the importance of your role on a daily basis. A tip we recommend is to write out some positive affirmations which you either stick on your wall, or come back to at another time. By making some small, positive changes to our daily habits, working from home can be fun and an energising, independent way of working which you can easily adapt to suit you! How do you find working from home? Let us know by emailing katie@harmoni.design - we’d love to hear from you! ‘10 benefits and disadvantages of working from home’ by Anna Delves and Lauren Hellicar <https://www.simplybusiness.co.uk/knowledge/articles/2020/03/benefits-of-working-from-home/> ‘The Benefits of Working from Home: Why the Pandemic isn’t the Only Reason to Work Remotely’ by Emily Courtney <https://www.flexjobs.com/blog/post/benefits-of-remote-work/> ‘7 Science Backed Benefits of Indoor Plants’ <https://www.healthline.com/health/healthy-home-guide/benefits-of-indoor-plants> ‘The State of Remote Work in 2020’ <https://gigworker.com/remote-work-2019/> ‘Average Commute Times Now Takes 59 Minutes with Workers Travelling For Longer Than Ever Before’ <https://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/average-commute-time-59-minutes-record-work-tuc-a9204031.html> ‘Three Little Leaves’ <https://www.threelittleleaves.co.uk/> ‘HelloMariLu’ <https://www.hellomarilu.com/collections/prints>1) Working From Home Saves You Time
2) Get Cosy and Comfy While Working at Home
3) Save Money
4) Create Your Own Work Environment
5) Get some chores done during lunch time
Conclusion
Sources
