In this world of permanent changes, you must have heard, for sure, the expression remote work… but do you know exactly what it means?
Going straight to the point, we can say that working remotely means carrying out a professional activity remotely, whether essentially online or not.
The reason for this definition, although the activity you carry out is not directly linked to the Internet, such as , is based on the fact that the use of technologies is the common factor of all types of remote work, since they are the ones that facilitate this type of interaction.
It is obvious that this type of service is more common in professions directly related to the Internet, such as software developer, content producer and web designer.
But don’t forget that, even if you have a profession seen as traditional – teacher or lawyer, for example -, if you don’t need to move from home to carry out your daily activities, then your job fits exactly into that modality.
Advantages of remote work
Remote work has been chosen by various professionals due to the advantages it provides.
We present below the 5 main reasons that drive them to choose this modality:
1. No need to leave home
When you work remotely, you can carry out your activities in your own home or in any other place where you want to work, such as a coworking space, for example.
The biggest advantage is that you will not have to deal with small doses of everyday stress, such as:
- Spending hours in traffic to get to the company or on the way home;
- Take crowded public transportation;
- Cope with bad weather, such as rain and strong winds.
2. Being able to spend more time with family
Since remote work allows you to carry out your activities at home, consequently you can.
This is a great advantage, especially for those who have children and want to follow their development closely.
In addition to being excellent for children, who grow up with their parents always close by, it is also very interesting for parents, mainly in terms of increasing their quality of life.
3. Have time for personal projects
Do not think that it is only people who have children who prefer to work at home.
By working remotely, you will surely have more time to do personal projects, for example study more, go to the gym or even learn a new hobby.
Do you remember that we said that you do not need to leave home to go to the company?
For this reason, all the time spent on the commute from work to home can be used by reusing it in specific activities. Remember that, as long as you organize your time well, you will be able to transform into reality the plans that you have left behind due to other needs that you considered more important at the time.
4. Being able to work from anywhere in the world
Since remote work does not require a specific office for you to carry out your activities, you can of the world, as long as you have access to the Internet.
This is a great advantage because you can get to know other places and cultures without having to give up your career.
5. Become more productive
Many people work better in quiet environments.
If you need more focus on your tasks, remote work can help you be even more productive, as distractions as a result of noise and side conversations is a factor you don’t have to worry about.
In addition, since the routine and work schedule are under your responsibility, you can choose the times when you feel most willing to carry out your activities.
Some people feel more ready in the morning, while others prefer the evening. Regardless of the time you choose, always remember that you have to adapt your tasks to times in which you can work better and, therefore, .
Disadvantages of remote work
Since not everything is flowers, of course working remotely also has some disadvantages.
We separate the 5 main challenges of those who work remotely:
1. Lack of organization
A big problem faced by those who work remotely is the lack of organization, especially when it comes to the workspace.
If you work at home, you may find it difficult to dedicate an environment specifically to work. This difficulty, with the passage of time, can end up confusing the schedules of carrying out your professional tasks with the chores of the house.
It is very important that you define not only the hours to work, but also have a physical space to do it.
In addition to avoiding problems, such as spinal pain from working all day sitting in bed, you help your body and brain understand that this specific period is for your professional activities.
2. Accumulation of tasks
The accumulation of tasks is closely related to the lack of organization of time.
It may be that, by working at home, you take on more activities than you actually manage to accomplish, resulting in delivery delays or even sleepless nights to meet deadlines.
In addition to damaging your health, it is likely that you do not perform your tasks in the best possible way.
That is why we advise you that, although you can work in the place and at the time you want, remember to take responsibility for what you can really do.
3. Isolation
Working alone has its advantages mainly in terms of silence. However, over time, you may feel a bit isolated and lonely.
The Internet emerged to facilitate our communication with those who are far away, but it can also aggravate contact, especially when people do not need to talk in person to make a decision.
If you start to feel the lack of working close to other people, today there are coworking spaces where you have the possibility to take your personal computer and work close to other professionals like you.
In addition, an alternative is to participate in face-to-face events in your area not only to gain more market knowledge, but also to .
4. Communication problems
The fact that you do not participate in person, that is, in contact with other people who work with you, can cause communication problems, the famous misunderstandings.
This mainly happens if you work in a company that does not have a headquarters and allows all its employees to carry out their activities at home.
To avoid this kind of mishap, try to take care of how clearly you express yourself in your emails and in-app messages (if they choose to use one to communicate).
Another option is always to hold meetings by video conference or phone call. Hearing people’s voices and seeing their expressions makes communication much clearer.
5. Increased household expenses
Do you remember that we said that to have a remote job you need to have access to the Internet?
If you don’t have a good internet plan at home, you may need to get a better one.
In addition, it may increase the cost of your energy bill, since you will need a computer connected for a long time, in addition to the light on during the hours in which you choose to work.
Your food expenses may also increase, since you will be staying at home all day. But if you know how to organize yourself and anticipate your expenses, you will manage for that type of cost.
Ideas to work at home
We know that, if you have entered this post, you are probably thinking about having a remote job.
Many companies still do not accept this option, which makes several professionals look for other alternatives to work at home.
If this is your case and you still don’t know what to do, we suggest you consult our post with more than .
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