Top Reasons to Work from Home

Control

What most people appreciate about working from home is the control they have over their schedules and other factors of work environment. Let us look at these in detail:

1. You have flexibility. The most compelling aspect of working from home is the flexibility it provides.  Be it timing or space, the control lies with you to a large extent.
2. Choose your space. You can choose to work from where it suits you.  You can put up an NBA superstar on the wall that faces you if you wish. Or a vase of flowers. Work in the bedroom or study.  The choices are endless.
3. Control your schedule. Most remote jobs allow you to work around your schedule at home. Say you have to accompany your child to a school meeting; informing your workplace in advance and getting that leeway is generally acceptable and in fact one of the big pluses of working from home.
4. Decide upon how much you will work. Exactly how much you can put it at work, in terms of hours and output, is again something you have control over when you begin to work from home.  State clearly the terms and conditions with your future employer when you enter into an agreement.
5. Determine timings at your convenience. Some might find it easier to work during the day when the kids are away; for others, it is better to work in the late evenings when all the home duties are done.
6. Control on your income.  Necessarily work is to earn money, so the more you earn the better it is for you. However, working from home gives you a chance to exercise control over how much and how soon.
7. Design your own space. No need to depend upon the office to provide you with comfortable seating or otherwise.  You can now choose your own ergonomics.
8. Get your own equipment.  Many workspaces need you to share equipment or prioritize based on someone else’s needs if there is some shortfall.  This might lead to some conflicts, especially in pressure situations. Avoid all that at home.

Savings

‘Time is money’ is one of the commonest phrases we have grown up with.  When you save time working from home, you make more time for other pursuits, all of which add value.

1. Save time. Saving time on commuting to and from work is one of the chief draws of remote work. It can be quite a hassle to travel daily. 
2. Save money. No travel instantly means savings on commute. And believe me, these can be really significant savings.
3. Save on wardrobe budget. Working in an office necessitates formals which do not come cheap.  One needs to portion out quite a significant amount for the same.
4. Save on childcare. If you are away from home for an office job you will invariably have to arrange for childcare if there are small children around. This is done away with in remote work.
5. Save on pet care. Many of you have pets at home who would also require attention if you are on an office job.  With a home job, you can look after them well.
6. No need for formal attire. You can do away with those formal shoes and handbags immediately once you are working from home.  What a relief that can be! There is no need to maintain a formal wardrobe or keep upgrading it often.
7. Fewer overheads.  You save on maintaining your vehicle if you had been using one for commuting.

Personal Time

You get to do things for yourself and your loved ones in your spare time in a way that would perhaps not have been possible with a regular office job and the daily commute.

1. Spend time with children. Kids need love, care, attention, and someone to hear them out at all times. Working from home means you get to be around them.
2. Attend school meets. There are sports events and presentations that you simply cannot make time for in a rigid office setting. Much easier to be present when working from home.
3. Being in touch with friends. Make sure to catch up with friends on a regular basis.  They bring in a breath of fresh air and much-needed human interaction.
4. Catching up on movies. It need not be all work and no play. In fact, make sure it isn’t that way.  Going out for a movie or a play in town at times is a wonderful way to rejuvenate yourself.  And working from home allows you to do that.
5. Care for your pets. Being at home means you can look after your pets and take care of their needs. There is no need to depend on others.
6. Indulge in your hobbies. You are home and saving time on reaching work. Use this time to indulge in a pet hobby that you have been neglecting for a long time.
7. Be around for family. Whatever is said to the contrary and the need for family to grow up and be independent, fact remains that they do need to function as a whole.  Being at home means you can be there for them all.
8. Catch up on reading. This is indeed an indulgence one does not get in the hectic office situation. And then the ‘to read’ list just piles up.
9. Power naps. Imagine trying to take a teeny nap at work. No way!! Even if you are dying to.  This is an indulgence for the home worker provided you set an alarm of course.

Financial Benefits

Again a very important aspect of choosing to work from home is the positive impact you hope to gain in your finances.  We look at some ways in which you benefit by moving to a remote working position.

1. Available tax benefits. It is often easier to available tax benefits for those working from home.  Consult your tax specialist in order to get this advantage.
2. Choose the nature of the job. You get to choose what job you take up. Some work from home jobs is essentially very well paying.  If you have particular skill sets for those, you reap very good profits.
3. Acquiring equipment from home. It is quite possible; in fact most likely, that everything you need to begin working from home is right here at home to get you started. You can get going directly without having to spend too much to set up a home office.
4. Save on food.  Working from home means you get to eat healthy home food which comes at a lower cost too. Office work does not always include food and often one buys off the shelf that is costlier.

Acquiring New Skills

The digital world is evolving every passing minute. One cannot afford to stay stagnant and still hope to make it big in this environment.  As you go along, keep looking at adding new skill sets to stay relevant.

1. Upgrade yourself. One can only learn more on-the-job. It is easy to upgrade one’s knowledge and skill sets while on the job itself.
2. Branch out. As you keep working online from home, you get to explore many different options that might be more suited to your qualifications.  Make sure to acquire full knowledge of these and move in newer directions.
3. Learn new skills. You have the computer at your disposal as well as time and privacy needed.  This is the time to enrol for a new course or training session that will add something extra to your resume.
4. Begin a side business. With saving of time and money, you can put it to good use by investing your skills in a new business altogether that can go along with your regular work.

Health Benefits

There are health benefits accrued from working from home which are usually not given much importance.  These are very important in the long run since they add positivity to your overall well being.

1. Maintain a schedule. Eating on time, having a slot for exercise, walking around, these are things you must include in your daily work routine when working from home.  This is because doing these helps with productivity.  Working to a schedule also means you stick to a healthy lifestyle.
2. Go ‘gymming’. Commuting to and from work does not often allow time for oneself.  With working from home it is easier to stay fit by taking some time off for ‘gymming’. In fact, you can just move to the treadmill in the next room and get vigorous exercise before hitting work again.
3. Make time for pilates. Pilates is a wonderful way to achieve overall physical fitness and keeping the mind sharp and focused.  It is not realistic to take time out for pilates from a busy office schedule. However, it is easy to do this in a work from home job.
4. Have an exercise routine. On a remote job, to remove distractions you need to adopt a regular exercise routine. Adhering to this only benefits you more by adding to your health.
5. Eat healthy. Although many of us tend to sway just because we are at home and that tempting piece of pie is just a refrigerator door away, it is in fact easier to eat healthy at home. Instead of the typical office food over endless cups of coffee, you can toss in a fresh salad; add fruit and some health drink to make a healthy meal.
6. Stay hygienic. Shared spaces can be unhygienic to say the least. Too many people crowding into washrooms and unhealthy practices can be detrimental to health.

Self-Improvement Skills 

Working from home requires lot of control over mind and these skills, once acquired, are life lessons.

1. You get to practice restraint. Home can be full of distractions all the time. But there are deadlines to meet at work. How will you do that without self-restraint?
2. Build self-control. You will realize how it is not really difficult to control one’s mind when you put yourself in a situation that demands so. This is a learning that will be useful in your daily life too. 
3. Practice time management. A life skill that you imbibe when working on a home job and something which will help you throughout.
4. Improve multitasking. Again an acquired skill that comes with managing different aspects of home as well as demands of your job. 
5. Work to a routine. You just cannot achieve your goals or complete your tasks if you cannot set a routine for yourself. As mentioned above, this too is a life skill that helps inculcate discipline which is required for all aspects of life.
6. Improve focus. The ability to focus solely on the issue at hand leaving aside all distractions is an essential quality required in life. That you get to practice the same at work only hones your skill and makes you more effective in life.

Satisfaction at Work

A satisfied worker is a productive worker. Normally home workers fit this description well.

1. Do what you love. You are preferably working on a job you love, from the convenience of home, and earning. There cannot be anything better.
2. Doing your duties. Being home, you are there for your loved ones. You can work guilt-free and attend to household chores at the same time.
3. Happy person. Since you are doing a job that is after your heart while attending to your close ones you are bound to be in a happy frame of mind.  What better option could be there!
4. Chance to be your own boss. There are some of us who do not like to be told what to do.  Home jobs allow one to start off on their own, and be their own bosses.
5. Begin your own start-up.  For those of you with a bent of mind for new ideas to revolutionize the world, working from home allows for great start-up jobs.
6. Less stress at work. A happier and more satisfied employee means a less stressed and more productive employee.
7. Work-life conflicts are less. This is a great reason to choose remote work. Office employees face constant conflicts with personal priorities getting compromised.

Handling Situations at Home is Easier

The home front being neglected in an office setting is a real worry for most, and working from home goes a long way in addressing this issue.

1. You can tend to those who are unwell better. Guilt-free nursing and time dedicated to family members in case they need you.
2. If unwell yourself you can rest and work. If you are the one who is unwell you can still work and grab some rest in between if you are at home.
3. Attend to personal Issues. There are plumbers, electricians, and salespeople who you can easily attend to if you are working from home and need not wait for the weekend to address these issues.
4. Do home chores. Any home has an endless ‘to do’ list. Being at home while working on your job you have the openings to grab and do chores through your day.
5. Help with homework. Kids need help with their homework. It is possible to do this much more easily if your presence is there.
6. Take kids to parks or classes. Evenings are the times when children want to go out to play or attend fun classes. You can always carry your laptop and continue working there.
7. Prepare and have dinner between works. Again something to be done in between work, getting stuff chopped and churned in time to get dinner ready fast.
8. Look after your plants. Homes are elevated by the presence of plants and greenery.  You can easily tend to them in between handling your work.

You Develop New Skills

There is no end to learning and growing and you will soon discover this aspect on your work-from-home journey.

1. Set boundaries more easily. With kids and family and friends, you will not feel awkward reinforcing the need for work time.
2. Learn to solve technical problems. Since you will be on your own, you have to equip yourself with basic skills to handle small glitches that arise.
3. Reclaim you space. You will be more assertive in your ways in a manner that will help you reclaim your presence as an individual in the family setup.
4. Economic independence. This is a huge gain for you when you have your own source of income and do not have to depend on others for all your needs.
5. Rope in family to help. Delegating responsibilities and seeing they get done needs firm implementation and your job needs will make sure you do that.

Reasons Employers Look for Home-Based Workers

Employers find home workers greatly motivated and look for them specifically for certain job profiles, hence increasing employability.

1. Benefit to the company.  It will be of benefit to a company if you are a focused employee working from home on a job.
2. Relocation savings. You are more a pull as a remote worker since the company does not have to worry about relocation costs. 
3. Less office distraction.  An office setting can be very distracting too.  There are meaningless conversations by the famed coffee machines as well as people popping into your cubicle. Or there might be needless office mail pinging through the day.
4. Improved technology helps.  The digital world is evolving daily. Technology to ease out problems and troubleshoot better is coming forth.
5. Not bound by geography.  Neither you nor your employer need to be bound by distances and geography. As long as you are adept at working it really does not matter.
6. Increasing scope.  Every day brings new advances and openings for you as well as companies.  Employers look for efficient people to do their jobs.
7. Ability to do more work.  Workflow might increase unexpectedly at times and regular employees might not be available to handle that.  Companies can count on remote employees to do this job for them at odd hours.
8. Availability during off days.  Again due to unexpected work-load or simply to handle a deadline that spills over, banking on remote workers is always easier for companies.
9. Easier employability. Keeping in mind the benefits a remote worker brings to the company, companies now are more open to hiring them, in turn, increasing employment opportunities for remote workers.

Unknown but Pleasant Facets

We look at some of the less highlighted but pleasant facts related to working from home and why they are compelling enough for you to choose this option.

1. You do not need a degree for some home jobs. Not all jobs need degrees and if you are not equipped, there are still many jobs out there.
2. Improved communications. As part of the nature of home jobs, you have to have great communication skills in order to get through your day.
3. Professional approach with a personal touch. You will develop a blend of professionalism with a personalized approach which is a life skill to help you in all your interactions.
4. Make new friends. There is a new world of friends and like-minded people out there waiting for you.  It is always good to build new connections some of which might blossom into unexpected bonds.
5. Family values you more. There is an element of being taken for granted when one is at home and not engaged in ‘work’ on behalf of a company.  This attitude will go out of the window once you are ‘gainfully’ employed and working from home.  It is always great to earn the respect of the family.

Social Relevance and Other Benefits

Being able to give back to society and other attractive facets of remote work are addressed below:

1. Helping the elderly. Being available at home means you can help senior citizens in your area if you are so inclined, paying their bills, etc. online.
2. Community service. Issues that are close to your heart but for which you do not have time.  Many times such services need more than your money.  It is your time they look for.
3. Volunteer more. Many remote employees report that they are increasingly able to devote time towards volunteering because of the happy space they are in. Causes close to their hearts get more time and attention.
4. Less carbon footprint. A person working from home invariably produces less carbon footprint and hence helps the environment.  Not commuting, having controlled heating or cooling as well as going for digital rather than paper notes helps.
5. Make retirement easier. For those of you who might be nearing retirement but still want to remain active, working from home helps to bridge the gap and the suddenness of the whole thing. Also, you can continue to work if you get the hang of it.
6. Minimal basic preparedness.  Working from home jobs usually require you to have very little in the form of infrastructure. A good internet connection, a working phone and a laptop with earphones is mostly all that is needed.
7. Increased networking skills. Nature of remote work is such that you have to engage with co-workers online. Your work might need you to get in touch with recruiters too. It will pay in the long run to remain connected and increase networking.
8. Sharing space. In your search for better work conditions at home along with your network, it is quite possible to come upon someone with similar profile and hence share working space. This will take care of tedium and create a healthy environment.
9. Browsing meaninglessly. At times one needs to do this to get out of the work routine/boredness. However, an office often does not allow for that with firewalls and controls. At home, you can do this unsupervised although with controls and alarms in place.
10. You will no longer need any reasons to work from home. Last but definitely not least, once you are officially working from home, you will not need to furnish excuses for why you might need to work from home in the first place.

How to Handle Working Alone?

Is it okay to take a break? Tedium tends to set in when one works at home and is without real contact for hours at a time.  It is not only okay to take a break from work, it is absolutely essential.  This is how you will be able to shake off monotony and return to work with renewed enthusiasm.

How does space sharing work? For people with similar job descriptions, working together makes a lot of sense. You get like-minded company to begin with.  The boredom gets addressed too with a real person next to you. Problem-solving and resource sharing are that much easier with space sharing.

Facing any situation to the best of one’s abilities within limitations and constraints is what makes a success out of every venture. We have listed the top reasons for you to take up remote work.  Make a combination of reasons work for you.