📅 Saturday, May 26th 2018
⏱ 3 minutes read
Working remotely is a whole different world.
Transitioning from the traditional office-space environment can be really challenging. If you want to be productive, you have to seriously commit instead of considering it as a permanent day off.
Succinctly, my reasons for deciding to go with this lifestyle were:
Avoiding commuting
Getting back these ~10 hours per week of contemplating life in the subway is pretty sweet. Believe me, when there are strikes or heavy rain my morning tea tastes a bit better.
Having healthier diet
Having to catch-up with means of transportation can result in skipping breakfast. Working in a dedicated office cube can result in having something quick for lunch and nothing else. And finally, forgetting to drink water is pretty common.
Being able to cook a rich breakfast and having quality snacks around are awesome perks I've come to value highly.
Improving bad posture habits
Sitting down for long periods of time and reaching for the screen can cause some serious long-term issues:
Being able to take a moment off to stretch, or even better to set up a dedicated standing-desk can do wonders.
Avoiding a noisy office
Sometimes you just want to do some work and call it a day. No watercooler conversations, no mandatory fun, just some honest work.
Initially, everything is amazing. Then you realize that your little day interactions are gone. Being a hermit in your house is extremely dangerous, and this is the biggest caveat of remote working.
So what do you do?
Work from different places
The simplest solution is to rent a coworking space for a day or two. Commute, walk up and down the streets and find a nice spot surrounded by people. The change of scenery can give really give a boost to your productivity.
Be a digital nomad
If you're working remotely, why work from a coworking space downtown instead of out of your AirBnB apartment in, say, Lisbon? Of course, this isn't sustainable in the long run, but a unique opportunity for those who can justify this lifestyle every three or four months.
Do more activities
In the end, limiting yourself to working from home can open a whole world of possibilities. Staying home afterward can be really difficult, so trying things out of your comfort zone will enrich you as a person.
Other problems include:
Difficulties in communications
Overcommunicating isn't a bad thing. If anything it's expected and welcome so everyone knows what's going on.
Feeling that someone hates your guts
Unless you've come to know your fellow coworkers in person, it's hard to have a complete idea of anyone's personality. 'Assume positive intent' is one of Resin.io motos when it comes to remote working. Not everyone likes to use exclamation marks and emojis. They are probably awesome to hang out though.
I believe that so far my expectations have been met. Working alone can be daunting at first, but eventually, you get some much peace of mind that it's all worth it.
It's pretty nice to really get a feel for your house. Working surrounded by your art, furniture and colors might seem like something minor, but personally, it helps me being relaxed and concentrated.
It would be difficult to go back to a dedicated office space, but certainly doable. At the moment though working remotely offers some great options that can't pass.