Summary. The benefits of working from home include having a better work-life balance, having the flexibility to take care of and spend time with family and friends, and not spending time and energy commuting twice a day.
Working from home has become a staple of the American workforce, whether it’s a few days a week or full-time. This work arrangement can be controversial, but it has a few indisputable benefits.
In this article, we’ll discuss ten benefits of working from home, as well as some common downsides and how you can overcome or offset them.
Key Takeaways:
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The top three benefits of working from home are having a better work-life balance, having the flexibility to take care of children and family members, and not having a commute.
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Working from home can be cheaper, healthier, and more environmentally sustainable than working in an office.
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Remote work downsides, such as never being “off” and getting easily distracted, can be combatted by creating healthy, structured routines.
10 Benefits of Working From Home
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A Better Work-Life Balance
Usually, remote work comes with at least some form of flexibility in your schedule, which is conducive to a healthier work-life balance. When you’re at home all day, you can spend your breaks chatting with your family members (in person or on the phone) or working on a hobby rather than hanging out with coworkers.
You can also often adjust your schedule so that you’re able to run an errand, go to a doctor’s appointment, or watch your kid’s soccer game.
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Flexibility for Childcare
If your kids are home sick, you can stay with them without having to take a whole day off when you have a remote job. In addition, being able to work from home can eliminate the need for older kids to be home alone or with a babysitter after school or during breaks.
You might still need to take some time off if your kids need more attention than usual, but this time is much less significant than if you had to clock out of the office all day.
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No Commute
Commutes are extra time you don’t get to spend at home, with family and friends, or doing something you actually enjoy. Not only that, but they can also be a source of stress in themselves, especially if you have to drive routes with high levels of rush hour traffic.
When you work from home, you don’t have to deal with a commute, saving you time and stress.
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Lower Expenses
The costs of gas, food, and professional wear that are all necessary for working in an office can all add up quickly.
With no commute, you won’t have to pay for as much gas or put as many miles on your car. Since you can just go to your kitchen for lunch or a snack, you don’t have to pay as much for portable snacks and can always eat leftovers with minimal meal prep effort.
And, since you don’t have to be in the office, all you have to have are presentable tops instead of an entire work wardrobe. All of this adds up to lighten the load on your budget.
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Easier to Create Healthy Habits
When you work from home, you have access to your entire refrigerator and pantry, making it easier to avoid getting takeout, to snack on something besides the donuts someone always brings to the office, and to stick to your healthy eating plans.
Since you don’t usually need to look as put together and can have some more flexibility when working from home, it’s also easier to get in a quick walk, run, or yoga workout during the day.
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A Cozy, Customized Workspace
Gone are the days of dull cubicles, harsh fluorescent lighting, and thermostat wars. When you work from home, you can enjoy making your workspace exactly how you like it. And, if getting out of the house sounds appealing, you can move to a coworking space or coffee shop.
Even if you don’t have the space for a dedicated desk, you can still wear comfy slippers, set the thermostat exactly how you want it, and sip coffee out of your favorite mug rather than a paper cup.
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Improved Productivity
Without the unnecessary interruptions that come with an office, you can be much more productive than you would be at the office. Plus, without the stress of a commute, you’ll be able to start your day with more energy when you’re working from home.
All of this can add up to an improved performance, which can benefit your career in the long run.
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Ability to Take Work on the Road
If you can work from home, you may be able to take your work to your friend’s guest house in the mountains or a luxury hotel on the beach. This opens up a world of travel possibilities with minimal cost to your PTO.
Whether your kid has an out-of-town baseball tournament, your college best friend is having a destination wedding, or you just want a change of scenery, turn your work from home into work from wherever.
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Freedom to Live Anywhere
Unless you’re required to go into the office regularly, working from home allows you to live anywhere you want. This means that you don’t need to relocate if you want to live closer to family, or if you just want a change of scenery, you can move without the hassle of having to find a new job.
You may even be able to try out living in another country without having to give up your paycheck.
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A Decreased Environmental Impact
Simply not commuting to work every day decreases your environmental impact significantly. In addition, working from home typically requires using less heating, air conditioning, and materials like paper, which also makes a positive impact on the environment.
You can also ensure all of your waste is composted or recycled when you’re in charge of its disposal yourself rather than trusting it to your office.
The Downsides of Working From Home and How to Overcome Them
As with anything, there are a few downsides to working from home that many people encounter. We’ll mention a few, as well as ways to help minimize them.
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Increased isolation. Even if your coworkers drive you crazy, spending all day alone can be damaging to many people’s mental health. It’s also more difficult to get to know and connect with your coworkers when you rarely interact with them in person.
If you notice yourself feeling isolated, here are a few ideas to try:
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Work at a coffee shop, library, or coworking space one or two days a week.
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Find a friend or coworker who also works remotely and work together from one of your homes once a week.
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Join a local, in-person book club.
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Commit to getting coffee or lunch with a friend or coworker once a week.
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Call or video chat with a long-distance friend or family member during lunch.
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Organize regular get-togethers for your local remote coworkers.
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Decreased collaboration. Few people can vouch for virtual meetings being as productive or meaningful as in-person meetings, especially when participants keep their cameras off. Plus, working from home limits the impromptu conversations where so many problems are solved, and ideas are formed.
To help make up for this, you could try:
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Having in-person meetings once a month.
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Setting up regular one-on-one meetings with team members.
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Protecting yourself from creativity blockers such as back-to-back meetings or constant email notifications.
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Setting up a shared brainstorming document where your team can dump ideas and comment on them as they’re able to.
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Blurred lines between work and personal life. It’s all too easy to never really be “off” when you work from home. While being able to switch back and forth between personal and work responsibilities has its benefits, not having a clear line between work time and personal time can take its toll on you and your relationships.
The best way to prevent this from happening is to set firm boundaries around your work hours. This doesn’t mean you have to work them all in one block if you need breaks to pick up your kids or walk your dog, but it does mean that you have to protect your work hours like you would if you were an office.
Here are some ideas to help you do this:
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Set a firm start time and end time.
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Keep your workstation in an area separate from your living and sleeping areas, or at least shut down your computer and put away your files at the end of every day so you can’t see them.
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Create a starting up and closing down routine so your brain knows it’s time to shift gears. Shut down your computer and clean your space, go for a walk, or make your to-do list for the next day, for example.
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Ask a friend or family member to keep you accountable for maintaining set work hours.
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Don’t check your email after your work hours are done.
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Take a lunch break away from your desk.
Keeping your work and personal lives separate takes some practice and discipline, but it’s worth it for both your work productivity and your personal wellness.
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Difficulty staying focused. It’s difficult to resist the call of an unfolded pile of laundry or a half-painted wall when you’re working from home. It’s also difficult to resist online shopping or scrolling social media when your boss can’t stop by unexpectedly. These distractions can take a toll on your productivity.
Try out some of these tips for improving your focus:
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Set timers to work for 45 minutes and then take a 15-minute where you can fold that laundry or work on painting that wall.
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Use breaks to do things that actually rejuvenate you – take a quick walk, make a healthy, delicious snack, or play with your dog rather than scrolling social media.
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Get a change of scenery by working outside, at a coffee shop, or in a different room in your house.
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Write down your distracting ideas, such as “research shade-loving plants” or “shop for St. Patrick’s Day decor,” as they pop into your mind so you don’t feel like you have to do them right that instant, or you’ll forget.
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Hide or delete social media and other distracting apps from your phone during work hours.
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Working From Home FAQ
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What are the pros and cons of working from home?
The pros and cons of working from home include:
Pros:
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A better work-life balance
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More flexibility with childcare
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No commute
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Lower expenses
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Less difficulty in creating healthy habits
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A cozy, customized workspace
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Improved productivity
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The ability to take work on the road
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The freedom to live anywhere
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A decreased environmental impact
Cons:
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Increased isolation
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Less collaboration
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Difficulty keeping your work and personal lives separate
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Is working from home actually better?
For some jobs, working from home is actually better than working in an office. Productivity either stays the same or increases, and employees are more satisfied, improving turnover rates.
For some highly collaborative jobs, however, working from home is not as effective, as it’s more difficult to share ideas and solutions when virtual communication is the only option. In addition, some individuals thrive working from home, while others struggle with the isolation and lack of boundaries between work time and “off” time.
In these cases, a hybrid schedule might be a better fit.
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Why is working from home less stressful?
Working from home is less stressful because you don’t have a frustrating commute, you encounter fewer office politics, and you can pivot more easily when you have something come up in your personal life.
Many people can also sleep longer and worry less about packing lunch, picking an outfit, and getting out the door on time, which all lowers stress.
Final Thoughts
Working from home is here to stay, and it has many benefits for employees. From increased flexibility to more opportunities to do the things they love to do, remote work often results in happier, healthier employees.
While there are some downsides to this arrangement, they can often be overcome with some creativity and diligence.
References
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University of Cincinnati – The Future of Work: What’s The Future of Work From Home?
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Harvard Business School – How Companies Benefit When Employees Work Remotely
Author
Caitlin Mazur
Caitlin Mazur is a freelance writer at Zippia where she has written 140+ articles that have reached over 1 mil viewers as of June 2023. Caitlin is passionate about helping Zippia’s readers land the jobs of their dreams by offering content that discusses job-seeking advice based on experience and extensive research.
