Working from home provides many benefits you may not ever have thought of. Better physical and emotional health, as well as improved job performance, are some of the perks you are likely to see.
With today’s advanced technology at our fingertips, it’s easy to keep in touch with long-distance friends and family at the push of a button. It has also become just as easy to stay in contact with our jobs and co-workers outside of the office. No wonder the number of employees who work from home for a company has grown 103 percent since 2005!
As more people move their office to their home, the benefits of such a move are becoming better understood. By simply removing the commute to work from your daily routine, you’ll positively affect your well-being and also your company’s in a variety of ways.
1) Your Body Will Thank You
Recent studies have shown that long-distance commutes – especially during rush hour – can lead to high blood pressure and weight gain. These health concerns end up becoming a downward spiral if not dealt with, often leading to expensive treatments or even hospital visits. Losing paid time from work doesn’t help to pay the medical bills for problems that might have been exacerbated by your commute to that job in the first place.
If you have the ability to cut that commute and work from home, your body will experience some positive changes. You’ll be able to sleep in longer – no more rushing out the door with a half-eaten breakfast or cup of coffee – and your schedule will be more flexible to fit in regular doctor and dentist appointments.
Maintaining your health is better than visiting when symptoms become bad enough.
If you can’t work from home yet, there are some simple exercises and distractions from the stress of a busy commute that you can utilize right now. Consider changing to biking or walking, as driving to work is the most stressful way to travel. If that’s not an option, listening to audiobooks or podcasts can help you feel productive and informed.
You can even create your own audio journal, which is extremely helpful with reducing stress – one of the biggest influences in your blood pressure – as it helps provide an introspective approach to understanding your feelings.
2) You Will Free Your Mind
Since stress is linked to both physical and psychological health, the lack of stressors related to a commute will result in a much more peaceful, healthy mind. Simple freedoms at home – wearing whatever you want, decorating your workspace your own way and even cooking your own lunch – will make you feel less tied to your job and more in control of your life.
Of course, working from home doesn’t suddenly free your entire schedule. However, you will find more flexibility in maintaining your relationships with friends and family. Friends who work odd shifts can be seen in person during their off hours, and family members – especially children – can be cared for more easily.
As social creatures, human beings need positive relationships and working from home can help to strengthen those ties.
Working from home can also really test your self-discipline. You’ll have to set some guidelines for yourself and hold yourself accountable. Will you continue to start work at 9 a.m? Can you finish your day’s work by 5 p.m.? As daunting as this may sound, it can be a good thing. Forcing yourself to take control of how you spend your day can benefit your personal life, as you’ll hold yourself accountable for more. By being in control, you can choose how to balance your work life to complement your personal life.
3) Your Boss Will Appreciate You More
Your personal health and happiness should be enough to convince you to try cutting the commute. In fact, recent studies have proven that even your boss could benefit from those who choose to work from home. By improving your quality of life, you’re more likely to be more productive, which in turn helps your employer.
Your performance may even increase by as much as 13 percent in less than a year.
While your boss might not be the type to constantly watch over your shoulder, there is something to be said about the trust you build with your employer by completing your work without them around. If your boss is the micromanaging type, the separation may be difficult but can be a positive change for both of you. As for any office politics that are bound to float around the cubicles, you’ll be more productive without it. You can breathe easy knowing the immature and unnecessary banter is far away from your desk at home.
Ultimately, the benefits of working at home or in a position that doesn’t require a commute are invaluable to your life and to the success of the business you work for. By looking at how many more people work from home now as opposed to 10 years ago, and by looking at how much technology has advanced and changed how we communicate and work with each other, it’s not unfathomable to say that the number of employees working from home will continue to rise.
With the research done on how this trend positively affects employees, it should be an easy decision to choose health, happiness and freedom for your own life.
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Pic: ©Unsplash
