Remote work can offer some enticing benefits for work/life balance, but is it really worth it?
A former colleague of mine reached out to me the other day. She had just returned to the office after having her maternity leave. We shared stories of sleepless nights with a newborn and looked at her adorable baby pictures.
She then confided- “I don’t know if I can go back to 40 hours a week in the office- my priorities are just different now.”
I get it. They are.
When you realize you are the most important person this little human’s life, things change.
It’s one reason why I chose to pursue working remotely. One of the many advantages to working remotely is the opportunity for a better work/life balance.
But does it really work out? Is it really worth it?
How Working Remotely Can Help With Work/Life Balance
There are a number of ways that remote work can help with balancing life and work that a traditional office role cannot. Let’s look at a few.
More Flex Time For Kids
A friend once told me that “being a parent is not for the faint hearted.” Boy was he right.
If you’re not dealing with sleep training an infant, snotty nosed toddler years, or moody teenagers, you’re probably not doing it right. It’s par for the parenting course.
But working remotely does offer some flexibility here. You can at least be home when your 5th grader is home with the stomach flu. You can log in as close to starting time as possible to walk your kid to the bus stop. You can check in with your teenager when they walk through the door after a hectic day in junior high.
These are flexibilities not afforded the traditional office worker- and it might make the switch to remote work worth it.
More Time In Your Day
Whether you are saving time on your commute to and from the office, or able to grab a bite for lunch with your partner instead of that annoying office mate or going for a walk in the park down the street- remote work affords you a bit more time in life.
As time is the one commodity no one can buy more of- maximizing time in life that you are in control over should be a premium and make working remotely looking at.
Less Overall Stress
As you are not having to deal with office politics as much (sure, they are still there, but perhaps muted a bit) there is probably overall less stress with the day to day environment.
Couple this with losing the stressful commute and saving a few bucks in the process and you can see why people are actively seeking out remote work.
Of course, every coin has two sides. Let’s look at how working remotely can impair work/life balance.
How Working Remotely Can Make Work/Life Balance Worse
Of course, every coin has two sides.
Let’s look at how working remotely can impair work/life balance.
Your Partner May Not Like You Being Around All The Time
The old saying “familiarity breeds contempt” could ring true here.
Not having appropriate work and life boundaries in place can lead to difficulty within the home – even if you weren’t intending to do that at all. Be aware, this can impair your work life, and your home life.
Remote Work Can Be Lonely
It’s true, my Sheepadoodle is the best office mate I have ever had.
But still, not having that daily interaction with an office staff can be quite isolating and feel very lonely.
Be aware of this and actively fight against it if you are working remotely.
Working Remotely Can Blur The Home/Work lines too much
Not having good work and home boundaries can easily blur the line between the two.
Work can drag on and on into the evening if you are not careful. Or having your work responsibilities suffer as you are tending too much to the home side of things can happen as well.
As you can see, there is a lot to consider if making a switch to Remote Work.
Overall, it depends on you, what your priorities and boundaries are, and if the benefits outweigh the negatives for your situation.
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