How Remote Work Helps Me Keep Things Interesting

On the days I come into the office, I have a strict routine. It begins the night before; I try to go to bed early knowing that I need to be awake before the sun. That morning, my alarm wakes me up at 6:30 am. BEEP BEEP. I get up, brush my teeth, put on my outfit for the day and (sometimes) make my lunch.

My mom drives me to the train station as I drink my breakfast smoothie. I hop on the 7:41 am train to Boston (yup, gotta love those random train times). The train ride takes about an hour and 20 minutes because of all the stops on the way to the station. I get off at the last stop and walk about a mile to my office.

My commute doesn’t end there. After work, I walk back to the train station and take an hour ride home. Luckily, the train has a few less stops going back to my town. My mom or brother pick me up from the station and we head home. 

Adding it up, I spend about 3 and a half hours commuting per day. That's a lot of time I could spend doing other things. On top of this, the train costs $10.50 each way, and working in the city often tempts me to eat out for lunch, which all adds up pretty fast.  

Now, the days I am working from home give me much more leeway as to how I spend my day. The night before, I can stay up later and spend more time with my friends and family, which makes me very happy. I get up an hour and a half later than usual, at 8 am. I feel much more refreshed and ready to start my day; I am not even mad at my alarm clock! 

I get up, put on a comfy outfit, brush my teeth and walk downstairs to eat some breakfast. Jumping into work, I log on to my work computer and begin my day. During lunch break, I cook my food in my kitchen, saving a lot of money and time because I didn’t have to make a lunch in the morning or buy it at a restaurant.

Since I’m at home, I have more flexibility to work when I am feeling productive. I can work from 8-4, 9-5, or take a two-hour lunch break and work until 6. Working on my own time helps me get me get things done the most efficiently. 

After work, I have more energy and time, so I head to the gym or go for a walk in my neighborhood. I have a great workout, then come home to eat dinner. I feel more productive when I eliminate my commuting and overall, I feel like my time was well spent. Being able to work remotely is a luxury I feel so grateful to have. 

I wouldn’t have this opportunity without access to the technology that allows me to stay in constant communication with co-workers, no matter where I am.

The Benefits of Remote Work

There are simply so many benefits that come with working from home that I experience.

I save so much money when I work remote, and as a struggling college student that is important to me. If I were to take the train every day I work, it would cost me $105 a week. Cooking my own lunch in my kitchen saves me around $50 a week. These things add up and being able to save some days ends up making a huge difference.

My energy levels are also higher. Being able to get that extra sleep, even just a couple times a week, makes my days better. That, along with working when I am feeling most productive lets me to get work done most efficiently. 

Now don’t get me wrong, I love my office. My coworkers are so fun to be around, we play cornhole and crack jokes all day. But honestly, it can be quite distracting sometimes. On occasion I need to be alone to get in the zone for work, and being at home allows me to do this with ease. 

Adjusting to Working From Home

When I first started working from home, I realized it also came with some difficulties. I wasn’t sure what days would be best to work from home vs work in the office. I wanted to ensure I stayed focused without supervision.

I work with my manager each week to decide what days are best to work remote, and what days I need to be in the office to do things like shoot a video for social media content. Also, when I feel like I need guidance while at home, I shoot him a message to see what I should be doing to stay focused and on track. Our technology allows us to communicate quickly so I can easily receive feedback. Like most things, I needed to adjust to working from home. But once I did, it felt effortless.  

On some days, the office is a great environment for me to get inspired, and other days I require a break from the long commute and office distractions. By simply changing my environment a couple of days, my life improves drastically. Having this flexibility to do remote work is so important to me while working a full-time job because sometimes it can feel like I’m stuck in a rut when I am doing the same routine every single day.

Remote work gives employees a chance to have a real work-life balance, instead of living to work every single day.