Why Remote Workers Enjoy Life More

And things we dream of while sitting in the office cubicle

This year started with a new job. I work for a New-York based client, work odd hours, and workload is lighter than the previous one.

Before starting, I moved back to my parents’ house. Here’s the story behind it:

I had no idea that it would turn out well. Moving back home was part of the worst-case scenarios in my mind.

Working remotely gives me the freedom to practice yoga, cycle with my Peanut every morning, eat healthier, fresher food, finish important errands without having to take a day off. I get to read more and spend less.

Austin Kleon, the writer of Show Your Work, said this,

Work is something that you do and not something that you are.

It’s not the work that makes life. It’s working on ourselves to be better, working for our dreams, getting involved in activities and communities that inspire us, doing things we love, spending quality time with our family and friends do.

After months of working remotely, I have to say that I like this set up so much better.

I thought I’d miss sitting with a team, having lunch together, and having a close interaction with a manager or a mentor. I don’t.

On a weekly basis, I deal with very few people. Only five, to be exact. That sits very well with me. There’s no need to be nice and polite and smiley when I don’t want to be. I don’t need to attend team meetings, organize company events, call potential clients and sell a service.

Though I work with the Sales Team, I have no clients to face, nor customers to please. I finish my tasks for the day, that’s it.

No more waking up 2 hours in advance to prepare for work. This is BIG for Filipinos. Our country is known to be notorious for traffic. I have friends and former colleagues who need to wake up at 5 AM to get to work at 7:30 or 8 AM. They spend way too much for parking daily. Commuting via public transportation hasn’t gotten easy either unless you are willing to pay for a Grab car to take you to work.

Getting home is worse because everyone is scrambling to get to the next bus and train. Traveling for 2 hours to get home, is quite normal.

Working from home lets you wake up 30 mins before work starts, have some time in the bathroom and you’re ready to go.

Expenses are much lower. Working from home means you use your own ‘office equipment’ and pay for utilities yourself. You might get distracted easily. However, if you set good and strict boundaries on the time you spend at work and family, that won’t be a problem.

Today, the money I receive from my jobs is spent on things I am passionate about such as my yoga classes. Most important of all, the financial support I can give to my parents has increased.

It removes the pressure of buying what others have, traveling to where others go. Working from home lets you spend within your means.

Time is abundant. Working from home removes the number of hours you spend preparing to get to work, and getting home from the office. It removes you from meetings that could be a big time-killer, interacting often with colleagues that you don’t like, and trying to please the boss by establishing rapport.

I like people, I like one on one meetings, I like giving feedback sessions, I enjoy leading meetings. I was a public speaker and was always surrounded by people. A test I took said I am an extrovert. I used to handle social events and meet teams, managers, clients in a day.

That was before when I was trying to get high on the corporate ladder. I had to build a network within my industry. Not anymore.

Working from home lets you be with people you consider to be truly important and whose relationships enrich your life greatly.

I have never been closer to real-life than now.

Tim Ferriss, in his book The Four Hour Workweek, said,

Options — the ability to choose — is real power.

I am not a millionaire but I earn more for my monthly expenses. I get to invest again. I get to save. And most important of all, I have time. This is more than enough.

This is what we all want. Having the freedom to choose what we want to do in life, who we spend time with, and when to do what we think is important and right for us is the new wealth.

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Odyssa writes, practices Ashtanga yoga, and works remotely. Follow her tweets here. Subscribe to her mailing list here.