Thinking about working remotely? 10 things you need to know
When I first arrived in Malta to work for my previous employer, I had no friends, didn't know any good places to go to and for the first few months, lived a bit of a dull life which was composed mostly of work and gaming.
A couple of years later, an opportunity to work remotely came up and I dived head first into it without thinking much about any side effects of doing so. If you, like me, are thinking of taking this big step or have already taken it, here are the top 5 benefits and downsides I found during my journey.
The benefits of working remotely
1) Work from Anywhere
Having the option to work from anywhere is still a new concept for me, and let me tell you, 9 months after, it still feels too good to be true.
2) Better work-life balance
Not having to commute, naps after lunch, the quietness of my own home, and more time for my hobbies are helping me grow both as a developer and as a person.
3) Better house economy
Not having to rent an apartment near your office means you can save on rent and/or get a better place. Cooking delicious home food means you probably end up saving on living expenses as well.
4) No forced interactions
Too often I used to hang out with certain people in work groups which I didn't enjoy the company of, despite me not letting them ruin the moment it was still unpleasant.
5) Less, and better social interactions
If you are an introvert like me, making new meaningful connections can be a bit hard.
Not having a workplace as the first location where you look for friends makes you look somewhere else and forces you out of your comfort zone.
When the common thing between you and your friend is not strictly related to work anymore, this can lead to you forming a stronger bond with that person.
The downsides of working remotely
1) Lack of social interactions
Those watercooler or coffee machine discussions? The serendipity of discovering something new? That is gone.
To help this, my workplace introduced a "watercooler" weekly meeting, which helps discuss new tech and ideas.
2) Friday beers
That's how I met most of my friends, having a couple too many beers on Fridays led to some interesting discussions that rippled through the weekend and into the upcoming week.
I have replaced this by hanging out with some ex-colleagues over a nice Saturday archery session and lunch
3) Company events
Quarterly parties, team-building events, and traveling to offices in other countries are not a thing anymore for me.
I don't have a solution to this problem yet, however, I was thinking of traveling around and working from coworking spaces around Europe.
4) The cold feeling from people
While I am not the most social person on this planet, I can truly engage with someone after meeting them in person. Without this possibility, interactions with colleagues feel colder.
I haven't figured out this one yet. It's hard to network with different people of different backgrounds online.
5) Cold-start mornings
Finding motivation in the morning to wake up, and prepare to be a decent human being can be harder without the need to go to an office.
My solution to this was doing a "fake commute". I would wake up, get dressed, looks nice and tidy, and go to my favorite coffee shop to have breakfast before returning home and starting my day.
Summary
In the end, for me, the benefits of working remotely outweigh the downsides so I'll stick to that for a while.
Having to go out of my comfort zone to make new connections, and find new things to do, helps me grow both as a developer and as a person.
The newfound time helps me explore new things such as archery, side projects, and more quality time with friends and family.
How about you, what is stopping you from working remotely?