The Joys of Actually Working Remotely
Let's stop limiting ourselves to "working from home"
I like the idea of being a true remote worker. I liked when I was remotely working from my backyard. I like the idea of working from a table at a cafe or restaurant too. Working on a train or bus is pretty rad as well.
I think we need to stop using the phrase "work from home". Home isn't really a place for work. Or at least it can be, but that's not its only use. Remote is the key word here. It should always be referred to as remote work rather than working from home. I cringe even more when I see the acronym "WFH."
Getting confined to your home as the only place you can work is just as bad as being forced to go to an office everyday. Hell, it might be even worse since you have to do so many other things in your home. It's not easy to just leave it when you need a change of scenery like you can with an office space.
Variety in your work environment seems like a no brainer to me. We're curious creatures. And yes, you might also say that we're creatures of habit. But we sometimes need a break from our habits. Working in the same spot day after day has just never worked for me. I get restless. Changes in environment seem to spark different areas of my brain. I'm sure you've experienced the same sensation.
You may have one spot where you feel especially motivated to answer emails. There could be a corner of your office that you like to use when you're engaging in a more creative task like writing. And sometimes you may prefer to be on your feet and pacing back and forth while you're on a call. These are all very normal ways of getting work done. To do all of these things at the same desk in the same way everyday seems very confining to me.
I've always had these feelings well before remote work became popular. And I've always had jobs that had me shifting gears and using different parts of my brain at different times of the day. I've always sought out different spaces to help my brain ramp up for the given task at hand. Writing in particular has always been something that I like to do in isolation. Responding to messages or general admin stuff was totally fine for me in a crowded office environment. But if you asked me to crank out a creative writing piece in those same surroundings, I'd be likely to struggle.
I remember finding refuge in empty conference rooms whenever they were available. My focus and creative thinking always improved when I changed my surroundings. I also once worked at a job that had a fantastic rooftop deck. Whenever I needed to get some serious deep work done, that was my spot. It was even better when the weather was less than ideal and I was the only one willing to brave the windy or foggy conditions.
That rooftop certainly cemented my need for an outdoor workspace. I write this as I'm outdoors on a lovely day and I'm very grateful that the internet affords me this luxury. Imagine if computers were still big, heavy things that always needed to be plugged into power outlets! That would really put a damper on my creative writing and ability to find focus.
So as we enter the summer months in the Northern Hemisphere, I encourage all of you to seek out some new and different work environments if you can. Pop into your backyard for a phone call. See if you can venture onto the rooftop or outdoor deck in your office building. Or just bring your laptop along on a bus or train to help get some work done during your travels.
If you're fortunate enough to be able to do your job from anywhere, I think it's worth actually trying to do it from everywhere. Try not to get stuck at your desk in your home office. Home offices are wonderful starting points for getting work done, but you might be amazed at how productive you can be if you get a change of scenery from time to time.
I challenge you all to get out of your comfort zone and test out some different work environments this month. Maybe you have a fond memory of being productive on a trip or in a foreign city? Let's see if you can replicate that feeling in your own local area.
Thanks for reading, I’ll see you next week!
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