4 min read

The Pros and Cons of Working Remotely

While working from your couch sounds great in theory, it’s important to understand the pros and cons so you know how to best optimize your arrangement. A pro of working from home may be that you can lounge in your sweatpants and stretch out with no one to notice the cookie crumbs on your keyboard, but the temptation to tap the “on” button on the television remote can be distracting.

Come summer time, if the kids are home during the day, it can become a challenge to focus on anything above the din of temper tantrums and calls for your immediate attention. Working from home is no less challenging than working from an office. It’s all “work,” after all. Keep the right mindset—knowing you may be putting in more effort than before.

Pros

True independence—you learn to rely on self-motivation, self-discipline, focus, and concentration.You may also have the ability to work anywhere.
Flexible hours and increased productivity—you can get more work done, with the opportunity to learn new skills.
No commute, which translates to huge savings in time and reduced work-related expenses(including gas and expensive clothes). When you can avoid a lengthy commute by car, train, or bus, it enables you to start your workday earlier and more calmly.
A better work-life balance, with reduced stress and better health. Remote workers may have more time to incorporate physical exercise into their day.
Better communication skills—out of necessity, you become very savvy in texting, emailing, and web meetings.

Cons

Limited communication—technology makes it easy to interact with coworkers and clients, but it’s not the same as face-to-face meetings, lunching together, or just engaging in everyday banter. No more regular happy hour with your co-workers at the end of a long day!
Isolation and/or loneliness—it’s hard to stay in the loop. Out of sight, out of mind. This may also lead to limited advancement and lower pay, since there’s a danger of being overlooked for promotions or career development opportunities. People might wonder if you’re taking it easy rather than pulling your own weight.
Mental and physical exhaustion due to a lack of discipline. Many remote workers forget to clock out. During the workday, there may be too many—or not enough—distractions.
Technological issues—you might not have full access to technology platforms. There may also be important cybersecurity issues that become your responsibility when you don’t have the security of a workplace network and in-house IT department to rely on.

Your Pros and Cons

Another of the pros of working from home is individualization. You can better adapt your working environment and functional role to your specific situation. In order to best do that, we suggest journaling about your current situation and finding your own specific pros and cons.

If you are already working from home, you probably are already aware of your specific issues, but it’s good practice to lay them out in writing so you can easily see what you’d like to achieve in terms of remodeling your career. If you’re brand-new to the work from home lifestyle, now is a good time to project what you see moving forward.

Exercise:

Write a list of other benefits and challenges that may apply to your own situation. Be specific with the details, and write down any that come to mind.

A creator of safe spaces, and an initiator of difficult conversations, M.J. Fievre, B.S. Ed, spent much time building up her Black students, helping them feel comfortable in their skin, and affirming their identities. Her close relationships with parents and students led her to look more closely at how we can balance protecting our child’s innocence with preparing them for the realities of Black life. When―and how―do you approach racism with your children? How do you protect their physical and mental health while also preparing them for a country full of systemic racism? She began to research the issue and speak to school counselors and psychologists to find (and apply!) strategies parents and teachers can use with their children to broach uncomfortable but necessary topics.

M.J. is the author of Badass Black Girl, a daily dose of affirmations for Black Girls

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