9 Reasons Working Remotely Is Actually Better For Everyone Involved

Imagine this.

You’re sitting at an outdoor café just on the cusp of Summer. You’re somewhere in Europe; somewhere you’ve always wanted to go, but haven’t been to yet. You’re at a table for two but are perfectly content by being solo.

It’s warm enough to wear the sandals you’ve kept in the back of the closet or bottom of your suitcase, but breezy enough to drape a cardigan over your shoulders. It’s early enough for strong coffee, but late enough that you watched the morning crowd come and go already.

It’s quiet enough to think, but loud enough on the streets to inspire you. You sip your coffee, you smile, you take in the view, and you happily turn to your computer to take on the day that subsists on your screen.

No, you’re not on vacation… You’re just working remotely.

Sounds nice, doesn’t it? Although a situation to this extent isn’t always possible… we’d like to think it’s plausible. There is plenty of advice out there on how to prepare yourself to quit your job and go conquer the world for something better.

Yet sometimes that might not be an option for us. There are also strategies on how to ask for a temporary leave of absence, a transfer, to work short-term abroad, work occasionally from home, or even just working in transit. The options are pretty diverse.

There are also plenty of companies that found working remote was successful for them, and there’s no doubt that we as employees would feel the same. If given the opportunity to work remotely (even abroad), or by making the opportunity, there’s a myriad of ways it could improve our lives which would subsequently improve our employer’s.

We’d be smarter. We’d have to learn our way around a new city, maybe learn a new language or about a new culture, and unearth life lessons not commonly absorbed in an office from 9-6.

We’d be less stressed. The stress of commuting, dealing with office politics, and everything that goes along with traditional career settings… would be dissolved.

We’d know how to deal with conflicts better. If we were working somewhere remote, especially abroad, we’d have to learn ins and outs of not only telecommuting but that of our new surroundings. All of this would lead to better problem-solving skills.

We’d be more independent. We would perfect being on our own, prove our trustworthiness, and learn a lot about ourselves that could lead to more self-regulated hard work.

We’d be more experienced. By now we would have experience with different work environments and know how to use each to our advantage. We’d become skilled in different settings and environments that’d make us better employees.

We’d be more inspired. The world would be our office instead of a cubicle or crazed open-concept space. We’d constantly have a new reason to be more motivated, and therefore more likely to work towards deserving just that.

We’d become more connected. By living somewhere new, we’d make new connections that could benefit not only ourselves but also our employers.

We’d be happier. If it’s anything like the beginning of this article, I can’t imagine who wouldn’t be happier. The option for freedom, the trust that it comes with, and the reward that it produces would have no solution other than increased joy.

We’d be more likely to stay. For all of the reasons above, we’d feel grateful for the opportunity to live where we do and work the way we do. We’d do whatever it took to keep the amazing opportunity.