This story originally appeared on FlexJobs.com.
When COVID-19 forced companies all over the world to send their employees home to work virtually, remote work had a big moment.
Yes, the rush to give employees access to all the tools they’d need to work from home was a bit, well, sudden for many employers. But after everyone settled in, what quickly became apparent to many office-based teams is that employees could be productive and focused when not in the office — in many cases, even more so. Employers everywhere began to understand that remote work really works.
What will the future of remote work look like in a post-pandemic world? Will companies go back to “business as usual” and require that everyone work onsite, or is the pandemic the tipping point that finally convinces employers that flexible work is the way to go for the long haul?
Whether you’re on the hunt for a remote job or are already working virtually, check out this list of the best benefits of working from home.
1. Better Work-Life Balance
Many remote jobs also come with flexible schedules, which means that workers can start and end their day as they choose, as long as their work is complete and leads to strong outcomes. This control over your work schedule can be invaluable when it comes to attending to the needs of your personal life.
Whether it’s balancing school schedules, medical appointments and errands, attending an online fitness class in the morning or even being home for a contractor, it can all be done a little more easily when you work from home.
2. Less Commute Stress
The average one-way commuting time in the U.S. is 27.1 minutes—that’s nearly an hour each day spent getting to and from work, and it really adds up. According to the Auto Insurance Center, commuters spend about 100 hours commuting and 41 hours stuck in traffic each year. Some “extreme” commuters face much longer commute times of 90 minutes or more each way.
But wasting time commuting is just one of the downsides of getting to and from work. More than 30 minutes of daily one-way commuting is associated with increased levels of stress and anxiety, and research shows that commuting 10 miles to work each day is associated with health issues like:
- Higher cholesterol
- Elevated blood sugar
- Increased risk of depression
Ditching the commute helps you support your mental and physical health. The time savings can allow you to focus on priorities outside of work, like getting extra sleep in the morning, spending more time with family, getting in a workout or eating a healthy breakfast.
3. Location Independence
One of the considerable benefits of working from home is having access to a broader range of job opportunities that aren’t limited by geographic location….
Read More: 10 Reasons You Should Work from Home