07 Jul Hybrid and Remote Work for Your Personal Freedom and Productivity
Looking around at our current working climate, one might feel as if they hardly recognize it. So much has changed in little more than two years, and it’s difficult to keep up as things continue to change rapidly. The pandemic has greatly changed our working climate unveiling a new, and rather exciting, style of working: working from home. But just because someone is “working from home” doesn’t mean they have to necessarily stay home. What started as a necessity during the most intense part of the pandemic, has proven to be a highly realistic option for lots of people working in corporate roles and has changed the landscape of modern work culture.
What exactly is a digital nomad? According to Nomad Flag, it’s “someone who desires the freedom to live and work around the world and uses technology to make this desire a reality”. Pretty dreamy, huh? More specifically, digital nomads use the ability for remote work as a way to travel, live abroad, and continue to work and further their careers. You really can have it all.
Popular destinations for digital nomads include Lisbon, Barcelona and Stockholm, all of which are known for their access to coworking spaces and realistic living expenses. With an exciting nightlife, great wifi, and rich culture, all three cities could easily be on one’s itinerary. If you truly want to make the plunge, Italy is introducing a “Digital Nomad Visa” in 2022 to support the shift in work culture and encourage tourism. Europe’s more relaxed working culture has prepped the continent for remote work, so living the digital nomad lifestyle is very possible. So long as you have your passport and laptop, there’s not much stopping you from having a massive tour de Europe (or elsewhere!).
You, or your company aren’t ready to make the plunge that far? No worries. Post pandemic, another style of work is emerging called hybrid work. This entails working part-time in the office, and part-time at home. This can be an excellent option for those that feel they don’t perform as well fully remote but still want the ability to occasionally work from their sweatpants. This also helps companies who are afraid to fully take the plunge of going remote to keep a bit more control of the day-to-day doings of their employees. For the extroverted employee, hybrid work could serve as the perfect happy medium in today’s working landscape and is likely to become the expectation for all workers as the shift in work culture changes over the next few years. With the recent focus on wellbeing and mental health in the office, hybrid work can support employees by giving them a bit more choice in their environment, resulting in further productivity.
Sounding a little too good?
Working remotely is not all sunshine and midday naps. It requires a fair amount of focus, organization, and discipline on the part of the employee. Your organization is trusting you to perform your required duties, and it’s your job to complete them without fail. For some, this might mean getting a planner and planning out each day before they begin. Maybe for those who get antsy, dividing up their tasks into 40-minute sprints could help them to focus and add structure to their day. Making sure to get outside and move is also crucial to the longevity and productivity of any remote/hybrid worker.
Bottom line? Find whatever helps you to be productive and do it.
Currently, working from home is new in the United States. With people and companies having such polarizing opinions on it, it’s easy to write it off as a trend. But many feel as if the polarization of working from home comes from the differences in generational views. With younger generations overall having a more favorable view of working from home, it’s easy to assume it will become an aspect of our future.
The option to work from anywhere is becoming more and more prevalent as a way to entice new job seekers to join a company. If the option exists in one’s field, it’s hard to imagine why they might choose otherwise. As we culturally feel a shift in the way we view work, hybrid work and full remote work isn’t going anywhere, anytime soon. If able, ask about companies working from home policies. It might surprise you what you learn!
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