Check Out These Surprising Benefits of Working From Home

Remote work, telecommuting and working from home have become a new normal for tens of millions of people in the United States thanks to connected technology, laptops and smartphones. If you decide to shift from office-based employment and migrate towards telecommuting, check out these surprising benefits of liberating yourself from the confines of a traditional workspace.

Healthier, Happier Family

Your family stays healthier if you're working from home because you expose yourself to fewer germs. No more shared computers, employees sneezing in your cubicle or shaking hands with people who might have the flu. You also get to be there for your kids for recitals, big games and homeroom events at school, which makes them feel happier and healthier. If you have a sick child you need to take to the doctor, you're already at home for medical appointments.

Less Traffic

Telecommuting means less travel by car. Eliminating your commute leads to less stress about being stuck in traffic, fewer chances of getting into an accident and saving money on fuel costs. Instead of getting to work, you can use that extra hour to prepare for the day, getting some extra sleep or spending time with your kids.

Better Food Choices

Instead of grabbing a candy bar from the vending machine in the break room, grab last night's leftover from your own refrigerator for lunch. You also don't have the urge to hit a drive through on the way home for a fast-food dinner. Your weight and your overall health remain healthier when working from home because of better food choices you control with your own shopping habits.

Work-Life Balance

Working from home leads to a happier work-life balance since you have more time to do things you love. Instead of commuting from the office for several hours per week, you work on your hobbies, get some exercise, spend time with your family and truly enjoy life after work. Instead of going grocery shopping at 5:15 p.m. or on Saturday afternoon, you can go to the corner market on your lunch break when it's less crowded. You suddenly have a one-hour shopping trip instead of two to three hours on Saturday, which means you have that extra block of time to spend with your children or spouse or go on that staycation you've been planning.

More Focus

Working from home actually leads to better focus. When you're a 30-minute drive away at the office, you may worry about what's going on at home, but when you work from home, that worry goes away. You can tune into the task at hand while waiting for the delivery or getting ready to attend your child's school event. Better focus at work leads to more productivity, better peace of mind and a better return on investment for your time.

The surprising benefits of working from home all lead to a better situation for workers and employers. Happy stay-at-home parents lose less work time due to sickness, spend more time working as opposed to driving to work and stay with a company longer simply because they are happier in general.

Photo courtesy of Sean MacEntee at Flickr.com