The world took a rapid turn after the first human cases of COVID-19, caused by the novel coronavirus (subsequently SARS-CoV 2) were first reported in Wuhan City, China in December 2019. Initially the number of the total reported cases worldwide was at 7818 – a relatively small number compared to more than 132 million cases reported as of this article’s writing.
It was a busy scene on earth. If you could only imagine how the virus drastically got around from one country to another, it was a sight not to see. It is as if everyone was groping in the dark. Countries, with their risk reduction management councils and health and medical brigade worked on mitigating risks of the contagion profusely. However, since the number of cases is a growing figure day after day, total eradication was possible but more often than not, a hit and miss.
Making the best of the now, more than a year dealing with the virus, we were introduced to many different possibilities at the emergence of COVID-19. People have displayed the importance of good hygiene practices, have realized the significance of having good health and wellbeing, have made an effort to maintain social relationships at a distance, and have fully embraced the concept of doing everything remotely and digitally.
From then on, the birth of the digital nomad lifestyle or remote lifestyle was forcibly put to practice and gained worldwide popularity and appreciation at an extensive rate. In a study by the Pew Research Center (2020) in the United States, 71% percent of employed adults are on a telework setup. Fifty-four percent have expressed their want to continue working from home even when the Coronavirus outbreak ends.
For fun, we can categorize the world population into three groups because let’s face it, the remote lifestyle clearly isn’t for everyone. First on the group would be the “essential workers” who are required to report for work physically, second would be those who still veer away from the idea and already want to go back to working face-to-face (sigh) and lastly, those who have found the love for remote work (living it!).
The key to enjoying the digital nomad lifestyle is to simply appreciate the things around you. It is the small things after all that make the difference.
[Source: Unsplash]
While your workspace in the office is entirely different from your setup at home, you can definitely personalize it according to your liking. Your remote workspace ideally has to be decluttered, ergonomically designed, comfy and most importantly, makes you want to start working. A new office chair and a neat table are your new small investments. You can also make a playlist of lo-fi music or lounge songs on Spotify, so you can simulate the modern office feels. Never ever work on your bed. You do not want to zone out on your Zoom meetings.
Another thing to appreciate is that working remotely can save you tons of money. Obviously, this is the number one reason most workers-from-home love about this setup. They save gas money, apartment rental fees (if they’re working far town) and meals. In fact, it’s not only money that gets saved but also time. Working from home spares you from waking up too early to prepare and get to work, time saved here can be dedicated for other things above work like relaxation, mental health breaks and recreational activities which are driving factors to productivity and efficiency as well.
Home-cooked meals are a remote worker’s best friend. A day’s work can definitely be compensated by a healthy bowl of just about any cravings. However, in this day and age of the COVID-19 pandemic, more and more people are becoming health conscious. They prefer eco-conscious food choices hence the surfacing of healthy cooking trends and plant-based diets that complement their home workouts to burn the extra carbs. With these in practice, you can definitely stay physically and mentally healthy working from home while waiting for your turn to be vaccinated.
Switching to the remote lifestyle is one of the most life changing experiences especially when the concept of task flexibility is being talked about. Human beings are unique and therefore differ in terms of performance. Their performance can be greatly affected by their work schedule. This is true. Some people work at their optimum during the daytime while others have turned nocturnals and extract their creative juices at night. In this study by JDP, 66% of Americans working from home say they like working at nights and during the weekends. This could be due to the fact that it is more peaceful and quieter at night hence they can stay more focused and motivated to finish their work with accuracy.
The digital nomad worker, we could safely say, is also the most peaceful and well-reserved individual one could ever be. Since the nature of his job is done virtually most of the time, all his interactions and communication are exchanged through a platform. Therefore, his relationships with his colleagues are regulated and maintained at a limit. With this, he can avoid office politics, creation of conflicts, unnecessary chitchats and meaningless gossip which for him are rather counterproductive.
[Source: Unsplash]
Like what you have read so far? Working from home is truly fun but it is not meant for everyone. You are fit to work remotely if you can get satisfaction from the “simple” things mentioned above. These things, in time, will reap you good benefits and eventually make your work even more rewarding.
This kind of setup, however, is only meant for those who are independent and self-sufficient as you are to fulfill your duties and responsibilities of your company from a distance. Remote work is a mindset. You need to condition your mind that you are enough to deliver and get the job done. If you have the honesty, dedication and ability to work independently, you can definitely be hired for any kind of remote work and be productive from wherever you want to be, post-COVID-19 of course, but home is where you would rather be.
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