With COVID-19 pushing more and more people towards doing their work primarily online, working from home became the standard for people in many industries, such as finance, software development, and advertising.

Although it's become popular, what makes it so appealing and why might it not be for everyone?

What Are The Biggest Upsides to Working Remotely?

Unsurprisingly, there are millions of people who absolutely swear by the merits of working from home, with many refusing to go back to an office environment.

Here's why.

It's Way More Flexible

With remote work, you don't have to be physically present somewhere for a set number of hours. While you do have to work, it can be done with a great deal of flexibility and your sleep schedule and personal life benefit as a result.

Don't Have to Deal With Commuting

Commuting is one of the most irritating parts of going to a physical place to work as it eats away hundreds, if not thousands, of hours throughout your career. With remote work, spending time in traffic and waking up at 6 a.m. becomes purely optional

Increased Family Time

If you're someone who enjoys spending lots of time with your family, then remote work is an absolutely golden opportunity. When working at an office, you are severely constrained with how you spend your days and the relationship with your family members can suffer as a result. With remote work though, you can spend quality time with your significant other or with your children whenever it's most appropriate, not just when you get off work.

Increased Network Growth

When working in an office, you're more or less limited in the number and types of people you work with. While you can communicate with others through the internet, most people who have an impact on your work and career will be physically present. With online work, who exists in your career-related peer group can be much more dynamic, which can increase the number of people you have meaningful relationships with.

No Annoying Coworkers

We all have people we work with that we would rather not have to deal with. Whether they're inconsiderate, strange, demanding, snarky, or have an annoying laugh, there's always at least one person we'd rather avoid dealing with. Fortunately, with remote work, you largely get to ignore these types of people if you so wish.

What Are The Biggest Downsides to Doing Remote Work?

Although remote work comes with a lot of benefits, it's not without its problems and there are some definite reasons why it might not be for you.

Your Hours Can Be Weird

When working remotely, hours are hardly stable as you'll end up working a different number of hours everyday at often random intervals. While theoretically you can 'work whenever you want,' in reality, you'll probably have to work at specific times with only a little bit of wiggle room.

Lack of Human Interaction

Humans are social creatures and while many might think that not having to deal with an irate boss or irritating coworkers is the best thing ever, the truth is that human interaction, even if it's not ideal, plays a large role in the development of ideas, motivation, and work satisfaction.

Lack of A Linear Career

When working in a dedicated office setting, it's easy to know who's in charge of what and how everything in a business is structured. This lets you know how you can scale up in your career as there's a much more linear path laid out; with remote work, this path can be obscured substantially.

Lots of Distractions

Everyone surfs the web while at the office, but there's still a tremendous immediate pressure to get at least some work done; if you spend most of your day doing nothing, it's going to be noticed. When working at home, you don't really have this pressure, which means you can slip up much more easily.

Is Working Remotely A Good Choice for You?

Working from home can cause a tremendous boost to your productivity and sense of contentment, but it's not a guarantee. If you're someone who likes a very free environment and can handle the responsibility that goes with it, then remote work is for you, but if structure is what you need, then it may not be ideal.