Why Working Remotely Doesn’t Mean Your Home Has to Be Your Office

Studies are repeatedly showing that Millennials enjoy a work life balance and flexibility in their work environment.

This may be part of why you’re working from home or it may be something else, but whatever the reasons, you probably enjoy your home working environment. However, no matter if you’re doing your job in a cubicle or from your home office, sometimes you just need a change of environment. Thankfully, there are lots of alternatives you can consider.

Where to Work Remotely

Once you have decided that working from your house or apartment isn’t what you want to be doing on a daily basis, the next step is to consider new locations. If you work for a company or have a contract that can build in a budget for renting personal office space, the issue may be painlessly simple to resolve. If, however, you’re self-employed, a freelancer, or work for an organization that can’t allocate funds for additional workspace for you, you still have options to choose from. Here are three of our favorites.

1. Coffee Shop – For many people, a coffee shop offers the three most important things needed to get a good day’s work: seating, Internet access, and coffee. If these are what you’re looking for, you’re set. But there are some other things you should consider before you make your local Starbucks your office for the day. Any coffee shop can get noisy, which can be distracting, and if you’re someone who gets enjoys people watching, this could hinder your productivity. Plus, if the coffee shop is crowded, you may run into the business not being happy with you taking up space while only making a few small purchases. If you’re just looking for an afternoon away from your home office, though, you may have found your answer paired with a cup of Joe.

2. Shared Work Spaces – The shared workspace is a great choice for many people who want a professional working environment, yet either don’t want or don’t have the option to work in a regular office. Community workspaces, such as those offered by ImpactHub, offer fewer distractions than other public spaces. And even more beneficial, a shared workspace have more of the professional amenities you associate with offices, such as IT support, dedicated work areas, and the potential for inspirational, motivating interaction with like-minded people. Access to a shared workspace can cost as little as a few hundred dollars a month. That can be a small price to pay for the benefits of a professional environment and the ability to separate your home life from your professional life without needing to jostle against the morning rush at the coffee shop or the afternoon crush of students at the library.

3. Library – Libraries are not just places to cram for finals; they make ideal remote workplaces because they offer space and silence. (And you can stay for hours without feeling guilted into buying multiple lattes like at a coffee shop!) Plus, most libraries have reliable Internet access and, if you need any research materials, they’re right there on the shelves. Make sure you consider your work hours and how they coincide with the library hours of operation.

Mix up your remote work office setting and see what works best for you. A cup of coffee will buy you an afternoon at a coffee shop, and maybe you’ll love working there. Libraries are free, and maybe you can get your work done on their schedule. And just because you’re not in your company’s office doesn’t mean you have to be out of an office altogether, so try out the collaborative environment of a shared workspace and see what you think.

Why You Need to Leave Your Home Office on Occasion

Sure, working from home is touted as one of the best ways to maintain a work-life balance, but having your home as your office can come with some hurdles. By finding an away from home remote work setting, you’ll have a better chance of avoiding these three pitfalls of working from home.

1. Interruptions – If you have roommates or pets (or a boyfriend) always coming in to ask you questions or talk to you while you’re trying to work, you won’t be able to focus on getting the job done. Getting out of the house to work will give you some time away without interruptions and then when you get home, you’re available for as many Netflix binge parties or games of fetch as they want.

2. Distractions – That to-do list of yours, from laundry to paying the bills, or the hobbies you’d rather be enjoying, like a good show or book, can pull you away from your computer or paperwork. None of these things are available at the local shared workspace, so you can focus on getting your work done and then playing afterward.

3. Shutting Down – Shutting Down – If your home is also your workplace, you can never truly be away from work, and you may never feel entirely relaxed there. The work-life balance is tricky under any circumstances, and that’s all the more true when both take place under one roof.

While there are many benefits to working from home, there are also reasons you may want a break from that environment. We’ve suggested three locations we think are great to get some work done – where else have you worked remotely that works for you?