Currently I'm fortunate to work in a role that allows me to work 100% remotely, as well as having the option to go into the office.

After many years of trial and error, I believe I have found a balanced and optimal way of working remotely. Here are some benefits of each that I've discovered.

Working from home

• With no distractions I get more focused work done
• More output overall, largely because I work autonomously
• My office setup at home is way nicer
• I could work at night, or two shifts if I felt like it
• I can do pushups while waiting for coffee (without looking strange)
• Fresh lunch is better than packed
• More personal time due to time savings:
  1. No commute: 30 minutes
  2. No getting ready: 30 minutes
  3. Gym at lunch: 1 hour^*

_{*although if I didn’t go to the gym at lunch, I probably wouldn’t go}

Working in-office

• Improves professional & collaborative skills
• Socialising is fun
• Potentially more output if your team or project requires a lot of collaboration

Bonus: working in a cafe

This can be really hit-or-miss depending on the cafe you find. Japan has some of the best cafes I have worked in, whereas in Australia the cafes are way less comfortable to be in for hours at a time.

Conclusion

Overall, working home just provides too many benefits for me to work in-office frequently.

If there were more incentives to go in, like a free gym in the office, I would reconsider my list. Till then, I'm happy to have the office as an occasional treat, while getting most of my work done at home.