I was part of those who had a 9-5 job some few years back, and living in a state like Lagos, Nigeria, it was a herculean task keeping up, I faced challenges of transport cost gulping almost half my salary, also the traffic jam, I had no choice than to face everyday, it was really a tiring phase of my life, which had me shed too much weight that my slim self don't even have enough, and when I fell ill it was always a huge deal, all due to stress, and yes, it made me hate the job, not because it wasn't a good one, but the circumstances surrounding the job did, and i'm sure most people who hate their job, might not necessarily be the job, Imagine working under stress from both inward and outward activities that surrounds sane job everyday, and at the end of the month, after passing through thet stress, you can't account for a good enough income, to have something left for savings, that was the situation I faced because I had no choice but to survive, being a mum and wife didn't make it easy either, because even though it was a 9- 5 job, I usually got hime by 9, so it was basically a 9-9 job, not until the year 2020.
The pandemic struck which had the world on lockdown, and we still had to look for means of surviving without going outside our homes, it felt like an apocalypse happened, and fears from breadwinners of the family and everyone who needed to go out there, their usual daily lives to survive, seeing that the lockdown was not ending anytime soon, it was surprising and relieving to see companies and individuals adopt the remote kind of job lifestyle, I also did, the lockdown not only open our eyes to our potentials, it also helped us create a working system that benefits both the workers and employers without a reduction in our output.
That mentality that we had before, thinking one can only earn a living when he leaves his house got erased. It was during the lockdown, I developed my talent and passion for fashion designing, I used the free period to download lots of YouTube tutorials, and practiced so hard then, and the result is what you see today, then, I could make simple dresses for myself before I went for an upgrade class. Right from home, I started receiving orders to make facemasks for people during the pandemic, and after the pandemic was over, I had already built up my customer base right from the comfort of my home, I earned double what I did working the 9 am-5 pm job, no stress of traffic or daily transport cost, and above all, I could work at my time/convenience, that is the amazing benefits of working remotely.
It's amazing to know that even when the lockdown was over, companies and workers were already used to this system of working remotely, that the companies had no choice but to embrace working schedules that made working time less cumbersome and flexible for its workers without it affecting their output, in fact, they discovered they even put in their best to make it work.
How working Remotely benefits an individual
You have the opportunity to work in your own space and time
You get to spend quality time with family, which your job kept you away from.
There is room for diversity, you don't just have to depend on one job.
The benefits of remote jobs for the companies
Finally, working remotely is not limited to those with white-collar jobs alone, as a student, stay-at-home mum, or even one that already has something to do, you could get a remote job. Or what is it called, an alternate work, maintain your happiness, stay in control and give in your best to the job.
This post is inspired by the #MarchInleo monthly topics, day 21, check out the announcement post for more info, and you could also take part in writing on these topics, join in!
Second image is mine