Welcome to the future! Where we have Teleporters, Starships, Universal Basic Income, and now we can use that time to pursue Fine Art and Education… Oh wait, that’s Star Trek.

For most of us, commuting to work is a five-day-a-week occurrence. We get up, shower, choke down a bagel and some coffee, then head out to battle the day along with our commute. There is, however,  a select and growing group of people who have the ability to Telecommute or just plain work from home.

Ahhh… You can just see it now.  Waking up 30 minutes later. Taking your time making breakfast. Not having to adorn yourself with expensive dry cleaned clothes. Sitting around in your slippers all day while still making Money. If this has triggered a state of yearning, you might want to keep reading about all the other ways working from home can save your life.

Let’s Start With the Obvious… More Time.

According to one poll, the average Canadian commutes about 45 minutes round-trip. However, this can be as high as two hours in major metropolitan areas.  It is easy to see how taking the commute out of the equation is the low hanging fruit here. 

But there are also other time-saving benefits. Have you ever had to sign for a package and it always comes while you are at work? By working from home you can save the extra trip to the facility to claim your packages. Depending on the location, that can be a whole hour right there.

Now how does time save your life? It allows you to pursue things that are important to you. Like hobbies, exercise, and Family. Studies have shown that having more time engaging in fulfilling activities is better for your health.  This translates into a longer life.

Grab and go Food

Does the vision of holding a bagel in your teeth, hopping on one foot and putting on your other shoe, while heading out the door, seem familiar? If it does, you might find some relief in the fact that you can make better eating choices. Oftentimes people who are in a hurry make impulsive eating decisions in order to save time. Having the time to prep your breakfast is much healthier than eating off the pastry shelf.

What about lunch? Those of us who can get out of work for lunch, have played the “ What’s the shortest fast-Food line” game before. We all know that fast-food isn’t healthy food. For those who pack your own lunch, eating a microwave meal, leftover pizza or Thai with a can of diet coke may be less expensive but isn’t much better.

I think you are getting the idea about cooking your own food and not being at the mercy of grab and go foods. But, have you ever gotten that surprise phone call, where you are now entertaining guests for an impromptu dinner? Working from home may not always allow you to be Rachel Ray and whip up a seven-course extravaganza, but it will allow you to chuck a roast and some veggies in a crockpot. This is highly preferable to the take-out food you were going to order from your desk at work.  Meanwhile, it’s also saving you money and stress.

Not Stressing out so Much

That situation of the impromptu dinner is a great example of how working from home can take a burden off a household. Stress hormones in the body are good in moderation but can have many negative side-effects if the balance is disrupted.

Traffic jams, road closures, train delays, and accidents all contribute to commuter stress. Eliminating these from your day have obvious benefits to your wellbeing. People who are less burdened with problems are often far more productive with their time while working too.

Stress drains the body. If the idea of waking up slow and working in your pajamas has the same appeal as sitting on a tropical island sipping a drink with an umbrella in it, you might want to evaluate your stress level.

Family and Social Time

Now some people are fortunate enough to be a single income household and have a stay at home parent, but those numbers have been in decline for decades. Most families are now a dual income household by necessity.

How much easier would it be to take the kids to school or shuffle them around to activities? Just being able to be able to be a bigger part your child’s life will greatly improve your well being.  Not only you but them as well.

Kids or no kids, Shuffeling yourself to activities will be easier as well. With all that extra time you can get to a fitness class with a sibling, make it to a family dinner, or just catch up with friends for drinks. Keeping yourself social greatly reduces loneliness and has been shown to improve quality of life.

The Money

Add up the amount of money you spend on fuel, and wasted productivity time on commuting. Now add in the grab and go food. Now add in the sitters or daycare. Then, take a look at the total. That’s no small chunk of change. Buy saving all that money on commuting a family can regain some occupied income.  

This amount can be anywhere from fifty dollars a week to four hundred plus if you have daycare. All that money can go towards household improvements, better quality food, or sports and fitness programs for the whole family. Keeping everyone fit and healthy saving not only your life but enriching everyone else’s in your family.

What it Comes Down To

If you are thinking to yourself this sounds amazing after reading this article, you might want to start looking for telecommuting or work-from-home jobs. If you are currently employed, see if your employer has any of those options, even if it’s just a day a week. One day a week at home is still better than zero days a week.

Article updated from the original on January 8th, 2019

The post Five Ways Working from Home Could Save Your Life appeared first on Workopolis Blog.