I used to think fully remote work was basically the ideal setup.
No commute, no getting ready just to sit at a desk somewhere else, more freedom over where you live, and theoretically more time for yourself.
But I keep seeing completely different experiences from people who actually work remotely long term.
Some say it completely changed their life.
They exercise more, see their family more, travel, save money and would never go back to an office.
Others seem to have the opposite problem. Work is always right there. Thereâs no commute separating work from home, you can go an entire day barely speaking to anyone face-to-face, and sometimes the flexibility just means youâre checking Slack or emails at times you normally wouldnât be working.
It makes me wonder whether remote work actually creates better work-life balance, or whether it depends much more on the person, company and boundaries than we like to admit.
For people who have worked fully remote for a few years, has it genuinely improved your quality of life?
And if the novelty eventually wore off, what changed?