“People who work remotely are less productive than office workers.”  This is a common misconception. And sometimes it’s true. But this misconception isn’t as common as others may paint it. 

If you don’t set boundaries, and are unable or unwilling to turn off distractions and actually do your work, then yes, you’ll be less productive than your office working colleagues.

Dispelling the unproductive myth of working remotely

The truth is, most people I know who work remotely are actually more productive than their colleagues back in the office. But why And how?

For one thing, they don’t have a commute. That time wasted sitting in traffic becomes time they can work, time for themselves and their family, or a combination of both.

Working remotely also means avoiding interruptions, like people stopping by your office to chat. While someone may call with a work related call and chat a bit at the end of the call, it’s really unlikely that a work colleague will call you just to chat. 

When you work remotely, you also avoid wasting time chatting around the water cooler—which often has the added advantage of avoiding negativity and gossip!

However, the lack of interaction with coworkers can also hurt productivity. When you’re in an office setting, it’s easier to collaborate with others. After all, you can get up, stroll down the hall, and drop into a coworker’s office to ask a question. Which is more productive for you, and less productive for them!

One of the main reasons I know remote workers are more productive than office workers revolves around their mindset: the remote workers recognize that they are exercising a privilege, and they want to be sure they do not lose that privilege. As a result, they often work extra hard or extra efficiently so that they can out-produce their in-office colleagues. Their mentality is to ensure no one can say that remote work is less efficient.

Pay attention to how you function

On the surface, being productive from your RV sounds pretty simple: All you need to do is set and adhere to your boundaries and plan ways to collaborate when needed.

But what if you have trouble setting or keeping those boundaries? What if you have trouble focusing and tend to drift off and waste time when you should be working?

Well, in that case, you have two options: (1) Don’t work remotely; or (2) learn how to overcome these behaviors.