Working remotely can be one of your job’s greatest perks, but only if you find the right spot.
Is working remotely one of the perks of your job? How often do you take that to mean working from home? Being able to work from home can be both a blessing and a curse.
Sure, you can be there for the odd delivery if needs be, and you can do it from the comforts of your couch. However, you can also be distracted by the very notion of being at home, and that’s not even including the endless list of chores you can be roped into doing by other family members, since you’re ‘at home anyway’.
However, working remotely doesn’t have to mean working from home. Think about why you occasionally want to work remotely. Is it to get out of the loud office? Avoid distracting meetings that you don’t have to be present at?
Here are just five alternative locations for you to bring your laptop to and get to work.
At the park
Particularly on those stunningly sunny days, the park or any green area can be extremely calming, with just the right amount of ambient background noise to keep you focused.
Sure, you’ll need Wi-Fi, but with more outdoor locations offering a free service, you should be able to find somewhere outside to sit down with your laptop and relax. In Dublin, Merrion Park offers free Wi-Fi so it’s the perfect outdoor office in the summer.
If you find the perfect spot to visit regularly, you might even decide to invest in a laptop hood or screen to help with that pesky sun glare.
In a quiet café
Cafés have become the perfect place for working remotely because most of them have pretty strong Wi-Fi and, of course, easy access to food and drink throughout the day.
For the past few years, coffee shops everywhere have been leaning towards a design and layout that encourages people to work, with an increasing number of charging outlets and comfortable chairs.
Some are better than others for letting you stay for long periods of time so make sure you don’t hog a table for too long without at least buying a cup of coffee.
In a workspace
Coffee shops aren’t the only places that have noticed an increasing need for spaces to work remotely.
Jumping on the trend, Bank of Ireland has opened several Workbenches located in various places around the country including Dublin, Galway and Cork.
For a more definitive office space, there are a number of hot-desk locations and workspaces that you can rent; for example, TCube in Trinity College Dublin, for as little as €1.67 per hour.
Hotel lobbies
Hotel lobbies are usually well lit and have the right level of quiet, with decent Wi-Fi signals to boot. One of the best extras about hotel lobbies is the extremely comfortable chairs.
Hotels can also offer a good change of surroundings if you feel the need to move around. Bars are usually a good alternative to the lobby, where you can grab your lunch and a cup of coffee.
On campus
While some buildings and schools within educational institutions will have Wi-Fi that’s only accessible by student or staff IDs, other locations around the campus will have public Wi-Fi that you can access.
There are also usually plenty of quiet places to sit and work away on your laptop and, if you’re an alumnus of that college, all the better.
