Back in January 2022, I wrote a post called Working Remotely. At the time, I had been working from home for about 3 years. My conclusion was simple: the productivity, work-life balance, and cost savings were revolutionary. The downsides—feeling “always at work” and having less social interaction—were minor. My final verdict was that the positives “very much” outweighed the negatives.
It’s been four more years. I’ve now spent over seven years of my professional life working from home.
So, has my opinion changed?
In short: No. But my understanding of why it’s so good—and what the real challenges are—has become much, much deeper. The 3-year-me was excited about the perks. The 7-year-me understands that remote work isn’t just a perk; it’s a skill you have to build.
Here’s what I’ve learned.
Revisiting the Pros: What’s Still True (and What’s Better)?
My original post was built on three main benefits. Here’s how they look after 7 years.
1. Productivity: It’s Not “More” Work, It’s “Deeper” Work
I originally said I got “50% more work done.” I was thinking in terms of tasks completed. After 7 years, I realize the real benefit isn’t speed; it’s depth. The true power of remote work is the ability to control your own environment and schedule “deep work” sessions. I can block off three hours for a complex coding problem and face zero “tap on the shoulder” interruptions.
That said, this has become harder to protect. The “office” has just been replaced by Slack, Teams, and Google Meet. Productivity is no longer a default benefit; it’s something I have to actively defend with calendar blocks, “snoozed” notifications, and a firm “do not disturb” status.
2. Work-Life Balance: It’s Not Time Management, It’s Energy Management
I used to focus on the 2+ hours I saved by not commuting. That’s still a massive, undeniable win. But at 3 years, my main challenge was the “blurring lines” between work and home.
At 7 years, the challenge is “total integration.” The lines are not just blurred; they’re gone. I’ve learned that a separate workspace (which I recommended in 2022) is the bare minimum. The real skill is managing your energy. This is even more true when your ‘work’ and ‘home’ aren’t just in the same building, but in different time zones. The new goal isn’t just “balance”; it’s being 100% present in whatever I’m doing. When I’m working, I’m working. When I’m with my family, I’m with my family.
3. Saving Money: It’s Not Just Saving, It’s a Lifestyle Enabler
This is still the most undefeated benefit. My original point was about saving on rent, food, and transport by living in a remoter state in India.
Four years later, this has been the single most important factor in my personal life. The financial freedom of earning an international salary while living where I choose to live—close to my roots and my family—has fundamentally shaped my life. It’s not just “saving money.” It’s a privilege that has given me options, reduced my financial stress, and allowed me to build a life that would be impossible if I were tied to an office in Bengaluru, let alone London.
Revisiting the Cons: The Evolved Challenges
This is where my perspective has changed the most. My 3-year-old problems were small. The 7-year-old problems are the real, long-term bosses.
1. The “Always at Work” Feeling
My 3-year-old self was “sometimes stressed” by this. My 7-year-old self knows this is the main boss battle of remote work. This feeling of stress doesn’t go away on its own. It’s the default. You have to fight it with hard, non-negotiable boundaries. For me, this means a 15-minute shutdown routine where I review my day, plan the next, and then log out of everything.
2. The Social Challenge: From ‘Less Interaction’ to ‘What Timezone?’
In my first post, I wrote that as an introvert, I felt I “need[ed] to interact with more people to improve myself.” I was worried about missing office chat.
I quickly learned that office chat isn’t deep connection. But now, my challenge has evolved again. For a while, I’ve been working for a UK company, on UK time.
This introduces a whole new layer: time-zone disparity.
While it’s not always terrible, it’s a direct conflict with my local social life. My workday now starts in the afternoon and often ends late at night. When my friends and family are free in the evenings, I’m often just starting my most important meetings. By the time I log off, my local world is asleep.
This has forced me to be extremely intentional. I can’t be spontaneous. I have to schedule time with local friends, often well in advance and mostly on weekends. It’s a constant balancing act, and it’s perhaps the most difficult part of my current setup.
The “7-Year Itch”: New Challenges I Didn’t See Coming
These are the long-term challenges that a 3-year-remote worker just hasn’t hit yet.
- The Visibility Challenge: How do you get promoted when your manager doesn’t see you working? “Out of sight, out of mind” is a real danger. You have to become your own advocate. This means over-communicating, sending weekly summaries of your achievements, and proactively asking for the projects you want.
- The Stagnation Trap: It’s easy to get “too comfortable.” When you’re not physically sitting next to senior developers, you are 100% responsible for your own learning. You have to actively seek out mentors, take online courses, and push yourself, because no one will do it for you.
- The “Return to Office” (RTO) Wave: In 2022, remote work felt like the permanent future. Now, many companies are forcing employees back. This has added a new, stressful layer to job hunting. “Is this job truly remote, or just ‘remote-for-now’?” has become the most important question I ask any recruiter.
Conclusion: Is It Still Worth It?
My 2022 conclusion was that “the positive side very much outweighs the negative side.”
After 7 years, my 2025 conclusion is: Absolutely, and it’s not even close.
But my understanding has matured. Remote work isn’t a “perk” you get; it’s a discipline you build.
It’s a trade-off. You are trading the easy, passive, built-in structure of an office—social interaction, career ladders, and clear boundaries—for the immense freedom to design your own life.
It requires you to be more disciplined, a better communicator, and more intentional about your career and your relationships. It’s not the easy path, and as my UK-time schedule shows, it comes with unique, difficult sacrifices. But for me, the freedom, depth, and quality of life it provides are still worth every bit of the extra effort.
