Since the Covid-19 pandemic, many businesses have turned their staff to working from home. This has ultimately saved millions in renting office space, fuel costs and travel times. All sounds good, no?
However, is this really the best way forward?
As we emerge from the restrictions imposed by the pandemic, we as a society are beginning, once again, to normalise. The next potential pandemic aside (go away, Monkey Pox – nobody likes you) things are looking up for the Summer season.
Still, I have my own feelings about working from home. Personally, I can’t do it. I’ve tried a number of times to sit and work at home – be it in my room or out in the lounge, at a table. For me, being in my ‘safe space’ and having to combine it with my work space made me a lot less productive. I found it far too easy to get distracted, take a five (15) minute break and then carry on.
Some, on the other hand, swear by it and wouldn’t go back to the office for anything. How I envy them. Still, there’s a lot to be said for working in an environment that you are working with others within. There’s a big difference, in my opinion, between being face to face with someone at the office and just being in a Zoom meeting.
At any rate, it has its pros can cons but I believe that it should be optional and not mandatory going forward because for some individuals, including me, blending your home environment with your work environment. This is especially true for those with mental health issues – those that need the sanctity of their space to be kept sacred.
Long run, and in the larger scheme of things, things are always evolving and there’s a great deal of fluidity to the current working world. It’s important to remember that balance is a key factor in all things – not just working from home and the ramifications but also the economy as a whole.
Remember that not everything is black and white.