Due to the ongoing lockdown measures introduced by governments across the world in order to flatten the curve and tackle the ongoing coronavirus crisis, many of us are working from home for the first time in our lives. Whilst we may not be missing the daily commute, working from home is definitely not a breeze.
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Firstly, many of us are struggling to keep up with work whilst also trying to entertain-slash-home-school kids who are bouncing off the walls with pent-up lockdown energy. Trying to keep up with your kids’ schoolwork AND work full-time from your living room is basically like doing two jobs at once.
But that doesn’t mean that people without kids are getting off lightly. Comparing situations can lead to some of us putting pressure on ourselves to do more to help the team out – and those of us without caring responsibilities may feel obliged to pick up the slack, even if we’re struggling ourselves.
The lack of separation between home and workplace can lead to a lack of structure that many of us struggle with. When your living space is doubling up as your office it can be hard to be fully-concentrated – and conversely to fully switch off and relax when the working hours are over.
Finally, the lack of socialising is having an effect on many of us – and Zoom calls just aren’t the same. There’s no gossip to be had in a home-office and whilst you may have found them tiring in those halcyon pre-pandemic days, you wouldn’t be alone in even feeling nostalgic for Kenneth from Accounts’ terrible jokes or some passive-aggressive notes on the fridge.
