Has working from home replaced the traditional way of work?

Since COVID-19 has put a crazy stop to a lot of our ways of life, we have all had to adjust to find a way to get back to some normalcy. The global pandemic has made a lot of restaurants, businesses, and even office spaces close down. While the release of the vaccine has made things start to trickle back in from the old days, a lot of things are starting to return but some things are being pushed to not go back.

Many people have had to start working from home for the last year to adhere to social distancing rules in an office. The CDC has made it a rule to social distance up to 6 feet apart to prevent the spread of the Coronavirus. Because it is very hard to keep people in an office that distanced from each other with the mass amount of employees a business may have, working from home was the best alternative to massive layoffs. 

Unfortunately, there were a lot of businesses that ended up doing massive layoffs due to not being able to cover the loss of business that hit them. There were many companies out there who also didn’t have a choice. To do what was best for the company and its employees, some low-performing employees were selected to be let go. Some companies just decided to choose employees at random to make things fair. 

Massive layoffs may have seemed necessary at the time but it created more national debt and caused a relief payment with stimulus checks to have to be created. Because of this many Americans received checks over the next few months to help with that. 

Even with mask mandates coming back and sometimes going away, many offices are forced to send more people to work from home. With this, it is causing them to find ways to cut costs with their office space. There are ways offices are still thriving without doing this, but in some ways, they are not. 

There are currently millions of Americans who have been working from home for over 6 months. Some people have felt that working from home has been a blessing in disguise. Many people who suffer from mental health issues such as social anxiety, depression, and PTSD have found that the solitude of working from home has been very helpful. 

The quiet, less stressful work environment that people have created for themselves has made it to where they are more successful in their jobs, as well as not wanting to go back to the office. There have even been some people who have refused to come back to work that they have even found new jobs that are 100% remote. 

Having a good safety net when dealing with mental illness is amazing when it comes to combating it while you work. It is an internal struggle that some of us try and win every day. Being in crowded office space while trying to deal with this isn’t the best scenario for anyone. The fact that you can work from home in a quiet workspace, have a safe place to cool down if you get a mental illness flare-up or even just the convenience of the non-work commute is worth it for many of us. 

With gas prices rising continuously, many people have started to be able to save some money by not having to drive to work. Even bad weather conditions and avoiding the drive into your office workplace have had more people convinced that working from home is the way to go. 

There are still a small group of people who are still working in their offices. With the vaccine slowing the spread of the Coronavirus, many companies have felt it is safe to have some people come back. Some companies have offered the option to come back while others have enforced their employees to return.

With the unpredictability of COVID-19, it is hard for some people to feel it will ever be safe to come back to the office again. Not many people are willing to risk catching the virus, even if they have been fully vaccinated. Sure there is a potential booster shot that might be available fairly soon but the thing to keep in mind is that while these are good safety measures it isn’t a cure. 

People feel safe in their homes, especially during this time. It is important to have that feeling of security and safety. Working from home has that feeling for all of us. We also hate change, so the fact that some people are having to come back after almost a year of being able to work from home has many people disgruntled. This again is one of the biggest reasons why people are changing their careers. 

Working from home has been the only positive change people have felt has happened since COVID-19 made its global spread. The fact that it has swayed most people to never go back says it all. You get the comfort of working from home, sleeping in, and having your own set up that going back to a stiff office doesn’t seem very good at all. 

Another big reason people are finding the change back to an office space vs working from home, not in their best interest is the fact they can be healthier at home. People are choosing to have ergonomic office items like desks and chairs that their normal work environment never provided. Using ergonomic office items has been proven to provide more health benefits than the average office-used items.

Your physical and mental health being affected while you work tends to make you want to work less, focus on the tasks you are doing and sometimes even want to get out of bed the next day. Considering the current state the world is in with the continuing precautions we are taking against COVID-19, many people are still stressed every day they work. 

There have been many people who have their mental health slowly dwindle due to lack of socializing with their co-workers, feeling cut off and isolated while they work from home. Mental health should always be a priority. How you feel mentally affects how you can feel physically. Granted physical health should be a top priority as well. If your mental health starts to dwindle it could affect your focus, your motivation, and even start to affect the way your body can feel. 

Stress is a hard thing to avoid, but with the right tools, you can keep a great balance between your mental health and physical health. This is one of the most important reasons why ergonomic desks are a better choice and why most people are sticking with them while working from home. 

There are also people working from home who are taking the extra step to be healthier by buying gym equipment so that they can work out while on their breaks. Keep in mind, gym equipment can be expensive, but if you are willing to go the extra mile for your health why not do it? Sure, many companies people work for are providing gym equipment to their employees in the office but many aren’t. 

Not to mention with the costs of gym memberships and the unknowing closure times due to COVID-19, gyms staying open are kind of up in the air. As well, you are also spending so much money at times on gym memberships that buying workout equipment to work out in the comfort of your home is very much a perk.

Working out on your breaks while working from home is a nice way as well to clear your mind, get away from your workspace and even increase your mental focus. That balance of work and enjoyment is important. Yes, it is important to give it your all while you work from home, but we all need breaks. Working out and enjoying your breaks can be hard while working in an office environment.

Let's be real here, we all hate the awkward conversations we are all forced into having while working in an office. They tend to also happen at the worst times. Whether we are hard at work or just trying to take a minute from ourselves, somehow a co-worker finds you to chat or just vent. Yes, it can be nice to do that but not all the time. We all need a bit of time just for us. 

This is a big reason why people are enjoying working from home. Even more so if you suffer from social anxiety. Social anxiety or even anxiety, in general, is never that you can see on the surface. While working from home you can avoid those awkward conversations and just unwind on your own. 

If working from home is right for you or continuing working from home is the healthiest option for you, talk to someone in charge at your workplace. You can explain to them the reason why it is in your best interest. If there is a rare occasion your employer isn’t willing to help, then making a career change may be in your best interest. Remember, what is best for you is always a top priority.