Perils of Working from Home
COVID-19 has transformed many aspects of our lives- some for better, others for worse. One such transformation has been the seismic shift in the workplace.
Working-from-home (sometimes shortened to WFH) started as a distancing necessity, requiring us all to become proficient in video conference calls and virtual meetings. Employers and employees have both capitalized on this expanded flexibility, geographic freedom, and commute-eliminating savings.
We can all appreciate the opportunity to spend our days working in sweatpants on our couches. But, let's be honest, even that can be too much of a good thing. My direct experience and the feedback I’ve received from clients have led me to a few conclusions about WFH.
The commute served a purpose: Sitting in traffic on the way to the office/work can be mind-numbing, and the savings of time and gas money are irrefutable. However, we no longer have a transitional activity between work and home. Although well known to neurodivergence, Transitions between tasks or roles are an integral part of turning off our work selves, and getting back into the role of parent, partner, and human being. Without the buffer of a commute, our work and home lives have become enmeshed and overlap. Sometimes, we oscillate between the two all day long. This is exhausting to our mental faculties.
Isolation from coworkers: If the pandemic proved nothing else, it's that social isolation is extraordinarily detrimental to humans. No one is an island and our species has always lived in groups. Virtual meetings can never replace the necessary social interactions that are vital to team building and teamwork.
Creative collaboration: Not only do virtual meetings isolate us from the cohesive hole of the workplace, they also deprive us of the interactions, collaborations, and water cooler conversations that spark new ideas through spontaneous brainstorming sessions with our coworkers. Working alone from home frequently means problem-solving alone, without the ability to pop by the lunchroom and bounce ideas off of a colleague.
Housebound temptations/ distractions: It may be fantastic to throw in that load of laundry you forgot about during the weekend into the wash during your lunch break. But you can't help but notice the countless tasks and distractions within your house; the cat's litter box, no one loaded the dishwasher, the dogs barking at the mailman again drowning out your Zoom call, all conspiring to steal your attention away from the (work) task at hand. Willpower and self-control are no match for the countless interruptions and distractions.
There are many more pitfalls of WFH that could be added to the list above. My next article will include tips and tricks to deal with the challenges of each, and more! Strategies to help with self-regulation and life satisfaction. Surprised that therapy addresses these issues? You’re not alone!
If you want to know more about how therapy isn’t just crying on a couch, schedule a free 20-minute call with me to find out!
