Now that the pandemic has slowed down significantly and life has resumed (in the most part) to normal, there is a central question on a lot of people’s and companies’ minds… Will working from home still be an option?
The working from home lifestyle is something that many of us across the world became accustomed to in the course of the pandemic. What started as a necessity became normality for many of us and the very thought of returning to the office now is enough to make a lot of us shudder.
But aside from comfort and routine, there are lots of legitimate reasons that people won’t want to go back to the office post-Covid and we want to talk about those in this blog.
Working from home over Covid has opened many of us up to the great potential associated with the practice and there is a lot of validity in the mode of working. Here are the 7 top reasons why we think working from home should be a normal and common part of the world of employment, far beyond any need due to a health-related pandemic.
If you can think of any more, please do let us know in the comment section below. And don’t forget to follow us on social media before you go so you can keep up to date with all of our blogs and posts!
1. Accessibility for Disabilities
The number one spot for the biggest advantage of working from home continuing long past the pandemic goes to the fact that it allows a greater level of accessibility in the workforce at large for people with disabilities.
Recent statistics have shown that a whopping 9 out of 10 disabled people want to continue working at home at least some of the time after the pandemic. Some of the reasons they listed for profiting from and enjoying working from home so much were:
- More control over work hours
- Reduction in fatigue
- Improvement in mental health
- Better working routine
Disabled people, in the wide range of people that the term actually covers, are far too often overlooked or forgotten about when society at large is making decisions.
Working from home provides a lot of opportunities and relief for disabled people of all kinds, so I say let it continue as long as possible and keep this positive trend going.
2. Work-Life Balance
One of the main benefits of working from home for everyone is the fact that you are more in control of your work-life balance. Cutting down on commuting, for a start, can save up to 2 extra hours a day for a lot of people, 2 extra hours that can instead be used for hobbies, quality time with family, friends, or partners, upskilling, learning, exercising, or anything on Earth that you want to do.
Working from home also makes it easier to use your breaks in whatever way you wish, without being tied to one physical location.
Having more free time for yourself really helps things feel more balanced between working and living, therefore cutting down on potential stress, overwhelm, and fatigue.
3. Freedom of Movement
One of my personal favourite advantages of being able to work from home is that “home” can have a loose meaning. Whether you can leave the country or not depends on how you work and who you work for, but even without this aspect there are lots of ways in which you can keep moving while working from home.
You can work in your garden, in a local cafe, in a library, from bed if you are sick, from the beach, from a hotel, at a friend’s house… From pretty much anywhere you want, usually, as long as you have a good internet connection and headphones for meetings.
This, for me, is really freeing.
Being chained to a desk 40 hours a week can be pretty stifling. Being allowed to move and change things up is a much better way of working and living if you ask me. I find I can concentrate much better and be much more productive when I don’t get into one of those long ruts brought on by inactivity and stagnation.
4. Supporting Mental and Physical Health
On that note, working from home can be a great thing for both your physical and mental health.
Not being in a locked environment means you are more able to do things on a regular basis that are good for you. It is easier to exercise, meditate, journal, and get outdoors, all of these great things, inside of your workday.
Sometimes that feeling of being free is enough to boost your mental health in the first place.
5. Childcare
Something that a lot of people across the world have benefited from while working from home is the reduction in childcare stress and costs.
Now, working from home while having a child or children in the house isn’t always the easiest thing in the world. But it does cut down on running back and forth to childminders when your child is sick or has school holidays. It can be a big financial help to have your kids at home with you when they need to be and it can be much less stressful for both you and your child.
6. Catering to Different Working Styles
The modern, corporate, and office-led way of working does not, in my opinion, take into account the fact that lots of different people have lots of different working styles.
Some people like to work alone, some like to work with others, some with background noise, some in silence.
Having a designated place of work where you must work 5 days a week doesn’t allow you to have much control over the way that you work, but being able to work from home largely allows you to make these decisions for yourself. You can build your own working environment in a way that works for you specifically.
That can be a big benefit in terms of productivity and satisfaction.
7. Environmentalism
Fewer offices, less commuting emissions and pollution.
Fewer offices, less construction and noise pollution.
Less busyness, more peace.
Working from home has a lot to offer in the world, in so many different ways, and it is not something that I think should be even remotely forgotten about or disregarded post-pandemic. It has a lot to offer many of us for a long time to come and, as such, I think the longer it can continue, the better!
What do you think?
Let us know in the comments and stick around for some more of our opinions, thoughts, and musings on mustreadmoment while you are at it!