Pros and Cons of work from home during COVID

 When it comes to working from home, many people think it's a dream come true. But is it really? People work from home because they want to take care of their children, they want flexibility in their schedule, or they just don't want to deal with public transportation. All good reasons, right? But there are some downsides too. In the interest of being honest and fair, we're going to list what we think are the pros and cons of working from home during COVID.

 

1. Working from home is good for your health

Working from home has been shown to have a positive impact on your health, especially your mental health. A study published in the Journal of Occupational Health Psychology found that people who work from home experience improved work-life balance, self-control, and energy.Other studies have shown that remote working can cut down on depression. Plus, there are sentimental reasons to stay at home too. You can end up missing the sights, sounds, smells, family time, and relationships that you miss in the office. We live in the greatest country on earth, and we can go on vacation anywhere we want. A huge amount of Americans are forced to spend ten months of the year away from their family at home. Reframing your life away from the office and staying at home allows you to reconnect with your loved ones. Plus, you get to take care of your children. Does this answer your questions? Yes, absolutely. But there is a big problem: You don't have the freedom to work when you want to. You have work to do, and you don’t always feel like doing it. If you work from home during COVID, you have to take days off when you want to see friends and family. These are things that are difficult to come back from. You’re also probably not going to enjoy your job. In fact, most remote working employees don’t enjoy their job. It’s Netflix and chill all day, Monday through Friday. Sure, the actual hours you work are flexible during a pandemic. Many companies have offered flexible hours, including Amazon, which allows for employees to work from home until further notice. Another example is Zoom, where employees can work from home if the company reopens. That said, this means you’ll likely be working from home for the rest of your life. With this type of flexibility, how would you feel about that? These things all have to be taken into account too.

2. Working from home can jeopardize your relationships

A study from Stanford University found that people who work from home are more likely to be depressed and isolated than employees who go into the office. A lot of it has to do with the reduced interaction they have with other people. If you work from home, try to make plans to go out with friends and family and to see co-workers as often as you can. It’s hard to interact with people that aren’t online. If you’re depressed, working from home might make you less likely to find help or social connections. The best thing you can do is seek out a therapist or an addiction specialist if you’re struggling with any kind of mental health issue. If you’re not in a great place right now, feel free to take a break and unwind with some mindless mindless TV. No one’s going to notice that you haven’t taken a break in a while if you’ve been engaged in reading or watching Netflix. I personally believe the best thing you can do when you feel lonely or down is to spendtime with yourself. Whether it’s doing arts and crafts, going for a walk, or spending time with the cat, spending time with yourself is a great way to boost your mental health. According to a Psychology Today article, solitude is great for your mental health because it helps you build resilience. Studies have shown that when people experience solitude, a variety of chemicals are released into the bloodstream. These chemicals help to reduce stress and protect you from injury because they reduce inflammation. If you’re feeling down, putting on some unstructured solo therapy as soon as possible can lift your spirits and improve your mental health. No one wants to feel like they are suffering, but going through life not being able to turn on the bright side can leave people feeling shattered. Don’t feel guilty for needing some variety in your day. For some reason, it’s more socially acceptable to be plugged in all day than to be alone. Taking a break gives you that free time to get out of your head and into the present moment.

3. Working from home means you don't have to commute

Working from home is great. You don’t have to spend time on your commute, you can eat lunch in your pajamas, and you don’t have to worry about what to wear. When you work from home, you will need to get up and move every so often. This is a good thing because you will get healthier and you will reduce any snoring that regularly happens in your house. But if COVID is causing thousands of people to become prematurely older every year, how will we ever fix this? We got you covered. While you will occasionally have to disconnect from your cable connection so that your Comcast account remains active, it is far more likely that the problem is the air pressure in your house. All new homes undergo a one-year adjustment period, during which air pressure can increase 10% to 15% and tired eyes from staring at an unseasoned ceiling aren’t going to help your posture. You also have more freedom to partake in the things you love. Like watching a family movie on a Friday afternoon on mute while eating a Costco lunch. You can kick back and do what truly gives you joy. Countless people already work from home from time to time. Although you will not be able to instantly put away all your un-necessary belongings and focus on leisure time, working from home does allow for some essential items to be taken with you as well. We’ll discuss what else you should bring with you, but in order to do this safely, you will want to invest in a storage solution. Unlike your office, working from home does allow for a little privacy. You can even place residual items such as your healthcare calendar, medication bottles, and therapy equipment in dedicated containers. When you have things in different locations such as on your computer, paperwork will become more organized.

4. Working from home means you don't have to deal with office politics

Working from home is a great way to avoid many of the problems that come with being in an office environment. For example, if you work from home, you don’t have to deal with the office politics that typically come with office culture. You also don’t have to deal with the commute, which saves you time and energy. Additionally, you don’t need to commute to work every day. You can set up your workspace, get some work done, and come home and get ready for bed at the same time every evening. We know that besides the obvious, your health is important. We live in a busy world, and the sooner we can get back to a more sustainable way of living, the better. Working from home offers many opportunities to work out ways to tackle health issues. As far as health goes, COVID has exacerbated many common health conditions like heart disease, high blood pressure, obesity, type II diabetes, and depression in both the general population and military. Many have even died as a direct result of these conditions. Working from home is a great way to help with your stress, anxiety, and depression, so be sure to get regular exercise, eat well, and get enough sleep. Unfortunately, COVID also has its effects on employees’ physical health. The virus has caused a rise in body odor and armpit hair, slimmer people have become distended, and coughing, shortness of breath, fatigue, and muscle cramps are all becoming more common. Between job stress, time off, hot flashes, and decreased energy, physical symptoms are beginning to affect many. According to the Union for Human Resources, about 8% of the US workforce may have contracted COVID-19. Over 50 million people work from home (about 2 out of every 4 human beings who live on this planet). Many have not had time to be exposed to light and noise and are suffering the consequences. It’s not clear how severe the effects of COVID are on the general workforce, but it’s a concern. Working from home can also put people at risk for contracting diseases.

5. Working from home means you can stay in your pajamas all day

Working from home is great for your productivity and your personal life. You can work when you want and in your pajamas if you want. The benefits of working from home are huge but it’s also important to remember that you still have to work. Don’t think that working from home means you can slack off.The great thing about working from home is that you can still take breaks and check off step after step. The bad news is that you give up some of the flexibility of a normal job in the process. You can’t go on vacation because you don’t want to risk another uptick in the virus, and you can’t take your phone calls in the middle of the night because you’re afraid of exposing other people to your germs. Pros Most people perform better when they aren’t multitasking. This is true even if you get through all your emails and deal with tedious meetings on your phone. You tend to have more focus and a clearer mind when you’re not checking social media, scrolling through email, or working on a computer. You can even listen to music throughout the day to get some extra zzz’s if you want! You may be able to get away with working less before you have to report to your boss. If you work at a respiratory disease clinic, where most of the staff is pretty sick, I can really see how it might be possible to stay inside for a few weeks, maintaining your health. In my case, I worked a reduced lunch schedule that was supposed to last for five days. Because I only worked two days a week, I actually only had two meetings per week: One for the sick clinic and one with a representative from our accounting team. Since I was only at home for a couple weeks, I only had to report to my boss once a week. Working from home can free you up in other ways as well.