Work from home is the ultimate fantasy that an employee wishes for. It comes with its own benefits like there’s no travelling involved, you can wake up 10 minutes before work starts and can have breakfast in your leisure time. It’s easy to switch between home and office as they are a step away from each other. It increases the flexibility and also saves a fortune on travelling and gas expenses but the main drawback which have been observed while working remotely is loneliness.
Initially, everyone was very excited about the fact of working from home but gradually as the days passed it is affecting the wellbeing of the employees because of social isolation. If we like the fact or not, we have to agree that everyone is missing their co-workers and a physical space. Your co-workers might not be your friends but they are the one with whom you spend 8-10 hours a day and you bond unknowingly. They understand you and your mood swings more than anyone else and from your facial expression they can guess whether you had a bad day or not. While working remotely, you miss those small talks, lunch and snack breaks that were your ultimate relax time. You may hate the guy sitting next to you in office for his political views or difference in opinions but you will forget all of it when he becomes your saviour by helping you complete a project on deadline and not taking credit for it.
Now, the scenario has completely changed and you have no one to get the advice from. Due to unavoidable situation of pandemic everyone is shifted to work from home condition which has doubled the amount of loneliness among employees leading to poor productivity and losing morality. Missing your co-worker does not mean you are best of friends but it means you are missing a social touch which is lacking in working remotely. Human is a social animal and they need a group of people around them wherever they go as it helps in their mental stability and distancing might affect the mental condition of the humans that can be disastrous. Work from home now has become that school vacation in which society has announced that play area will be shut.
There are ways in which you can help yourself from getting into the zone of loneliness and that in turn will increase your productivity and will boost your mental health also. It is very necessary to improve your social life in social distancing condition. Spending all day at home will curb you in your thoughts and action so try to leave your home but keeping in mind the safety precaution. Go out and buy some groceries or go for a walk or run that will keep you healthy and you can meet new people also. Look for safe and socially distant activities to counterbalance the isolation of work from home. Find a friend with similar hobbies so that you both can learn it together and you will have an individual with whom you can connect. Adopting a pet is also a great option to overcome loneliness and stabilise your mind. Pets are the best companion to be with. According to reports, presence of dogs or other pet animals can decrease the feeling of stress, anxiety, loneliness and depression. In this covid situation petting an animal will help you overcome the mental instability and keeps you happy.
You have to understand one thing that each and every person out here is suffering from mental issue, so be calm and handle the situation with utmost care. Until now, we never realised that we are so attached to our co-workers and they hold a different position in our life. According to various studies, most of the individuals want to return to working in the physical space next to their co-workers which directly or indirectly help us in growing and learning a lot of things. The managers should check on their employees’ wellbeing from time to time so that they feel connected with the office environment and can deliver their best of results.
