The benefits of working from home are obvious - from the gloriously brief two-minute commute from bed to desk to being able to whip up a loaf of banana bread or put on a wash between Zoom calls. But, for many people, working from home has entered a new phase. At the outset, it may have been enforced for the short term due to coronavirus whereas now, a growing number of us are doing it ‘for real’. Extracting the maximum benefit from the situation isn’t going to happen by magic.
For a start, certain people thrive working alone while others flounder. ‘It’s important to know who we are, and to take time to consider this,’ says psychotherapist Kathryn Kinmond. ‘Some people are naturally happier working in a busy environment, and I don’t think it’s quite as simple as saying introverts like working alone while extroverts don’t. Only you know which environment serves you best. Give yourself the space to adapt and, over time, notice what’s working and what isn’t.’
Kinmond suggests that if someone previously had a frantically busy life - dashing out to work at 6am, on the go all day, followed by a social whirl in the evening, they are more likely to struggle with working from home. And, for many, the new normal may involve working alongside a partner or adult children.