Working from home is now commonplace. In 2020, if you were lucky, you were abruptly switched from working in a bustling office to working from your bedroom.
Working from home does come with some perks, but it also introduces new work-life balance obstacles and a few shifts in perspective.
Now that we’ve all become rather seasoned at working from home, let’s round-up 7 truths no one told us about working from our bedrooms.
- Jeans? We don’t know her.
As a result of working from home (WFH), we’re collectively casting off our tight denim.
After wearing yoga leggings day in and day out, squeezing on a pair of high-waisted jeans feels like some form of medieval torture. What are these devil pants anyway? How were these ever considered comfortable?
In this new normal you might be addressing your colleagues while wearing fuzzy socks, pimple cream, and stretchy joggers. The WFH uniform is all about maximum comfort.
- Procrastination station
Working from home might increase your productivity because you’re more comfortable, and there might be fewer distractions.
But, this newfound comfort level might eventually turn into “Eh, I can do that later.” or, “No worries, we’ve got time!”
This lax situation can turn into a procrastination station.
For those of you who struggle with time management, working from home might be a real doozy.
But there are two sides to every coin…
- Overworking is all too easy
On the flipside, because your home is now your office, work time can easily invade your personal time.
Before the pandemic, your home was your retreat. But now — it’s serving as a classroom, an office, and even a gym.
The lines can get blurry which can result in overworking. The term “taking work home” has an all-new meaning.
Knowing when to set your “work hat” down for the day, is essential to your sanity. If you’re doing this for yourself, working from home is teaching you to enforce boundaries.
- You begin missing simple human interaction
At some point in WFH, you begin to miss seeing your workmates. This might have taken a while for some. (Looking at you fellow introverts.)
But if working from home has taught us anything at all, it’s that simple human interaction is really important to our mental health.
It’s interesting to realize how helpful and comforting it is to have human interaction with your work buddies. It breaks up the monotony of the day and provides opportunities for connection.
- You’re gonna have to run a brush through that bed head eventually
Something you might not have bargained for is your new standard for “Yup, I’m ready!”
Hey, I get it. No judgment here. Your commute and morning routine is short. You roll out of bed, make your coffee and log onto work.
“No one is gonna see me today! Cue the top knot.”
You’re not likely getting yourself all spruced up as you normally would. I’d argue your WFH look is more or less PJ chic.
- It makes you appreciate the “small stuff”
Spending so much time in our homes clicking away on the computer can really make you appreciate the little things.
Before WFH you might have ridden a train, sat in traffic, gone to the cafe, worked in teams, gave a big presentation, went to a workout class, stopped at the bodega, and got drinks with a friend — all in one day.
Now, that feels like a huge day.
Things have slowed waaaay down for most of us. So much of our day is contained in our homes and our Zoom meetings.
So the little things begin to feel much bigger. Going out for a mid-day treat, or walking through the farmers market is so much sweeter than it used to be.
- It reminds you that a well-designed home that makes you feel good is important
If you didn’t think so before, you definitely do now — what you fill your home with matters.
The quality of your chair, your desk, and your sensory comforts are all essential to productivity while working from home.
You might also have begun considering your use of space in your home. Working with small spaces or limited lay-out possibilities can really get the interior design wheels spinning.
Once you find a layout that works for you, you realize how important it really is.
Our homes are the hearth of our well-being
Our little nests represent our comforts, our artistic expression, and now, unexpectedly, our workflow. How we utilize our spaces can make or break the WFH experience.
If you find yourself beautifying your home more so now than before WFH, you’re not alone. Investing in beautifying a functional space while working from home pays big dividends.
