Work From home: We Should Be Striving To Get Back Into The Office

We live in a society that is constantly changing which requires us to learn to adapt quickly — or get left behind. 

Over the last two years, strange deviations from our “normal” lives can be chalked up to a direct cause of the COVID-19 pandemic.  Working from home has been one of the most significant changes we have seen during this pandemic, as isolation slows the spread of viruses. This change was the inevitable choice. However, this has affected the working world greatly and has left an impact by creating a “new normal.” 

When the pandemic first began in early March of 2020, the world was turned upside down and society entered a temporary new way of living. However, those changes are beginning to overstay their welcome for many, causing much controversy as the U.S. and other countries start to transition from the pandemic safety regulations — including working from home. I would strongly argue that moving away from pandemic protocols should be the direction for the world rather than accepting the safety precautions as the “new normal,” specifically regarding working from home.

A major argument that people continue working from home is that it allows for more productivity and focus during a standard workday, but unfortunately, this is typically not the case. For many of us, the home is seen as a sacred place away from the office where a time is spent with family members, which can come with its own distractions and difficulties. If the home separation from the workplace is lost as a physical place of rest, I question where else people will go to meet these needs.

Some jobs don’t require employees to work in person and can be accomplished at home, and this can truly work for some.  Yet, these jobs often don’t require a 24-hour workday, which has been associated to the feelings of isolation and the fear of missing out, leading to mental health stress. In addition, an increase in procrastination and lack of motivation found in the workplace (from home) is more likely to take the place of productivity.

The mental health of employees is the most obvious con to working from home. Humans were created for community and crave social interactions, regardless of whether we identify as introverts or extroverts, and lack of community can lead to both depression and a higher chance of anxiety attacks. I personally know this to be true, as do many young adults who struggled through the height of the pandemic.

INC.com reported, “It’s important to make sure you don’t become isolated, which is not only bad for your morale, it can also lead to depression and even shorten your life. So, difficult though it is these days, make your social life a priority.”

The question remains: Should we remain working at home and risk the side effects or should we return to what workdays were before the pandemic with more flexibility in hours? I choose the latter.

Marks  is an opinion writer.