As a result of the coronavirus pandemic, many businesses have decided to shift their workforce to a working from home model, something that has the distinct advantage of not requiring people to interact physically, which can lower the risk of transmission. Thanks to current advancements in technology, this model of working is largely possible and convenient with minimal hitches for a wide variety of fields, and it carries with it a slew of advantages: employees no longer have to commute, they might be more comfortable within their own home, costs can be saved by both parties in several ways, the list goes on. However, that doesn’t mean that there aren’t negatives as well.
While some people might find that being able to work from within their own home is more comfortable to them, others might not, and may even find that being unable to distinguish the home from the workplace negatively affects their perception of the home. Furthermore, even the people who enjoy working from home aren’t able to socialize with their co-workers or clients in the same way that they were able to before – which could affect the enjoyment of their day.
Give Your Eyes a Break
In your normal workday before the pandemic, you might have had a great variety of activities due to the travel required to get to work and the several different forms of work you’d have to do once actually there, giving your eyes plenty of opportunities to rest throughout the day. Working at home might provide no such relief, however, especially if you’re waking up and immediately taking to the screen, looking at your phone in your breaks.
While there are practices you can adopt throughout the day to give your eyes a rest, such as looking at something twenty feet away for twenty seconds every twenty minutes, you might want to take things a step further. If you’re concerned about your eye health, you might want to consult Baton Rouge eye physicians.
Feelings of Isolation
These feelings of being disconnected from those you work with can begin to affect how you feel about your role as a whole, as well as your work-life balance. Such feelings can lead to people beginning to feel lonely and isolated, which can later develop into even more negative mental health issues. These aren’t the only ways in which spending more time at home can affect your mental health, as it’s been shown to reduce some people’s ability to sleep, which can lead to a whole slew of problems.
In addition to the mental health issues, working from home – especially in an environment that isn’t properly prepared – can mean that you begin to develop unhealthy positions while you work, which can negatively affect your posture and body. Furthermore, spending all of this extra time at home, both due to work and the increased time you’d be spending at home anyway due to the virus, can mean that you’re neglecting to exercise as much as you might have been before. You might find that your main means of exercise has been cut off, but there are still ways that you can exercise at home to keep yourself healthy.