When we work remotely, we need to establish the structure of work ourselves. This includes setting the parameters of our work day, office set up, daily routine, a framework for how we will remain focused, network with others and relieve stress. This can be overwhelming at the best of times, and a method that few of us had a framework for, or education in when we began to work remotely.
As COVID-19 converted millions of people into remote workers almost overnight, best practices for this new way of work were implemented on the fly. Some people did well with the change, particularly if they were provided guidance and coaching on building their remote framework. While others continue to struggle as they tried their best to navigate the new normal. Not being successful with remote work does not indicate a poor employee, rather this highlights our style differences. While some workers are rejoicing at the break from a daily commute, others may be feeling constrained from a household being home for work and school, with little privacy to work quietly. Others work better in teams than they do as independents, and this creates disruption with no one to bounce ideas off of.
Working from home has definitely seen highs and lows, and this blog post explores whether or not the continuation of remote work could have negative impacts on our work and mental health. Miro, an online visual collaboration platform, has done a one year check-in survey to see the effects remote work has had on people both professionally and personally.
These are a few of the key findings:
- Increase in Work Life Balance: 43% of respondents said that they have seen an improvement to work/life balance in the last year.
- Majority of remote workers say working from home has improved relationships with kids and partners: 49% of respondents reported an improved relationship with their spouse and 62% of respondents with children under the age of 18 reported a positive change in their relationship with their children.
- Working from home is challenging routines: Remote work doesn’t require the same degree of routine as in-office work does. The Miro survey revealed that workers are taking advantage of this new flexibility, as one-third of respondents begin working within 20 minutes of waking up in the morning, with about 23% of millennials saying they typically first check in with work while still in bed.
- Disconnection from workplaces might be challenging our mental health: one-third of respondents said that their mental health declined during the transition to remote work, which is 29% more than those who say their mental health had improved.
- Virtual meetings are failing to drive sustainable levels of engagement: Meetings frequently suffer from distracted attendees, and over 57% said that they were more likely to multitask during virtual meetings while working from home than they were before the pandemic.
The working from home experience has impacted many people both professionally and personally, and it has become clear that this massive shift in working environments has introduced changes to our overall environment. The full survey report includes the complete set of data that can help shine new light on the wellness and engagement of your workforce.
You can check out the survey here: [ See the full report ]
Photo by Thought Catalog on Unsplash
