Despite restrictions being lifted, many businesses are considering whether to return to normal office working patterns or continue with the working from home set-up. If you’re thinking about making the move to permanently being based at home, how can you get ready for the longer term?
Working from home vs returning to the office
Are there more benefits to one than the other? Would you miss the hustle and bustle of the office environment if you permanently worked from home? There are a number of factors to consider before making your decision.
One of the biggest pros of working from home is that you won’t have a commuting time, nor the expenses that go with it. You’re likely to save yourself hundreds of pounds on train, bus or tube tickets, as well as hours of precious time.
You’ll also find you have a bit more personal time throughout the day too if you work from home. Have you ever wanted to get your workout done on a morning but have had to rush out of the door, or fancied an evening stroll but have left the office too late? Now is your chance to do all of that with your new working from home life!
Why many will choose to stay at home
With so many benefits to staying at home, we’re likely to see a big shift in the way companies operate. Whether you choose to spend all your time at home or work a hybrid pattern, people have responded well to this major shift over the past year during the pandemic, and employees would be wise to let their employees continue to work this way.
Time to invest in your home office
If you put off spending money during the pandemic because you thought you’d be returning back to the office, now is the time to invest in your space. Comfort is an important factor when getting your setup completed and ergonomic furniture is the way forward. If you’re concerned about your health and wellbeing as a result of working from home, long term loans could help to fund an ergonomic office chair or standing desk to improve your health and posture. You’ll need to keep in mind the financial commitments involved with taking out a loan, and you’ll have to ensure you can make the repayments.
Make sure you’re practising a good work-life balance
Working from home can be pretty isolating at times, so it’s important to maintain a good work-life balance. This could be allocating time out of the house throughout the day for a walk or to head to the gym – no matter what you choose to do, making a greater effort to get out and about more is one of the key ingredients to having a happy home-working life.
It’s also going to be important to stay in touch regularly with your colleagues and manager. You may start to feel distant from everyone, so ensure you schedule in team catch ups and virtual or in person social events.
Working from home comes with many benefits, but you’ll need to make sure you’re doing everything you can to stay healthy and balance your work and home life well. This way you’ll get the most out of your new way of working.