People widely are choosing to work from home these days. In terms of number of companies willing to permit it or it may be number of People who desire it. Almost every fourth American was working from home last year. We expect this number to grow along with the growing communication technology, and the benefits of working from home are supported with more empirical evidence.
So, it is okay when we assume that letting more employees work from home will reduce office expenses, commute times and greenhouse gas emissions attributable to daily commutes. Though working from home also have negative effects for your state of mind, especially in the long run.
THE Problem of LONELINESS
Work from home entails some amount of isolation. If you stay alone, your day might just pass without seeing or talking to anybody. If you live with other people, you might customarily shut yourself away in a separate office.
Whatever the case, your initial response to these conditions might be one of relief: suddenly, you have no bosses to micromanage you or coworkers to interrupt. After a few weeks or months, however, you may start to feel the effects of isolation, which increase over time.
When there are no coworkers around to help you measure your own performance, you might develop a constant, nagging feeling that something is not right
Our social relationships may be classified in terms of strong ties (those to close friends and family members) and weak ties (such as those to coworkers and passing acquaintances). On a daily basis, your level of happiness hugely correlates to how many interactions you have had especially with strong ties, though weak ties also play a role.
According to researchers, controlling for factors like income, geographic regions and even genetics, the only necessary ingredient for long-term happiness appears to be how and how often we make connection with others. Loneliness, especially on a chronic basis, can subject you to career burnout, depression and frustration.
In addition, working by yourself gives you no opportunity to take benefit of Early theory. This is a sociological phenomenon in which individuals gauge their own performance and sense of belonging against the habif ort ands and actions of others. When there are no coworkers around to help you measure your own performance, you might develop a constant, nagging feeling that something is not right.
OVERCOMING DETACHMENT IN A REMOTE WORK ENVIRONMENT
Although you may love the benefits of working from home, even if you consider yourself a self-sufficient introvert, you are still required to take daily precautions to avoid the creeping threat of loneliness. Fortunately, some of these easy strategies can help to mitigate your risk:
• Work in public. First, try working in public at least some of the time. Most coffee shops, bookstores and similar establishments offer free WiFi with any purchase (even a small coffee), and don’t mind if you spend a few hours on a laptop in their space. Interacting with your cashier, and possibly a handful of strangers in a busy environment, could be what you need to establish new weak ties and stave off loneliness.
• Chat and share with others. Though certain types of online interactions can actually make us very lonely, thoughtful and personal interactions with coworkers and friends can make us feel more connected — even when transmitted digitally. Sending a collage of pictures or a card with an app like Smilebox, for instance, can instantly brighten someone’s day, which beats passively hitting “like” on someone’s vacation photos.
• Socialize with relatives and neighbours. You might work from home, but you probably are surrounded by people. Take occasional breaks from work for interacting with them. You will be glad you did.
• Consider joining a shared workplace. Shared workplaces are becoming common as more people recognize the isolation and logistical challenges of working from the comfort of their home. Consider the investment value of the low monthly rate, or pop-in once in a while to engage with other remote workers and embed yourself into a new environment.
Working from home does not have to be lonely or miserable, but you are suppose to know what you are moving into before you commit to the point of no return. A few simple habits each day can help you feel more connected, and reduce your risk of professional burnout, depression and mental illness.
