Many businesses across the country are now operating from home due to the Covid-19 pandemic. This has meant adults have had to quickly change the way they work and live — with operating from the kitchen table and speaking to colleagues over video chat becoming the new norm.
Of course, there are pros and cons to working from home. So what do Brits miss most about their workplace? The printing company Instantprint who specialise in flyers, leaflets, business cards and more, did a survey of 1000 UK adults that are working from home to find out.
The people
According to the survey, the main thing Brits miss about their workplace are the people, with 36 per cent of participants saying this was the case. This was closely followed by small talk, which just under a third of people (32 per cent) said they missed. This is perhaps unsurprising, as we are social creatures by nature and need a certain degree of interaction for our wellbeing. Psychology Today states:
‘at one time, our very survival depended on trusting and supportive relationships … it doesn’t matter how technologically sophisticated we become; emotional connectivity remains a core part of being human. We need each other’.
This is why many businesses are encouraging colleagues to keep in touch virtually through online chat and video calls.
Getting ready in the morning
In third place is getting ready for work in the morning, which 28 per cent of participants said they miss. Many of us like routine — and getting up, eating breakfast and getting dressed for work gives each day a sense of structure. It makes us feel in control of our day — that we are organised and ready for what the day throws at us. Of course, working from home means we aren’t following our typical work routine — we’re not rushing to catch the tube or drop the kids off at school. While our work and home lives have changed, it’s still important to maintain a routine — so try getting up at the same time each day and dedicate certain parts of the day for work, exercise and relaxation.
Different clothes for work and home
A quarter of survey participants said they also miss having different clothes for work and home. Many people are dressing much more casually working from their kitchen or spare room, which means there’s little distinction between our weekend/evening attire and our work clobber. While you may be comfy sat in your joggers all day, research from The Independent ‘shows your clothes have an impact on your mind. What you wear during self-isolation matters’. The article states that people ‘performed better in cognitive tests when wearing smart clothes than those in casual garb’ — so it may be best to get properly dressed in workwear during your office hours and switching to more casual stuff in your spare time.
What do you miss most about your workplace?
Image by DarkWorkX from Pixabay
