Does Working from Home Lead to Feelings of Increased Isolation?

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As we continue to cope with the Coronavirus pandemic or try to, a multitude of changes are taking place. Most evident of these is the trend toward working from home instead of heading to an office or, in the case of an interior designer, the studio. These changes also lead to questions such as:

  • Does working from home cause feelings of increased isolation?

  • Does creativity suffer from a work-from-home lifestyle?

  • Does working from home allow for more flexibility and freedom, or do you feel trapped in the unfamiliar?

Of course, the concept of telecommuting and working in the virtual world are not exactly new. However, this approach applies to a relatively small number of people. Now, while it’s becoming increasingly popular to claim that our experiment with social distancing will inevitably lead to a “work-from-home revolution”, others have serious doubts.

With these things in mind, let’s consider what the future may hold as the pandemic plays itself out.

The good news: The rate of coronavirus infection seems to be slowing, as is the mortality rate as new treatments become available.

The bad news: Many states and localities remain on “lockdown”, requiring tens of thousands to continue isolating themselves by working from home.

Whether or not you believe the various stay-at-home orders were necessary for keeping people safe from Cov-19, it appears they will remain in place for some time yet. This will only exacerbate any of the negative consequences that shifting to work from home may have caused for you and your team.

Consequences of Social Distancing: Are Isolation and Loneliness Inevitable?

There certainly are some fantastic benefits to working from home. These include, “The flexibility to plan your work around your life, not the other way round, the control you have with the flow of your work and the hours you add back to your day from not having to commute further than the stroll from your bedroom to your office (or dining table).”

Then again, while staying in your uber-comfy work PJs all day makes you happy, “Working from home has one big drawback that burns people out and makes them depressed, and that’s social isolation and loneliness.” (TheWorkAtHomeWoman.com)

The sense of being disconnected due to social distancing is very real. Granted, it may be an unintended consequence, but that does not mean we shouldn’t have seen it coming. In fact, with the benefit of hindsight, it seems to have been inevitable.

If you’ve begun to crave more social interaction than our current restrictions allow, you can get it virtually and stay safe.

Online business meetings – Staying in touch with your team, clients, and others in the design and furnishings industries will enable you to feel more in touch with your business. It may even enhance your professional relationships by displaying your commitment to staying connected in times of distress and/or crisis.

Social meet-ups – Family and friends are an invaluable resource for engagement when you begin to feel socially isolated. Just because you can’t visit them in person does not mean you have to avoid them altogether. Stay in touch with all who matter to you so you can remain close when the current pandemic ends – and it will.

Live online events – If you’ve been thinking about signing up for a particular webinar or getting some online training, now would be a great time to follow through. Heck, you could even produce your own online event!

With a live event, you may also benefit from the opportunity to connect and network with others in the design or furnishings industry. In other words, use this as an opportunity instead of adding to your sense of loneliness and isolation by avoiding the chance to connect with others, virtually.

You would do well to remember that many of the people you used to interact with daily, whether personal or business, are in much the same boat as you. If you’re feeling isolated, it’s likely that they are too.

Are you looking for more tips on coping with COVID-19, design business consulting, marketing tips, and product ideas? Get in touch with TD Fall today.