Working from home became the norm for countless people in 2020: and it’s still the norm for a large portion of the population. Many have said they enjoy the lack of commuting and have saved money from not eating out: yet studies show that working from home isn’t healthy for everyone.
These are the advantages of heading back to the office and everything it can do for your brain and productivity for your job.
Helps Your Brain Switch Between On and Off Shift Through Location
Although our brains aren’t light switches, they do have to be activated in specific ways for us to be able to achieve changing tasks or focus. This means something that separates the many tasks we have throughout the day for the average brain. In schools, the chimes and bells that alert a class change help with this: in work in more location and interaction-based.
The drive to work is a transitional period where our brains automatically switch to being in ‘work’ mode. This focused mode allows us to separate work and play and ensures that when we’re off work, we can fully enjoy our time.
Separating work from off-time physically is important because it ensures you also get enough sleep since working from bed can confuse our brains and leave us simultaneously unfocused and unable to sleep.
Decor Made Specifically to Help You Do Your Best Work
Many corporate offices are set up with employees in mind in a way that apartment complexes and houses are not. This means employers get to know the noise reduction coefficient of materials and what time, shifts, and conditions work best for employees. Over time this allows workers to turn out better results over a more predictable period and ensures that employers can invest the money needed to help workers do their jobs.
When employees work from home, everyone has a different setup. Some may have a romantic partner that’s distracting; others may live near construction or have to deal with the stress of a terrible internet connection. An employer works to give employees an environment that’s perfect for work and that levels the field for everyone- which is awesome for every employee.
There’s a Sense of Team That’s Hard to Replicate Over Distance
When a company wants to help give employees a reason to stay and provide them with the chance to show off their skills, the best way to do it is to allow the office to feel like a team. Unfortunately, working from home can make this difficult. The lack of face-to-face time stops real interactions, and being in different buildings scattered all over the city (or even the world) can leave people feeling disconnected and like they’re a one-person team.
Everyone should be empowered. Like how many service industry workers bond while walking on the same stained concrete floors, office workers bond better when working in the same environment. This reduces turnover and allows them to feel listened to.
Visual Cues and Reminders of Important Information
Many offices have visual reminders of important information up in almost every room. This is important because it helps employees remember anything that might be forgotten after simply reading an email.
The visuals can be changed in other ways, like adding glass curtain walls to soften the lighting and ease the strain on everyone’s eyes, but signage is necessary. This includes signs discussing proper safety protocol and signs cheering on employees and thanking them for doing such a great job. No business can be successful without its employees, so it’s up to individual companies to show them the appreciation they deserve.
The Commute Gives You the Chance to Perform Tasks and Make Habits
If you’re in the car every workday, you’ll be more likely to stop in at a local store and pick up that salad kit you’ve been thinking about or join a gym and actually stop in. With work as a base scheduled item that you do four to six times a week, you can work on other pieces that you want in your life.
Adding a commute might sound like a drain on your personal time, but it gives you time alone in your vehicle with music, a podcast, or anything else you need to help you unwind and relax. This alone time where you can either rock out to your favorite music or work out complex issues in your life that you might not have done otherwise. It can feel pointless, but the commute time has its perks.
Working From Home is Nice: But Not Best.
Although we would all love to work from the comfort of our own homes, it’s not always the best choice for us. If you want to get the most out of your workday and have a separation of work and play, it’s time to work in an office space.
Brian Jeffries is the content director for the Innovative Building Materials blog and a content writer for the building materials industry. He is focused on helping fellow homeowners, contractors, and architects discover materials and methods of construction that save money, improve energy efficiency, and increase property value.