While the past year hasn’t been easy for anyone, those working from home have uncovered some major benefits.

A lack of a commute offers more time to work out or make dinner with kids or significant others. A more flexible schedule gives us a chance to set ideal focus hours at the times that work for us, not necessarily based on a 9 a.m. required arrival time. Work is now more accessible to those with different physical or intellectual abilities. 

That’s not to dismiss the collective burnout felt across the workforce during a global pandemic. The sudden pivot to working remotely did not come with proper tools or guidance to navigate it. We learned in real-time, sprinting to figure out how to work remotely, despite learning we were entering a marathon. Workers suffered the consequences with longer hours, isolation and other downsides.

While companies tried to encourage positive habits like “no meeting days” or mid-day walks to address the issue, society has largely been relying on tools and practices built for another reality.

MORE