If I had to define the future of work in one word, I would say “flexible/in pajamas” and it’s here to stay. The great crisis of 2019 made many organizations realize that things can be done brilliantly, irrespective of the place. Hi, my name is Surbhi, I work from Mumbai, India, and it excites me to share my work-from-home journey through this write-up.
Talking about my schedule before the Covid crisis, from a fashion-driven employee who used to organize her wardrobe throughout the week for the office, I now absolutely enjoy working in my striped pajamas, sometimes from my sturdy study table, taking the view of the road and adding the energy emanating from vehicles to mine.
Or, sometimes, from the absolute comfort of my bed (not guilty).
To be honest, this was not always the situation, initially when WFH was announced, I had my own uncomfortable days, from enjoying sandwiches and cheesecakes at our favorite spot near the office, buying matching accessories for my corporate outfits from the nearby stores, to meeting my colleagues virtually every day with hope and no specific date when things will normalize….explaining complex project situations on Zoom calls and taking tricky client calls together hoping our connections to show the love for next 30 – 40 mins.
Working from home grew over me, now I would not want it any other way, and it added some invaluable advantages to my life:
Better work-life Balance – From spending time with my immediate family members on weekends, I can now balance my days to enjoy some quality time with them, even on weekdays, playing all sorts of board games that we enjoyed in childhood.
Productivity/Workouts – The morning anxiety of getting up early, finishing the a.m. routine, and reaching the office on time is gone. I can add more to my work and think of many creative ideas throughout the day, as there is no pressure of reaching and leaving on time. This further encouraged me to fix a morning routine to improve my health and body goals. That static element of being in your comfort place and working has also done wonders for employees’ productivity worldwide.
Savings – Yes, I will admit it, your girl did not have a good reputation in terms of money savings before WFH, but this flexibility and the time you get made me rethink and re-analyze many aspects of my life, and now I have a set savings plan. Adding to this, many lures got eliminated; those shiny places near your office that will make you spend money and convince you to buy things you don’t need.
Bucket List Upgrade – Travel fuels your soul, and after WFH, I have added this to my mission to pick a place (I will not say the name, but somewhere in South East Asia) and be there for a month or two, give my performance the perfect boost, among the serene views.
It is not like I do not miss the office at all, but working from abode also made us find different ways to do things, sometimes when it gets mundane, I work from the Starbucks near our house in Mumbai; it’s been almost a year, and now I know each and every name in the staff there and they know me as well, they greet me with the best smiles, best energy and yes that supremely tasting iced hazelnut latte.
This also allowed me to understand their struggle stories, motivate them, especially working part-time students, to help with their education, and collectively get inspired through this culture of together growth that the place displays every time I visit.
In conclusion, I would like to say technology has changed the way we view things in the corporate world earlier; it has given us a chance to improve our lives by taking our tasks entirely online, now businesses can collaborate better through various online tools, track the progress of projects and employees, which further adds to productivity and efficiency. WFH additionally witnessed an increase in tools to track the business’s overall health and cut costs, so kudos to our new, improved lives, and looking forward to what more we see in the future because of these advancements.