OVER the last year, millions of people have had to adjust to working from home, thanks to the pandemic. For the most part, productivity and work performance haven’t been hurt by this change in office environment. However, not every employee has thrived.
While some people have embraced the WFH situation with open arms, others have struggled immensely. Why is that? Well, these four reasons might give us a better idea.
They Can Go With The Flow
At the start of the first lockdown, there were fears that extroverts would suffer the most with working from home. After all, they’re deprived of the constant human contact that they rely on so much. However, it seems there are other personality traits that make someone far less likely to thrive outside of the office.
According to a research study of 700 employees, the traits that have the biggest impact are agreeableness and neuroticism. Essentially, if someone can go with the flow and doesn’t get anxious under pressure, they’re better able to cope with the WFH situation than those who are the opposite.
They Have The Right Setup
A drastic change in the work environment can be jarring for anyone. That’s why it’s so important to create an area in your home that feels like the office. The more distinction you can put between your living space and your working space, the better.
This means buying a desk to work at, rather than doing everything in bed or on the sofa. If you don’t own one, it’s worth looking for used office furniture which is affordable and gets the job done. Recycled Business Furniture has thousands of items to choose from – not just desks – so it’s easy to create a workspace from home. If you have trouble with productivity, this used office furniture may be exactly what you need to change that.
They’re Not Prone To Distractions
It’s easy for anyone to get distracted, especially when trying to do something that’s not particularly interesting. Unfortunately, some people find it easier to go off task than others.
This can be a huge problem when working from home, as there are fewer restrictions in place to ensure you stay focused. You don’t have the pressure that’s there in the office because you’re not surrounded by people who can see what you’re doing.
So, it stands to reason that anyone who’s easily distracted – whether they have attention deficit disorder or simply struggle to focus – won’t cope well with the WFH situation. Those with more focus, though, can handle it just fine.
They’re Neither Introverts Nor Extroverts
Being extroverted might not be a defining personality trait for those who struggle to work from home. However, while that might be the case, that doesn’t mean that being extroverted isn’t still a disadvantage in this situation.
It’s quite possible that the people coping best right now are those who don’t identify strongly as either an introvert or extrovert. For the latter, being at home all the time can be challenging because they’re deprived of social interaction. Even if they do video calls with colleagues, it’s still hard for them to get enough of an energy fix throughout the day without these tips.
As for introverts, although the WFH situation might seem ideal, those same video calls can be their downfall. They might find it incredibly stressful to be the centre of attention in online meetings, so if the focus ever shifts to them, their panic instantly goes into overdrive.
Obviously, some introverts and extroverts are coping perfectly fine with the current situation. However, those best suited to working from home generally are those who don’t lean in either direction.
Everyone is different, so it’s hard to solidly define what kind of people can and can’t cope with the WFH situation. If you fit into any of these categories, though, you may find yourself having a better time of it right now than some of your colleagues.
