Leaving the Office Life Behind

People working in office jobs across the UK and indeed much of the world has been thrown an interesting opportunity over the last year. Thanks to the circumstances thrust upon us by the Covid pandemic; we have gotten used to the idea of working from home. It has been described by many as the world’s largest working from home experiment, and the indicators show that it has been a success for many companies, as the need to be in an office daily now seems somewhat redundant. This can be seen as being a huge win for our mental well-being.

Home Working Success

At the start of the lockdown in March 20202, many companies had to implement sweeping operational changes to allow themselves to keep working with their employees based from home offices. It was a transitional period that didn’t come without difficulty. Still, many businesses have been happy to report that they have maintained similar productivity levels, and workers are enjoying not being tied to an inner-city office.

Cities Less Desirable

One of the main trends that property experts have described is an overall shift in desirability from inner-city urban properties to those further out in the suburbs. Now that many people aren’t tied to working in a specific location, there is a lot more interest around places that aren’t in the urban jungle. This idea shouldn’t come as a shock, as the mental health effects of spending extended periods living in a city are well documented. It might be an ambition of yours to trade the town for the country.

Discovering Towns

One such area that ticks many boxes for those looking to trade the city for something a little less urban is Aberdeenshire. The Scottish North East retains all the rural charm that you could want whilst still providing the home-comforts in the city of Aberdeen. Those who are really looking to gain a change of scene might consider the picturesque town of Bridge of Don as a place that meets their needs without being too far off the beaten track.

A Permanent Change?

With video conferencing software and processes in place to encourage online collaboration, there’s no denying that it seems like home working is here to stay for many of us. Given that job-related stress accounts for so many mental health problems seen across the adult population, we should be happy that this option is available to many of us. The stress of a daily commute and general urban living affects millions of us, so with any luck, this new way of working will allow us to feel better in the long run.

There are still some areas that need to be worked out for our mental health, but many of these are on a case-by-case basis. Working from home should not blur the lines between work life and home life. That separation is now more important than ever, and businesses should not expect employees to be available to them on a 24/7 basis. That is the next challenge that we must overcome in this new way of working.