Thanks to the pandemic, working from home has now become a new way of life for many. For some, that means there’s no more commuting or being stuck in busy traffic to take up our time.
This means we now have, on average, around one extra hour of free time per day. So what exactly would you do with that extra hour?
What to do with the extra time
For many of us, commuting has become a thing of the past. The removing of the daily commute has saved us Brits a lot of time. So what have we been doing?
According to a recent survey by instantprint, research found that UK adults have turned to reading (26%), Netlfix binges (26%), listening to new music (22%), squeezing in a nap (21%) and getting creative in the kitchen (20%).
They also discovered that almost a fifth (18%) of us are making sure to keep on top of our workout schedule whilst at home. Similarly, cycling (16%) and running (16%) are high on the agenda. Double the number of men (22%) than women (11%) have opted to use their extra hours to get out running.
With 21% of us catching up on household chores, it allows us more time to unwind in the evening. Thanks to this, 20% are spending more time with family and friends due to our productivity levels increasing throughout the day, allowing us to tick off the things on our to-do list.
Having the chance to spend more time practicing self-care has been incredibly beneficial during this time period. With UK adults putting time aside to watch their favourite TV series and films (24%), getting out in the garden during the summer months (19%) or even having that extra time to spend with their pets (20%), the impact on mental health has certainly been a positive one for many.
What’s the impact of this extra hour on employees’ wellbeing?
The pandemic had a huge impact on all of us and was a heart-breaking time for a lot of people. Within the working world, for many workers and commuters the pandemic has shone a positive light on the idea that we can continue to do our job wherever we like.
The benefits of working from home arrangements have allowed employees to become more flexible and have an improved work-life balance. People no longer have to rush for their early morning commute and can spend more time with family whilst still getting their work done.
The impact working from home has had on employees’ wellbeing has been incredibly positive, with productivity levels increasing and resulting in healthier lifestyles.
As the pandemic began to ease and the world opened back up again, many organisations opted for a hybrid working approach, allowing people to work from home and the office as and when they wanted to.
This meant that those who missed the buzz of the office and interacting with people face-to-face could go back to doing just that. However, those that were still cautious and preferred their new way of working were allowed to keep this policy in place. It’s important that your workplace is there to support everyone, whether you’re in the office or still at home.
