Let us begin with the fact that the WFH is here to stay, and if you are still wondering about it, make sure you check out our previous blog on why you should stop missing your coffee machine!

Now, since we have been in the home for an abnormally long time with almost no outdoor activity, everyone had the phases of denial- frustration-acceptance-enjoyment.

Oh, you thought you were the only one enjoying the lockdown - surprise!

While with all that energy, you might be working all good, but let us enlighten three factors on why WFH is terrible for you, especially if you are in the software industry!

a. The environmental factor!

So, you are all set up with your computer and the necessary tools for the work, but did you know that your environment dictates the majority of your productivity? Reports show that people are more productive in the office due to peers and the focused surroundings. In the home-office (which one is it, again?), it is easy to be distracted by the surroundings (god forbid if you have a loving dog and an annoying neighbour!) and let us not even get started on the bandwidth issues!

Especially if you are in the software industry where focus matters the most, it is going to be an uphill hike for you!

b. The creativity factor!

Now I do not need to tell you that software is one of the industries where creativity meets routine; there is enough evidence on it. Therefore, the key to sustain in the industry is to decode the balance between creation and repetition. Unfortunately, getting this balance is not easy-people tend to get bored for being routinely creative (ironic much?), which is definitely not going to work for the WFH situation either.

In the first factor, we learnt how the environment affects productivity, but it turns out it affects creativity as well. Recent research shows that the creativity of software developers began a downhill dance since the pandemic due to absence of a team, loads of distractions (that binge-watch on youtube - we have all been there!) and hope to return to the physical workplace has been keeping the software wizards at the sidelines.

c. The emotion factor!

Did you know that the software industry has one of the most stressed employees? Okay -it does. Reports show that people working in the software are more prone to burnout, anxiety, and depression. Constant staring at the screen, minimal outdoor activity, and performance pressure are a new normal for people in other industries, but that has been normal for software industry professionals for long!

That lifestyle served till you had an option to go out, an option to enjoy the company of other people, and did we mention the joy of weekend plans which were more than Netflix and chill? Yes, that is right. Now since that option has ceased to exist, mental health issues are on the rise. Related blogs mention that issues related to mental condition shone brightly during the pandemic due to increased workload, pressure, fear of uncertainty, and lack of person-personnel boundary.

Now we all know the boss who texts at 11 pm and wants the report before 8 am, right? Yeah, they have a significant role to play in this stress-booming!

So, we have a list of things that affect us and a list of things why it will keep on affecting us, now, what to do? How to manage work and what to do to bust the stress cloud?

We will share three tips from our team on how we have been managing all through the pandemic in the next blog -stay tuned!