When Working From Home Isn’t Working – Ikigai
Work From Home

When Working From Home Isn’t Working

Working from home hasn’t always had the best track record. 

So, when teams relocated from their offices to their homes due to the pandemic, many employers and employees had their doubts. Nonetheless, given the circumstances, we all dived headfirst into the mass experiment that was working from home (or its abbreviated form – WFH). Some were eager to experiment, and others were wary whether WFH was practical and feasible on a larger scale.  

In the beginning, the endless possibilities brought about by our new work environments filled our eyes with optimism. We neatly tucked away our work clothes, swapped in our desks and cubicles for the cozy couch, and traded in long commutes for a few extra minutes of sleep and time with our kids! We imagined all the things we could achieve in our new normal – finally completing those projects we had long put on hold to perfecting our banana bread recipe.  

It was going to be a glorious dream come true!  

Months later, we realize that we might have been naïve to assume working from home was going to be all roses. With the rose-colored glasses off, working from home full time is not as attractive as we had once envisioned it to be.  

The zoom fatigue set in, the constant power cuts made for disjointed meetingsthe unreliable internet was and is infuriating, the agony of constantly being connected, and the isolation of working alone started to slowly chip away at the dream WFH had sold. 

We missed the chance to interact with colleagues. We missed sharing a cup of coffee to get over the afternoon slump. We missed the quiet of the office. We missed the demarcation of work-life and homelife. Did we miss the cubicle? Probably not. We missed the people.  

But what is the solution?  

There is no doubt that the COVID-19 pandemic has permanently shifted workplace dynamics. Now more than ever, we are flexible, autonomous, and independent; able to choose how, when, and where we work. This shift has sparked discussions about the future of work and the role of the office in our new context. Many suggest that the office as we know it is dead and it is unclear as to what solution will take its place.  

While it may be presumptuous to suggest that the office is dead, we would like to think that like everything in nature, the office has simply evolved. It has evolved into a hybrid model that accommodates our current needs to be flexible, connected, and autonomous.  

Simply put, we are slowly transitioning into the age of coworking.  

Coworking offers the flexibility of choosing when and where you work, and countless opportunities for water cooler conversations which we think we could all use after being cooped indoors for monthsWe believe that Work From Anywhere will be the next thing – where individuals and teams can choose to work from home, their local coworking space or their company HQ, any many places in between! 

Many of us have already established work from home environments and supplementing this with a day or two at your favorite coworking space may help reduce the home fatigue we are all experiencing.  

If you are missing the fresh air, or are concerned about health & safety indoors, try our garden locations which boast expansive greenery, outdoor meeting rooms, regular yoga sessions (that are complimentary for members), and excellent internet 

At Ikigai, you can choose from extremely flexible options, that work just for you. Make Ikigai your office in Nairobi to supplement your HQ or your home office 

Ikigai Nairobi is a collective of beautiful, wellness-focused workspaces that inspire and challenge you to create your best work. We are in Westlands, Lavington, Lower Kabete, and soon, RiversideWe offer different membership packages and work environments to suit your task, mood, and style.  

Book a tour with us today to visit your office under the trees! 

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