WFH? Yes, please! Transcript
Hi there and welcome to an audio edition of The Recharge.
I thought I'd try something a little bit different today. So I'm Sharon Hurley Hall, introvert and introvert advocate. And today I was reading a study that showed that working from home leaves people feeling more socially isolated.
And I was thinking, well, as an introvert, that research just it doesn't ring true for me. Working from home leaves me feeling empowered, in charge of my time, better able to balance everything that's going on and sometimes more rested.
What I don't feel is isolated. In fact, I'm relieved because I'm no longer having to deal with the open plan offices, with people dropping in, with lots of background noise, with all the things that are so disturbing in a normal office setting. And I thought to myself that as usual, this research was based on what are perceived to be the needs of extroverts in an extroverted culture.
I know for certain that there were people who struggled when we were in lockdown and had to stay home and they couldn't go into the office anymore. But there were also people for whom that was a welcome reprieve. And that wasn't just introverts. That was also people of the Global Majority and Black people.
What I'd love to see is that when people do this kind of research, that they ask people across this spectrum of personality types, of needs, because I don't think that it is true for everyone to say that working from home is a bad thing that produces social anxiety.
For some of us, working from home relieves any anxiety that we might feel, relieves the energy depletion and actually makes us able to do a better job because we are more balanced and centred. Anyway, that's my perspective.
What do you think?
P.S. Check out my latest LinkedIn post about an introvert-affirming event coming up in London.
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Sharon Hurley Hall is an anti-racism educator, author of I’m Tired of Racism, and founder of the SHHARE anti-racism community and of Sharon’s Anti-Racism Newsletter, which provides tools and lived experiences to fuel systemic change. A seasoned professional writer and journalist, she leverages over 30 years of experience to mentor introverted leaders, and is co-founder and co-host of the Introvert Sisters Podcast. Her recent work focuses on helping Black and Global Majority women achieve high-impact visibility and professional influence without the exhaustion of performing extroversion.
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