THE LOST ART OF SOLITUDE

   WORK LIFE AFTER COVID-19 The coronavirus pandemic has been monumental for the world of work – offering “a time machine to the future”,   according to some . Alongside immense economic causalities, businesses across the world have quickly reinvented themselves – remodelling processes, ways of working, management, workforce planning and operations almost overnight. But in the face of potential global recession and renewed outbreaks, it’s difficult to gauge the full cultural and psychological fallout of the pandemic. Even as many companies start to reopen offices, it is not clear what employees are returning to; while some work trends seem inevitable, many have yet to take full form. But one thing is certain – 2020 has not just accelerated the future of work, it has fundamentally recast it. Businesses and employees now need to carefully consider the challenges that lie ahead and how they will navigate them. So, what can we expect from work life after COVID-19? Remote revo...

THE LOST ART OF SOLITUDE COVID-19 lockdown forced millions of us to adapt to a whole new way of living overnight. But in between juggling frustration and  uncertainty  with trying to develop new skills and hobbies, many of us found a new simplicity in the way we live. Despite fears of becoming disconnected or bored, many of us found, to our surprise, that we were more productive, focused and at peace. This wasn’t loneliness; this was solitude – something that is increasingly elusive in our distracted “always-on” society. While often painted in a bad light, lockdown gave us an unexpected lesson in the lost art of solitude and the importance of being comfortable in our own company. What is solitude? When we think of solitude, most of us tend to think of it as a physical phenomenon – something you find in woodland cabins, mountain tops or silent retreats. But according to experts, we’re seeing solitude all wrong. It isn’t a physical state of being, it’s a mental state – whic...