Phnom Penh: As the pandemic eases in some parts of the world, many are returning to something resembling a normal routine. They’re back at the office after months of working from home. Here in Cambodia, the lockdown back in April and May forced thousands of staff to start working from home as well. Many still are, but it’s all getting a bit much and is not proving to be the relief we thought it would be.

The pandemic achieved in weeks what wellbeing experts have been trying to achieve in decades: less office – more working from home – but while many of us used to see that as the holy grail of personal freedom, it hasn’t turned out that way. Laptops replaced desktops. Family relationships became strained and everyone suddenly had a zoom account, but there were some benefits.

We saved on commuting time and transportation costs. We worked in pyjamas and with flexible time, could go to the gym at 9am and have tea at 3pm as long as the work for the day was done, but at home, space is constrained and in a family with children attending online classes, the atmosphere is anything but relaxing. Parents have ended up working on the sofa or at the dining table and posture and health problems have quickly kicked in. As extreme as it may sound, Chitra, a Marketing manager in Phnom Penh, says “I for one, could really use a proper desk and some peace and quiet from home - so I can work”.

Many are now returning to the office and are struggling to get back into a 9-5 routine. Days are long and less time to run errands and take care of the general business of life is leading to even higher stress levels. The stress of having too little to do appears to be just as bad as the stress of having too much. It would also seem that the “new normal” feels just like it did before.