After two years and many rounds of strict measures, another government could reopen society in the belief that the worst is behind us.
Among the measures that were abolished was the requirement for a home office.
Some have probably fallen for the privileges of home offices, such as the short journey, that the pants do not appear under the table edge and the silence after the Zoom meeting is over.
Others are unsure if they had managed another round. With the digital distance, the loneliness and that the job has taken over the home.
Among the latter is 22-year-old Hans Christian Knudsen.
– INSULATED: Since March 2020, Hans Christian has only worked in the office for short periods, the main rule has been from home. Photo: Ditlev Eidsmo / TV 2
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A life of nine square
When Norway was closed in March 2020, Knudsen decided to put his studies on the shelf and get to work.
The campus was closed anyway, and he was quarantined in Søring at home in Sogndal. In June, the offer came of a commitment as a work consultant in Oslo.
– I hoped and thought that the job would be a social place where I could thrive, but with a home office it was just hard, he says.
Knudsen did not get to know his colleagues properly, because the conversations were already digital.
It also did not help that he moved into a nine-square-meter apartment, such as the hallway, kitchen, living room, bedroom and office in one.
– It was nitrous. The days really only consisted of getting up, working from the sofa bed, communicating with colleagues digitally and going to bed, he says.
The only window had a view right into a wall of offices.
– POLITICAL: Hans Christian is also politically active, and sits on the central board of Socialist Youth. Photo: Ditlev Eidsmo / TV 2
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The most depressing
After a summer with milder measures, it was winter and darkness again. In November 2020, the City of Oslo introduced a social shutdown that lasted until June.
– In the winter I had to force myself to go out. There were such strict limits on how many you could meet, so I usually walked alone in the dark without goals and meaning, he says.
When Knudsen moved into the apartment, the idea was that there should only be one place to sleep.
– I was supposed to alternate between being at work, doing party work and meeting friends in the evening, but then it turned out that I was just at home. It’s the most depressing place I’ve ever lived, he says.
– REGRET: Hans Christian began to regret that he had moved to Oslo, which had the strictest measures in the country. Photo: Ditlev Eidsmo / TV 2
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The situation went beyond concentration and creativity at work, but also the psyche.
– I felt lonely and alone, and that I had no one to talk to. The social activities took place at zoom, which is just really silly. I got depressed.
He started counting the days until he could terminate the one-year contract at the apartment.
– AS A PRISON: For Hans Christian, the day suddenly consisted only of working from the sofa bed, digital party work and going to bed. Photo: Ditlev Eidsmo / TV 2
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– We have been a little naive
Psychologist Benjamin Silseth believes we have underestimated the burden of the restrictions.
– It has all along been a thought that “this we must manage, it is hard work”. And then we have forgotten a bit that not everyone handles that type of charity equally well. It is only now that we begin to see the effect of the measures, and there are problems that will not disappear if we open up again. We have been a little naive, he says.
Silseth points out that it is especially young adults under 30 who have a hard time during the closures.
– HAS COST A LOT: Psychologist Benjamin Silseth believes the measures have cost a lot for many. Photo: Frode Sunde / TV 2
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– Those who are new to working life and who are not established, think it is extra heavy with a home office. The most important thing about a job is that you feel a sense of belonging, and that you know who the company is and what it stands for. It is difficult in the home office, says Silseth.
He also believes that the injunction, in combination with social closure, has made more people feel lonely.
– Loneliness is a pandemic that has lasted far longer than the corona. It will be there even after the reopening, and even if we can meet each other again. We must pay more attention to it in the future, says the psychologist.
The termination was sent in March 2021. Shortly afterwards, Knudsen acquired a larger apartment close to nature and views, a little outside the city center. He also got a new job.
Space is not everything
– It helped a lot to move into an apartment where I could actually move from the room I slept in, to where I worked, to where I cooked, he says.
But even though the new home at Bjerke was a significant upgrade, a new round of home office was a bargain even with more space.
– NEW JOB: Hans Christian got a permanent job as an organizational consultant in Humanistic Youth. Photo: Ditlev Eidsmo / TV 2
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– It was still a bit lonely in everyday life, especially during working hours. I would like to meet those I work with and have fun in the office. Not least to talk about the work tasks and get input from others. It is an important value in a workplace, he says.
For Knudsen, the solution was to adopt a cat.
– It has been a big bright spot for me in the home office, he says.
As summer approached, fortunately there was also a period of days when he could be more physical in the office.
– RESCUE: The cat became the rescue. Photo: Ditlev Eidsmo / TV 2
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Burned children
In mid-December last year, the requirement for a home office was reintroduced. Therefore, the joy was great when the order was lifted on Wednesday.
– It’s absolutely wonderful. It is very nice to be able to see some other people and to have someone to have lunch with. It is important to have a connection to those you work with, so I look forward to being able to meet my colleagues more, says Knudsen.
It goes towards full reopening and brighter times. The government plans to ease the remaining measures on February 17, in the hope that omikron means the end of the pandemic.
– MISS: Although Hans Christian is relieved, he admits that he will miss the mornings with the cat. Photo: Ditlev Eidsmo / TV 2
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– Although I’m very happy, I’m also a little worried about whether we’re really starting to finish. I have burned myself so many times, he says.
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