Matt Woodthorpe, Scotland Programme Manager, EAUC

In what is undoubtedly a stressful time as I adjust to working from home and social distancing, I have also experienced an unexpected release and expansion of my immediate world.

Since working from home, I've been able to explore and engage in activities I would have otherwise been a) too tired to do; b) were a bit too costly; or, c) simply lacked the time to do with other competing priorities like food shopping. By removing the commute to and from work, I have gained just over 3 hours a day 'extra' and save £13 on rail fare. In this time, I've made numerous trips to a newly discovered nature reserve 10 minutes from home, learnt how to dye fabric with indigo, been home-brewing nettle beer, ran alongside foxes and deer and had the usual dose of daydreaming and faffing about.

So with all this in mind, and whilst I look forward to social distancing being removed, I hope we don't all go back to the daily commute. Perhaps even beyond that, I’m actually a little anxious about commuting again. It’s not that the commute is actively unpleasant, but the past couple of months has brought home just how limiting it is, and just how freeing a work from home model can be.