My experience as a virtual administrator has taught me that in today's world that favours "virtual" jobs over in-person environments, togetherness, connection and relationship building are lost. There is no trust without in-person communication, connection and relationship. The reality of working from home is that, for most of your time you find yourself working alone. 

As humans, we were created for relationships and community but working from home is not conducive to that and will leave us feeling lonely and isolated. As much as we have virtual "connection" that will never fulfil our need for connection and in-person relationships.

Being part of a team and feeling genuinely supported by our teammates is one of the most rewarding experiences in the workplace. There’s real strength in a group of individuals united by a shared purpose. That’s the essence of true support. When a team feels supported, success naturally follows but for that, in-person interaction is necessary. You can't build trust and relationships without regular at least weekly in-person meetings.

Every day I hear, "Hire someone from the Philippines, it's cheaper!" That may be great for the budget and the Philippines but what does it do for in-person relationshipbuilding and what does it do to the locals who lose their jobs to VAs in terms of self-esteem and their opportunities for new jobs?🤔 

Fortunately for me, I don't need the job to support my family because God is opening other doors, but what about the many others who do? 🤔 But on the other hand previous trauma of not being "good enough" was triggered leaving me with deep-rooted emotional issues to resolve.

This culture breeds disconnect, isolation and loneliness which will ultimately fuel mental health issues. In my experience depression is largely caused by unmet emotional needs and emotional needs are met in COMMUNITY.

Did you know:

• depression is one of the leading causes of disability worldwide?

• Around 5% of the global population suffers from depression, which amounts to over 280 million people worldwide.

• In New Zealand, it is estimated that 1 in 6 people will experience depression at some point in their life.

• It's most prevalent among 18 to 29-olds but affects people across all age groups, including children, adolescents, and older adults. 

The statistics are sobering:

• Every 0.3 seconds, someone considers suicide. Every 3 seconds, someone tries to end their life.

• WHO estimates that for every suicide, 20 more people attempt it— with 700 000 suicides this means there are about 14 million suicide attempts per year worldwide.

The statistics on suicide attempts are rising. If things continue as they are, by 2030, there could be 16 million attempts per year. But we can change that by building stronger relationships and communities.

Great leaders understand they’re only as effective as the people around them — and with the right dynamics, wise decisions, and a healthy mix of personalities, everyone thrives.

This was my 5am musing: I wonder if anyone else has ever thought about it this way?🤔