WFH : Working From Home

WFH : Working From Home

I've been working from home since March 1st. 

Initially, I didn't think I would like it. I imagined all the potential distractions that typically come with home life; only... they never materialized.  I also thought I would be lazy and shiftless and take advantage of the situation: doing the bare minimum, watching Netflix, doing personal business during working hours. But that hasn't happened, either. 

That first week, I created a list of things to get done around the house, thinking, finally, I was going to get caught up. But after that first week? That list fell to the wayside (I think I've accomplished about three things on it). Oh, on certain days I might throw in a load of laundry. Or sort a cupboard (I have been playing CD's I forgot I owned). Or I clean a bit - I enjoy dusting. But other than those momentary time-fillers, my mind is on my job.

Turns out - I like to work. 

Part of the reason it works so well is because my home office is in a bunker. My little apartment in the basement allows for a minimum of distraction. Yes, I hear the dog bark, or my ex stomp around upstairs, but mostly I enjoy the hum of my tiny fridge and the whoosh of my circulating fan and laptops. 

I get up at 4:30 or 5:00 am and hop on-line. Surrounded by three laptops (I actually have five - but two of those are music related), I work up until 11:00, when I stop and meet the boyfriend for a bike ride or run. An hour later, I am back at it and remain so until 4:00 pm, at which time I cross the street and have a cup of coffee with my mother. 

And it doesn't stop there. I check in at 7:30 pm. And I check in just before I go to bed. I would say I am actually spending more time working now than ever before. 

And I resent it a whole lot less. 

That probably has something to do with all the money and time I am saving. 

Gone is the rush out the door and the commute. Gone are the weekly visits to the gas station. I don't drive very much at all, so my anxiety has reduced greatly. 

Gone are trips to concerts and restaurants along with the expense of both. Every two weeks I pay off the balance on my credit card and am currently spending less than a third of what I used to. 

Gone is the hour I used to watch the news before going to work. I have sort of unplugged from the news media, for the most part. I still watch the news while preparing my evening meal, but no longer do I spend time on-line reading up on the latest screw-ups in DC. I think the pandemic and the death of George Floyd has caused a sort of sensory overload.

Gone are dreaded lunch meetings and those annoying 'celebrations' that would pop up in the workplace - a baby shower, a work anniversary, impending nuptials - always accompanied with soggy take-out sandwiches, unwanted donuts, sweets and calorie-laden appetizers. Working from home, I was afraid I would eat more and gain weight. But that has not been the case. I actually eat less and better (more salads) than when I was working at the office. 

I do miss going to the gym every day. But, every time I make a cup of tea (which takes 4 minutes in my microwave), I throw down my yoga mat and do a combination of calisthenics and dumbbell exercises. I manage to get in a full work out by the end of the day. And then there are those bike rides and runs with the boyfriend.

And speaking of the boyfriend - our time together has become calmer, more domestic, more productive; it's quality time. We stay home. We work together to improve our immediate surroundings (gardening, cleaning), and seem to be enjoying and appreciating our weekends much more. 

I find myself living in the moment, playing piano, writing and gardening, or simply sitting under my tree at the prairie.

All of this? I used to not have the energy or patience.

It's a peaceful, productive existence. 

Which is why the prospect of it ending makes me sad. But, last week, a meeting flew into my inbox and it looks like we are discussing a return to work plan. Not sure of its scope - maybe it will only pertain to essential workers - but it worries me. It seems too soon. 

I used to look down on people who worked from home. Lazy, I would say. Getting away with something, I would think. Not holding up their end, I believed. 

But, no more. I get it. 

Working from home works... and it works well. 

I just hope I get to continue doing it...

Huey Lewis and The News - Working for a Living