Ever since social distancing was enacted and many folks started working from home, I have been asked every day: “This really hasn’t impacted you, has it?” Implying that because I have worked from home for some time that nothing changed.
My world has changed. Without question. Sure, I already worked at home. I have all the equipment I need. My office is comfortable and tweaked to meet my demands. But work isn’t all keyboards and monitors.
First, even the physical connections and tools for work have changed. There are far more people at home sharing the same internet connections, and more people sharing the corporate remote connection tunnels. This creates traffic jams and impacts productivity. To manage the traffic, many have been requested to stop using video during conference calls, and other conveniences like GIPHYS in collaboration tools have been disabled. Visually seeing people is a key way to connect, and I greatly miss this! It seems lonelier when it’s just disembodied voices. I also miss the humor that GIPHYS bring to lighten the mood and connect on a “real” level with people. The result is slower, less connected work on a daily basis.
Additionally, the distractions are greater. My husband is home and that creates more noise in the house. Far more people are walking around in the neighborhood and that causes my dogs to bark more, which interrupts more of my conference calls and deep thought. My mom and dad, who live next door, are watching my niece and nephew more. While I love seeing them and love being “Aunt Cortney”, when they play outside or try to wave through the window, that’s further distraction. Sometimes that’s an amazing break and sometimes it just upsets my furbabies! While it doesn’t impact me, others are also trying to be parents and teachers while also working. I'm truly grateful I'm not trying to juggle working, parenting, and teaching at the same time - bless you parents!
There are other distractions that are more mental. Every day I’m bombarded with the latest news. I’m trying to stay informed with closures and rule changes. I’m trying to check in on my friends and family, both remaining social and caring for their health. I’m so thankful that everyone in my family is healthy right now. But so many others are also sick or balancing sick families while trying to still work. I’m trying to find toilet paper, which we use more of since we’re all at home. I have to plan days in advance for grocery shopping and getting creative on how we get the goods we really need.
My days all run together. I can’t get out of the house to see my friends and family. I feel disconnected. The things I did before while working from home to be social, I can’t do any more. My getaways to help recharge my batteries, such as sports and concerts, are all canceled. There is no solid way to differentiate one day from the next. They all look the same and grow in isolation.
I’m not complaining. I’m truly not. I am very blessed to still be employed, to be able to work from home, to have my spouse do the same, to be healthy, and to be putting food on the table. My only point is that it is different. And there are emotions tied to it being different. There is loneliness, concern, frustration, depression, anxiety, and so many more. And I’m one of the lucky ones! Many others already working at home are dealing with so much more.
Understand that today, like any other day, there are constraints in peoples’ lives that impact their mental and physical state. They may not show their cards, but that doesn’t mean they don’t have struggles. Working from home before does not mean someone is not experiencing issues now.
Realize that everyone, truly everyone, has been impacted by current events. Don’t assume you know anyone’s situation. Let’s all be kind. Allow people to feel their feelings. Support one another. We’ll get through this together.
For all those new to working at home – we’re here to help.
For all my existing work at home peeps – it’s ok to need help too.
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