I used to be a commuter. Facing that Norbeck Road traffic every week, Monday-Friday. Working a flex schedule helped some but not all. I often sat in a long line of bumper to bumper cars thinking, "What can possibly be taking so long?" and "What is wrong with that light at Bauer drive??" Now I "work" from home. No commuting. There are lots of good aspects to this but some surprising fall out. First, is it okay to begin working while you're still in your pajamas? Are you required to shower before you begin work? Other fall outs include: staying away from the kitchen and the TV and/or remembering to get up out of my chair. There's also the loneliness factor. There are no co-workers to talk to. I've started conversing with our newly adopted dog. Even though she can't talk back, I think she understands me because she cocks her head in response.
I know some at home workers have come together at virtual water coolers. This includes weekly walking groups or lunch dates. Not sure if they're still operating.
It would be fun to hear how other at home workers make the most of their virtual office in Olney.
Yours truly,
Estelle Yetti
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I, too, used to do the commute every day, wondering why I was spending so much of my time doing literally nothing productive except moving from point B back to point A. I started my own writing and editing company, Bumbershoot, Inc., ten years ago, and since then, I've worked from home.
ReplyDeleteMy take on it is this. Unless you have to communicate by Webcam or some such meeting platform, it is completely okay to show up to work in your pajamas, without a shower, and without having combed your hair. After all, you might as well be comfortable. The downside is that you have to have an iron will -- you commit yourself to a certain number of hours working, and you stick to that. You have to resist the temptation to do anything but your work. That said, though, I wouldn't change it for the world.