Reminding you why WFH rocks
Welp, we’ve been at this for over a year now. Quarantine. Forced remote work. As I’ve written in the past, I was WFH for several years before the pandemic and always loved it. Quarantine obviously presented new challenges, but as we start a new week, here are some reminders about why WFH really, truly, is awesome. (At least, in my opinion. Maybe some will resonate with you, too.)
Here goes, in no particular order:
Not spending money on coffee. When I used to work at my old law firm, I would venture down to Dunkin Donuts in the lobby around 3 p.m. for a change of scenery. The coffee at the firm was fine, but the four walls in my office started to close in. Now, I can go downstairs and fire up my Nespresso for a heck of a lot less cash. I can even take a five minute break and sit and drink it at the kitchen island like a civilized person. Not too bad!
Brushing my teeth after drinking said coffee. I don’t drink much coffee and part of it is that I despise that taste it leaves in my mouth. Ugh. Sure, I could have brought a toothbrush and toothpaste to work. But somehow it grossed me out more to brush my teeth in the communal ladies’ room than to down a bunch of water and mints. Cruising down the hall to brush my teeth and use mouthwash is so convenient. Hey, it’s the little things.
Keeping my password on a post-it on my computer. Honestly, is there anything better? I’m sure there are data privacy folks reading this and cringing, ready to explain why this is still a terrible idea. For the 49 passwords I have for various purposes, the monitor post-it is truly priceless.
Getting to say hello to the mail carrier. It's really nice to exchange a hello and some pleasantries with the mail carrier! Plus, I can employ some self-deprecating humor about why she is, yet again, delivering another package to my house. (I promise, some of it is home school related, not an impulse buy from an Instagram ad. But honestly, why are all the ads so amazing?!)
Wearing my Crocs. Yup, I put that in writing on the internet for all to see. I wear Crocs as slippers. Although I've stopped giving a flip about what others think, Crocs aren't really in the dress code at most workplaces. These rubber clogs make standing at my desk a breeze and are just oh-so-comfortable.
Working places other than my desk. I’ve previously said that having a designated work space is super important when WFH. I stand by that advice, if you're lucky to have that option. However, that doesn't mean you can't participate in select remote events (where you don't need to be on camera) while sitting on the couch, walking on the treadmill, or eating lunch at a kitchen table instead of trying not to get crumbs in your keyboard as you hunch over your desk. (I know this is why the number 6 on my keyboard works about 30% of the time.) This isn't an option when you're at the office and work at your desk and maybe one of the conference rooms that all look the same.
Scheduling service repairs. We decided to let repairmen back into our house as long as they take requisite COVID-19 precautions. Remember what it was like to wait home for a four-hour window on a Saturday after working all week? And you'd only find out about that four-hour window from an automated message the night before? What a pleasure to get the electrician in the house during the week because, oh yeah, I'm literally here all the time anyway. When I'm not working on the weekend, I'd much rather be outside!
This is a bit different than my usual content, but hopefully brought a smile to your face. If you’re interested in hearing more from me, please sign up for my newsletter (and invite a friend too as well!).