Pace yourself.

Yeah, the is no one on the roads in Chicago...

I should preface this with the fact that I am endlessly appreciative I have the opportunity to do my job from home while so many others do not. I went back and forth about publishing this in fear anyone would read it and get angry I even bring any of this up when their situation may be much more dire than mine. I think we're all trying to navigate the disruptions in our own lives while remaining cognizant of how much more disruptive it is for people that don't have the same opportunities someone like me might have in this particular situation. 

Working from home has plenty of challenges but the one I think is universal in a situation like this is balancing the actual "working" with "living." It's Sunday and I keep feeling guilty for not opening my laptop and getting work done, because I've been so busy that the days blend together. I can't go anywhere so all the usual built in breaks in my regular schedule have vanished so the work day has expanded in my head and now every day feels like a "work day."

This is of course stupid of me.

My company isn't asking me to needlessly work on the weekend. There's nothing I currently have on my plate that has to be addressed on the weekend that can't also be done on Monday. But I've gotten so used to being plugged into virtual work that I'm beginning to be blind to that, already! ALREADY!*

On the bright side, I got my phone screen time report and it is WAY down for the last week. Primarily because I'm in front of my computer working for 8-10 hours a day. No need to leave for lunch (or even commute!) crossed with the self-preservational move to not read all the news all of the time all of the news ALL OF THE TIME though I would usually be tempted to if I still had time on the train or at the gym or (gasp!) eating lunch. That sort of thing.

So, don't be like me. Don't feel bad about not working on a Sunday. In fact, I think I'm going to dig through one of my boxes of Blu-rays and treat myself to a movie that isn't on streaming, and enjoy my Sunday.

Right after I check my work email one last time...


*After all of this I am very curious how companies that had been hostile to employees working from home because they couldn't possibly get the work done remotely are going to deal with entire staffs who will, by then, have proven that ain't completely true. Personally I can't wait to get back to the office since I thrive on humans and collaboration—and, frankly, working with people in-person is SO MUCH EASIER AND EFFICIENT, for me—but I have been delighted to see everyone I work with rise to the occasion and still keep everything moving forward and keeping a team atmosphere, even remotely.

Plus, seeing people's kitties, puppies, and kids popping up in folks' video streams during meetings has been 100% awesome.