In March 2020 when the coronavirus took over the UK, I was still going into the office. I needed to get out of the house and I needed the structure. I think it was at the end of April/beginning of May when I decided that it was too much of a risk for me to go into the office (I have asthma) and I was furloughed. I did not cope well without work, I’d lost the structure that I craved and I’d lost the ability to leave the house. I rode my bike to drop off food parcels to my dad, I bought a football and started renovating the garden. Even though I was trying to stay busy, I sunk into a dark depressive state that took me months to finally come out of.
I had exams in June so being off work allowed me to focus on these, but if I’m honest with myself I didn’t revise enough and my grades reflected this. The career that I’d been working towards for over 6 years no longer mattered to me. I thought about writing a book, but knew that I wouldn’t stick with it, so I quickly gave up on that idea. I thought about working in a prison, but there were no positions available near me. I looked into applying to the police, but I don’t have a drivers licence and have no intention of getting one any time soon. I knew deep down that I still wanted to pursue law, I just didn’t have the motivation.
I’ve mentioned in a previous blog post that March 2020 was the worst month of my life (not related to covid) and it had a ripple effect on everything from my hygiene to my career dedication. I wasn’t working, I was no longer attending face to face lectures and I was stuck in my house constantly thinking about the event in March.
Luckily at the beginning of July I was able to start working from home. Although I wasn’t in the right frame of mind to return to work, I knew that it would be good for me in the long run. I would get back some structure and some goals. After a few months of low attendance I told my manager about the event in March and they were able to support me at work and I’m proud to say that my attendance is consistent and I’m achieving targets set for me.
Do I Enjoy Working From Home?
I love that I can wake up at 8:30am, get ready and then walk downstairs to start at 9am. Even though I only live a 15 minute walk from the office, I do not miss the commute.
I also love that when I finish work, I don’t have to walk home, as I’m already there. It allows me to log straight onto my personal laptop and do any required admin or complete any outstanding university tasks. I’m already in the mindset of work, unlike when I used to walk home and then lounge on the sofa for hours.
I’m able to cook lunch, so I’m saving a fair amount of money. I’m also able to get up and make a drink whenever I want. On top of this, I’m able to wear a hoodie if I’m cold, it’s not permitted work attire, but at least I’m not in a onesie or a pyjamas.
Working from home gives me more freedom, it allows me to do housework on my lunch so that I can relax at the end of my shift. It also allows me to work a shift at my second job during the week, rather than just on weekends. I guess the biggest bonus is that I’m always at home if a parcel arrives – which is a lot since lockdown 3.0 started.
Are There Any Negatives?
I won’t lie I do feel less motivated at home, because I’m not in the office environment and I don’t have my manager breathing down my neck constantly. You’d think this would be a positive, but managers are not the easiest to reach when working from home and sometimes I need help. All I’m asking for is an acknowledgement of my emails/Team Chat – it’s not a big request. Regardless of whether they deem the query or question unnecessary, I don’t, otherwise I wouldn’t have asked it.
I’ve definitely been snacking more since working from home. I have an L shaped desk and can fit an awful lot of snacks on it without them getting in the way. This wouldn’t be a bad thing if the snacks were healthy, but they’re not and I’m paying the price.
I no longer have the escape that the office provided me. I’m in the same house, looking at the same four walls every day and this can really drag you down. We’re allowed out the house for an hour a day to exercise, but by the time I’ve finished work it’s dark and cold and I don’t feel like running around outside. I know that this is a personal choice, because nothing is stopping me from going out, but I still deem it as a negative aspect of working from home.
The Cat
We have a cat called Cody, who is over the moon that he has company all day. Every time I get up from my desk he thinks its time for food. He seems to forget that I’m the only one feeding him and I know that it’s been less than an hour since he was last fed, which means he’s not getting any more for a while.
A couple of months ago he started meowing after a nap and seeking out attention. I’ve tried to stop this habit, but have failed miserably. He jumps up on my desk at least 5 times a day begging for love. I wouldn’t mind this, if he jumped straight on the desk, but he claws at my legs and has to use my chair to get to the desk. I’ll be on a call or in a meeting and he starts clawing at my legs or the chair until I scrunch up enough for him to climb up. He is then insistent on standing all over my paperwork, rubbing his mouth against my headset and sticking his bum in my face.
For a couple of months I’d clear one side of the desk for him to lay on, but he’s not exactly a small cat and this didn’t work for me, so he now has his own ‘desk’ by the window behind my chair. Despite him having his own ‘desk’ he still has to visit mine first and then leap between the two depending on if and when he wants attention.
I’m not sure how he’s going to cope if I ever go back to working in the office, which I guess is a concern for a lot of pet owners. Pets are so used to their owners being around that when the UK goes back to normal they won’t understand where all of the attention and daily companionship has gone.
Even though I moan about Cody, he is very cute and I will miss his multiple daily visits. I’m the only one he visits during the day and it makes me feel kind of special. I wouldn’t say that we were enemies before, but I definitely wasn’t the one he came to for affection. I’m not naive, I know it’s because I feed him during the day, but I’m still taking this as a win – Cody finally loves me after 12 years!
Do I Want to Return to the Office?
I’ve been asked this question recently by my manager and it honestly depends on a variety of things. If all of my colleagues go back, then yes I would return to the office in a heartbeat. If there’s only five people returning to the office then the atmosphere will not be the same and I may as well stay at home. I only work part time so alternating working from home and working at the office would make little sense. I have my computer monitor at home so that I can have dual screens. I know that there are not enough spare for me to have dual screens both at home and at the office, so if I’d have to lug mine to and from the office then I would rather work from home permanently.
I don’t know what 2021 holds for my colleagues and I, but I’m hoping that at some point I’ll see them again in person and not just on a video call. If I sat down and weighed up the pros and cons of working from home, as it stands at the moment working from home suits me better. However, when I finish my studies I have a feeling that I’ll be looking to permanently return to the office.
I will eventually have to discuss a potential return to the office with my manager, but there’s currently no rush as there are no company plans to bring everyone back for a while.
Think I Have It All Together? Guess Again 