Work has always been a synonym of repression for me because it takes up so much of our precious time. Let’s be honest, a 9-5 job with a horrendous daily commute often means that work is sadly our sole occupation. So, when the Covid-19 pandemic struck over a year ago, and we were all ordered to stay home, I found it hard to hide my joy in front of my distraught coworkers; although thankfully my acting talents saved me. You can probably already tell, but going into the office every day was nothing less than torture for me. Yet, all these months later, I’ve realized that I despise working from home and would do anything to sit in my uncomfortable office chair once again!
I’ve always dreamed of working remotely, but sadly it’s not all it’s cracked up to be. I used to envision myself with my laptop poolside soaking up the rays whilst typing away, yet the reality couldn’t be any more different. Before my working days were filled with noisy coworkers, overbearing toxic managers, bad coffee and pointless meetings. Yes, as sad as that might sound, that was my life 5 days a week… Now, my life is a lot different and even less fulfilling than beforehand. I feel as though I’m constantly cooped up in my tiny apartment and totally cut off from the world. Who’d have thought I’d miss real life conversations with my coworkers or my old routine of waking up early, doing my makeup and running like a mad woman to the subway? I certainly didn’t! I’m living what I thought was my dream, but ironically it's become my worst nightmare.
>>> Read; So what if I hate working?!
I certainly wouldn’t classify myself as one of the most sociable people out there, but I can’t deny that being a remote worker definitely limits our social interactions. Isolation can be very hard to deal with because as humans, even as shy ones, we need contact with people. We need to tell people about the ridiculous purchase we regret making on Amazon last weekend, or about the new series we’re currently binge-watching on Netflix and how cute the main character. All of this alone time confined between my four walls is nothing other than oppressing and depressing. If truth be told, I’ve never felt this down and dejected before. What seems ironic is that we’ve never been so connected before, yet paradoxically, I’ve never felt so disconnected. Quite frankly, Zoom meetings just don’t cut it and I want my old life back.
If this experience has taught me anything, it’s that we shouldn’t take things for granted.
I’ll be honest, I’ve never worked this much in my life and my body is suffering because of it. The aches and pains are creeping in, and I'm not even past the 30 mark, plus my sleep pattern is totally out of control and this is causing me to have panic attacks… For some reason, being at home makes us feel like we need to prove ourselves even more. We feel like we have to be more productive, more efficient and more hands on. In short, we overinvest and this can have serious consequences on our health. Not being under the constant observation and supervision of our manager means we want to impress them more and prove that we can be independent. In my case, that means eating in front of my laptop at lunchtime, finishing way later than I should and even signing in on the weekends too. My job is taking over my life, and it’s quite frankly unhealthy!
>>> Discover the golden rules to successfully working virtually
The benefits of working from home may seem attractive, but that’s when everything runs smoothly. When you add internet connectivity issues to the isolation and lack of stimulation of the situation, you’ll soon feel a ball of anger form in your stomach. Gone are the days when you could traipse over to the tech team and complain about IT issues, now you’re on your own in the big wide world of tech, which if you’re anything like me, you’ll know nothing about! I'm no Steve Jobs, after all… Now, I’ve never been a particularly lucky person, but once one problem crops up, a tsunami of them seem to follow and this makes me feel completely out of my depth.
I used to think that certain noisy coworkers were my bad, but I soon realized that I was naive to think like this. My apartment block is like Times Square on a Saturday evening, yes, that's right, I can hear absolutely EVERYTHING and people are SO loud! From the sound of vacuuming, to my neighbor’s kids yelling at each other and fighting, and not to mention the woman who lives upstairs and her Zumba class; concentrating on my tasks is a real challenge. It’s probably not very neighborly to want to bang down people’s doors whenever they start to make the slightest bit of noise, but trust me, I think about doing it at least once an hour.
>>> Learn how to be assertive at work
Procrastination is the worst thing to have to deal with. When we are in the comfort of our own homes, everything distracts us, and we always seem to find something better to do. Whether we decide we need to clean from top to bottom, or rearrange our winter closet, everything draws us in. Although I’ve upped my working hours, I can’t be productive every second of the day, which evidently means I have to make up for my lapses of concentration late at night. You’ve guessed it, my days seem unending, and my social life has suffered because of it. I’m sad to say it, but my job has become my life and my poor organization skills are at the root of this problem. The truth is, no one ever prepared us for this full-time lifestyle, and few of us are disciplined enough to be able to succeed in it in the long term.
>>> Discover why working from home is even more tiring than in the office
Working from home (WFH) has become commonplace in many companies as part of the anti-Covid measures. But many employees suffer from this imposed situation, which has now become a daily occurrence. Whilst many people love it, others can’t bear the idea of working at their dining tables for 8 hours a day, and the main reason is that they don't feel as if their efforts are rewarded. Plus, they are legitimately afraid of becoming demotivated and in some cases cast to the side. There is a feeling of being relegated, that one did not choose to WFH. Employees are no longer at the heart of the company and the organization of work, they feel dispossessed of their place, and it’s therefore difficult to work effectively under these conditions. There is also the fact that employees can no longer express their emotions or their aggressiveness. Face-to-face meetings allow for the resolution of micro-conflicts, which cannot be done remotely since the only means of communication are virtual.
Working from home isn't necessarily unhealthy in itself, but it does pose certain challenges and risks to workers' mental health and well-being. Here are a few reasons why telecommuting can sometimes be perceived as unhealthy:
If you don't like working from home, it's important to find strategies to make it more bearable and effective. First, communicate openly with your employer to discuss your preferences and explore the possibilities of a hybrid work model or occasional office days. Create a comfortable, ergonomic workspace at home to help you focus and stay productive. Set yourself a regular schedule and take regular breaks to avoid overwork and burnout. Get out of the house for fresh air and a change of scene whenever possible. Find ways to connect regularly with your colleagues to maintain a sense of belonging to the team.
Editor’s advice: Approach your day methodically and structure your routineWorking from home doesn’t necessarily need to be something you hate with a passion! To fall back in love with this privilege that lots of people dream of, you need to learn to be less harsh on yourself. You’re only human, after all, so you can’t pull off superhuman things. To make your days easier, set yourself achievable goals and plan out a timetable that will help you stick to your tasks. This technique will stop you from feeling guilty about your methods and will teach you to organize your schedule better. You’ll soon see just how much you do and will learn to be proud of your efforts! 🤗 Understand yourself, accept yourself, be happy... Let’s do it here and now! #BornToBeMe |
More interesting content:
Article presented by Katie M.
🌻 Discover the world through my eyes.
I know I still severely lack self-confidence. I think many of us struggle with low self-esteem, especially as women. There are so many societal pressures weighing on us, which can be hard to manage. However, I’ve discovered that through self-reflection, we can work on building our self-esteem. How can turning inward help us kick our insecurities to the curb? And most importantly, how do we do it? Let me explain.
I often say that I’m a big introvert and that I love being alone. It’s true that I struggle with being around people all the time, but recently, I’ve realized how important social connection is for feeling good. Choosing solitude is one thing, but being forced into it is another. Why do we need others so much? What impact does it have on us? I’ll share my experience with you.
When it comes to sexuality, I believe it's important not to have any taboos (as long as it's legal, of course). So, when someone asks me what pegging is, I have no shame in explaining it. I once asked the question myself and was glad to get a straightforward answer. So, what is pegging? We’re here to give you all the details so you know what it’s about and, who knows, maybe even try it!
Sending your manager a copy of an email, asking who’s responsible for the meeting minutes, or requesting written confirmations for every project... I think we’ve all done it at some point, myself included! I never really thought much about it, but I recently discovered that this behavior has a name: the “Cover Your Ass” syndrome. What does this reveal about life in the workplace? Why is it problematic? Let me explain.
Is the gaze and approval of others essential for you? Are you incapable of saying no? Do you do everything you can to get yourself noticed? This excessive need to please may well be indicative of a profound uneasiness. Why do you need to feel validated by other people so much? And how can you free yourself from this oppressing tendency? We reveal everything you need to know for a more straightforward lifestyle.
If you know anything about narcissists, you'll surely be aware that they are extremely overly judgmental and critical, especially towards other people. Their faultfinding stems from their perception of ultimate superiority, and therefore legitimizes them in holding people to intimidatingly high standards 👑. However, although they may believe they are pretty much perfect, the reality couldn't be any more different, yet they are slightly more forgiving with themselves. That's right, they are huge hypocrites and go from one extreme to another in a split second. Here we discuss the reasons behind their hypocritical behavior.
People with narcissistic personality disorders love playing games because it reinforces their sense of control and validates their need to pull the strings. Now, the idea of playing games may seem fairly harmless and innocent, but the truth could be further away from the reality when these manipulative personalities are involved. 😱 Indeed, narcissists are always one step ahead of the rest of us, which makes it difficult to recognize when they are toying with people. So, to open your eyes to what they are truly capable of, discover the lengths they’ll go to, to remain on top.
When we’re little, we love them unconditionally and do anything to seek their affection. Our parents are our role models, our inspiration, our protection. Then, when puberty kicks in, and we become teenagers, war sometimes breaks out. This is all very normal, but once the period of hormones and braces has passed, it’s not always a given to love your parents, and that’s okay, plus admitting it feels fantastic!
I’ll be the first to admit that my stubbornness means I’m not exactly the most willing person when it comes to uttering the words ‘I’m sorry’, but I always push through my pride; although unfortunately, the same can’t be said for narcissists... Indeed, people who suffer from this personality disorder will simply never hold their hands up and accept responsibility for their actions, despite how deeply they’ve hurt your feelings. 😱 You know the idiom getting blood from a stone, right? Well, when it comes to apologies from these toxic personalities, nothing is more appropriate, and here are 6 reasons why!
Each one of us has our own weaknesses that hold us back in life; be it at work or in relationships. However, on a more positive note, most of us have the will to work on them and transform them. That being said, once narcissists are brought into the picture, the idea that they want to work on their weaknesses doesn’t exactly seem feasible. For a deeper understanding of these narcissists and more insights into the workings of their minds, discover their weak spots and which pointers they struggle with on a daily basis, yet aren't willing to admit or work on 👎.
The novelty of WFH wore off after about 1 month for me. Now I try to go into the office as much as possible but the office is empty / at 10% capacity - still depressing! Can not face this for the next 40 years of my life - will be looking to change career path to something more social or move to a company that requires 4/5 days in the office and I'm sure many other young people will be on the same boat..
Jill 2 years ago