Tele-commuting: Lessons Learned So Far

Today is the two week mark for working remotely from home. For my wife, it’s a little over one week. What I know now that I didn’t know when I started this endeavor is that separating work life from home life was going to not just be difficult, it was going to become blurred to the point it was difficult to separate them.

I’m fortunate to have a space that I can spread out my equipment. The house we purchased last year has a two car garage, which is unheard of in our neighborhood. It also has a garage apartment above it that is the “man club” as my granddaughter says. I have several folding tables pushed together to hold my monitors, computer, scanner, etc. There’s room for two couches along one wall, an area where I have a couple of dumbbells, some kettlebells, and other home gym equipment, and even an area for throwing darts when the gang comes over. I look forward to having them over again once we’re past all this Coronavirus stuff.

As I work through my day I take short five or ten minute breaks and get my mind off work by doing some exercise, or practicing my doubles at the dartboard, or going in the house for a restroom break. It works for me! One thing about it, I’m getting way more exercise than I normally get during a work-week.

However, what has slowly happened is that because my work space and my home space are combined it feels like I’m always at work. Also, I’m so overly careful to be around the computer in case my boss asks me to do something that I’m actually working harder and longer hours than normal. He’s a good boss! He trusts his team to not waste time, and I try hard to keep him happy with my performance so he’s not stressed. I want the option to work from home in the future if the need arises.

Last night I mentioned the work-life balance to my wife and she agreed with me, so we decided to make some small changes. We took the dog for a walk to the nearby park rather than flopping on the couch to watch TV for one. For another, I made jambalaya for dinner and we sat on the patio to eat and listen to music long into the evening. It was a welcome change-up. The weather cooperated with us too. Tonight, we’ll make other changes to keep things fresh.

Stay tough! Stay healthy! Adapt and evolve to your situations!