I left the office on the evening of March 12, 2020 thinking I'd be back in less than a month. Now here I am five months later, still working from home.
In some ways, a lot hasn't changed since my last check-in. I'm working from home, staying at home, eating at home, doing pretty much everything within a couple mile radius of home.
But in many other ways, a lot has changed. Lockdowns have loosened up, despite the pandemic progressing beyond what was initially imagined in the United States. Widespread protests against police brutality (and continued police brutality) have taken place in Chicago and cities across the country. Disasters, natural and man-made, have been affecting people around the world.
So while life has felt quite still and stagnant at home, the world has kept on turning.
Here are my updated takeaways after five months of WFH:
Working remotely is one thing (a good thing), but working during a global pandemic is HARD. Continuing to take inventory of where I'm at mentally and how others are feeling is so, so, so important. I find that the better headspace I am in, the better my work is.
Having my dog (pictured above) around is the best. And yes, I have an Instagram for him. It's a fun creative outlet that I personally scroll through sometimes as a de-stresser.
I. need. a. proper. desk. I have a great set up (second screen, wireless mouse and keyboard) for working at home, but it sits atop our dining table. Our one-bedroom apartment has been feeling quite small each consecutive month, especially as the weather has gotten warmer. So I'm currently day-dreaming about two-bedroom apartments (or at the very least, a one-bedroom with a den).
Somehow, the clothes that keep me comfy at home make me feel like a walking pile of laundry when I'm outside. In the early days of lockdown, if I layered on sweats for a chilly morning walk, I'd feel sense of community with the few other passerby doing the same thing. But now, as the majority of strangers I cross paths with on the street have returned to more normal routines (and clothing choices), I often find myself feeling self-conscious. It's crazy how un-"me" I can feel, even this far into this new form of living. And yet, if I do put on "real clothes" for a trip to the grocery store, I am practically counting down the seconds until I can put my old band T and yoga pants on.
Most significantly, it feels like every day there is a new heartbreak. A new milestone in the COVID-19 death count; another police shooting; the next big natural disaster; one more beloved local business closure. There are many days I feel so restricted, hopeless, or inadequate of helping. And also a growing sense of acceptance that this is just how the world is going to be, which scares me.
As I mentioned 15 days into this, I am incredibly lucky. I always have to remind myself of this. I am healthy, my family is healthy, my friends are healthy. I am able to work from home, save money, and live relatively unaffected. It's hard to reconcile with all that is going on in the United States and around the world, but it feels necessary to try to find the silver lining.
'Til next time.
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