How to Work From Home- From a Professional
I used to think about making a “What It’s Like Working From Home” blog post or video for all of the people who always daydreamed about what it would be like to get this rare opportunity. Boy how times have changed!
Now EVERYONE is working from home (sans healthcare workers, grocery clerks & other essential workers). My work life hasn't changed as a seasoned work-from-homer but I don't feel as special now that everyone is doing it! However as someone who has been working from home with her significant other for about a year and a half, we do have a system that works [for us].
My boyfriend, Tim, & I have both been working from home since Fall 2018 which was a total coincidence. I had been gearing up to go full-time with my videography business for months, had my last day in mind and then Tim swooped in with a job offer out of nowhere and started working remotely for a bank in Utah just a couple weeks before my last day at my day job.
The first thing we did was create two separate offices. We previously had our desks in the same room - I was already doing a ton of editing on nights and weekends and Tim occasionally burned the midnight oil from home although usually would just stay late hours at the office when necessary.
We are fortunate to have plenty of space for two people in our home in the Albany suburbs. Tim's desk moved to a room in the basement, which the previous home owner used for an office anyway. Having our own spaces has really helped us stay sane, stay in our own lanes and not distract each other when taking phone calls. Tim is on the phone frequently and I am less so, however I work with a lot of audio and that can mean playing the same part of dialogue or a song out loud over and over again.
Having our own separate spaces to do our work and spend most of our day has worked out very well for us. Most days we try to take lunch at the same time and hang out for a few minutes while we make and eat our lunches. We have been very lucky that this has worked out so well for both of us. I actually think it would be harder if I was working from home by myself day in and day out. This way, I can go visit my boo whenever I need to. Even if he's busy, we can share a quick hug or even just a wave and smile and then go back to our business.
Unfortunately I do not have any experience with watching and/or teaching children while working from home. I realize this is one of the hardest challenges being faced right now (other than financial & medical).
I do have a needy adult cat at home with me and she can be a handful herself. Having an office with a door that can be closed is a life saver. If I'm going to make a call, she gets kicked out. When I'm on the phone is when she is her loudest, so she can't stay. If she's quietly sitting on my lap or sleeping on the desk that is fine, but if she's walking back and forth in front of my computer, on the keyboard, relentlessly trying to squeeze behind my monitor with all of the cables & important hard drives: that's when she has to go. She might get upset and paw and meow outside the door, but it doesn't take her too long (most days) to give up and go sleep on the bed or couch.
We definitely haven't mastered the work-life balance and have not forced ourselves into a schedule which would certainly be better. We rarely shower (doing our part for Mother Earth) or get dressed out of our PJs. We do cook almost every meal ourselves and have been getting out to exercise more as the weather gets nicer and it becomes our only option for getting out of the house.
Everyone's situation is so different and it's one thing to work from home during normal circumstances, but admittedly much harder when you work from home all day and then can't go out or see anyone at night. I'm concerned for my friends who live alone, my extrovert friends and especially all of the parents out there trying to work and keep their household afloat while also entertaining and teaching their children.
We can take solace in the fact that we are all in this together, a rarity in itself, and that it won't last forever.
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Stay healthy & stay sane,
Jessalyn
Owner, filmmaker, professional work-from-homer