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Working from
home

Our viewpoint

I’m a face to face relationship person and my career has pretty much been built on a genuine desire to meet with people, connect my network and problem solve.

Working from home has created many new challenges and prompted me to pause and reflect on some of the things I really didn’t think too much about.

  1. Firstly, sharing space with family 24/7 isn’t something I’m totally comfortable with – I like going to a place of work.
  2. I miss ‘watercooler’ office banter
  3. Whilst I frequently tweet about my appalling commute in to work, I hanker for my expensive coffee and standing for the entire journey

Whilst we are all coming to terms with working from home, it’s getting to grips with a whole new language and vocabulary. Did you ever know ‘social distancing’ was a thing, understand what being furloughed really meant, or even know what corona was apart from a beer?

Perhaps more pertinent to me at the moment is having to become a tech expert overnight (IT team, I miss you). Set up your screen, connect it to your laptop, browser or VPN, get the keyboard working, set up the remote mouse, keep your phone at more than 50% (or mild panic might set in) whilst maintaining power to everything from one dual socket.

The introduction of new technology for communication has been challenging not only for me but also my network. Do we use Skype, Teams, Zoom or just the phone? Then the small matter or video call etiquette, to mute or not to mute, video on or video off, placement of props to make you appear totally cool with your strategically placed highbrow books or do you go for a completely neutral background so nobody has a clue about who you might really be – I haven’t lost my sense of global perspective, these are first world dilemmas.

So, whilst I still feel like we’re all playing a part in a bad version of The Truman Show, I have found solace in my hour of the day in which I go for my 1 walk outside; I don’t take a phone or put music in my ears, it’s just me and my dog Toby who is a great listener. And whilst I have never mastered the art of complete mindfulness, I give my head the time to pause, reflect and try not to think about the day’s challenges. As we get to grips with home schooling, worrying about how much pasta (or wine) we’ve got left, sifting through the news overload, please take the time to look after yourselves and be kind to others.