Hi lovelies,
It's been 1 month today since I started a new job working from home and I thought it's a good time to reflect on my experience so far.
In a nutshell, I love it. There's been extenuating circumstances that led me here, but as a strong believer that "everything happens for a reason" I wouldn't change it.
This morning, I woke up, let the dog out, fed the cats and my Husband, grabbed myself a coffee and headed upstairs to throw some comfy clothes on before sitting down in my makeshift office to start work. This is a million miles away from my mornings in my previous job, which consisted of pressing snooze a million times because I wasn't ready to face the day, stressing over what to wear and what shoes what be comfortable enough to stand up in all day, which coat to wear in case the weather changes, worrying that my train might be late again, have I got a mask and sanitiser in my bag? Wondering what might be going on in town today. I genuinely couldn't relax until I unlocked those doors; and then my day started again, with a whole host of responsibilities and challenges that come with working in Birmingham.
Don't get me wrong, I love Birmingham, there's so much to do and see, with amazing restaurants and bars and Digbeth is pretty much a whole new world now, but managing a store on the high street can be...interesting. You're a target for shoplifters, a helpdesk for tourists looking for the Bullring which skews your footfall stats, a shelter when it's raining and you have a front row seat to all of the goings on in the second city. It's inspiring to watch the marches and protests, which happen almost weekly and there's something magical about having the Christmas Market right outside your doors, with the twinkling lights and shoppers holding their mugs of hot chocolate in their gloved hands...until about 6pm when the drunks appear and they're grouped in your shop with their pints and bratwursts because one of their group forgot to buy their secret santa gift.
It just that at a certain point you have enough, and I reached this point after returning to work from a long-term illness. I had enough of spending 10-11 hours out of the house every day, with unreliable public transport. So I was brave, I quit my job.
I spent my time thinking about what I wanted to do, what was right for me, what skills can I transfer, but what I knew for sure was that I wanted to work from home. My two best friends WFH and they love it! They told me how relaxed they feel, how much better their work life balance is, and I was thrilled for them, and determined to experience it myself.
From my very first day in this new role I was suprised and delighted by how relaxed I felt. The slippers may of helped, but I think being in my own space, with my little dog under my desk and tea in my favourite mug was the perfect way to start my induction. During lunch I had a proper meal - bye bye Tesco meal deal! And I popped in a load of laundry, sat in the garden to watch the birds and listened to an audio book. Then I went back to work feeling refreshed and ready for the afternoon. Previously my breaks consisted of a dash to Tesco (because those pre-commute morning stresses didn't allow time for packing lunch) and then eating my sandwich on a plastic chair in a cold, crumb-ridden staff room. On busier days I'd probably eat at my computer in an office with no windows.
I know you're maybe thinking... 4 weeks in, you're in the honeymoon phase, soon you'll miss the social aspect of the workplace. And Maybe I will, but I'm pretty sure my girls' group chat will take care of that. However, I do have some words of wisdom...
Buy yourself the most comfortable desk chair you can find. Honestly, hours on a stiff chair is awful for your back and can lead to worse than a sore bum.
Have a dedicted space for work, so that your work and home is separate.
Get dressed. Seems simple, but it'll get you ready to start your day, you can't really wake up properly in your PJ's and there's always the risk someone will want cameras on during a Teams call.
Take your breaks. There's no awards for skipping them, and it's the perfect time to try one of my iced coffee recipes!
Get yourself a dog for company.
Obviously that last point is a joke, but I do love having Pixie next to me, she sleeps all day and has learnt the sounds of me closing down for the day means play time.
I understand that I am lucky and not everyone would have this option; my husband was able to support us and we had some savings that meant it was possible for me to take the time to find the right role for me, but it was still a huge step. I had worked non-stop since I was 16, and at 32, that was half my life! But it's led me to this new role, and although I can't know what the future holds, for now, I am happy.
Speak soon,
Zoe x