Work from Home Journal | January 15th, 2024
Today is Martin Luther King Day, so I have the day off from my corporate job. It’s amazing the weight lifted off my chest, shoulders, heart…whatever holds weight, from being off of work, From having the day off of reporting to someone else. That is the first point I feel led to make - it is exhausting to have the weight of reporting to someone else in your own home.
Sure, you can set boundaries for your time and effort and tell yourself, “I will not respond to this email until work hours.” But the thing is this: Now you know that email is waiting for you, that you will have to spend your valuable energy crafting a response that will answer the question and simultaneously show how “politically correct” you are. This could just be my hurdle and anxious tendency.
Although there is great flexibility in working from home (and I wouldn’t trade it for the world), I have increasingly found the necessity to find my limits and protect them at all costs. One limit I have recognized in myself is the weight of reporting to someone else in my own home, as I have already shared. I have spent many moments reflecting on how to make this weight more manageable, and to be honest, it is an ever-constant learning process. Some days are better than others.
How do I manage this ever-present feeling of “being watched”? I remember everyone is just human. Everyone is just getting through their day, and nine times out of ten, they aren’t thinking about me. Mostly, if you work for a decent human, there is understanding, caring and trust. I have to remind myself of that often, and it has helped. It’s not perfect, but it helps. Another note is to mention the reminder: If you are completing your work to the best of your ability, you are doing all you can, which is enough.
So, for those who work from home and feel the weight of having to report to someone, I see you, and I understand. How do you manage this weight?
