Stay-at-Home Surprises and Lessons Learned
Never had I expected that I would be working from home for at least two months straight. Because of the coronavirus pandemic, my dream of WFH unexpectedly turned into reality. But it’s nothing like the self-initiated, delightful WFH I had wanted.
It’s mixed feelings — feeling lonely, isolated, anxious and unexpectedly surprised. Surprised by the lessons learned through this unique period of time in life. It has helped me to reflect on life more than ever before. I would like to share my experiences with you and hear about yours too.
Surprise is trying new things and growing.
With the extra time gained while staying at home, every weekend I started cooking something new — making paella with different kinds of seafood, making noodles from scratch, and cooking Palak Paneer, etc.
It has given me something to look forward to and a reward for myself after a whole week’s work. In 4 weeks, my cooking got quicker and those complex recipes didn’t seem to be so difficult anymore. I felt that I should have tried earlier but I always thought it would be complicated.
Sometimes difficulty is just imagination in our head as an excuse to not start. More often than not, once you get started, you will see it’s much easier than you thought and you will improve over time with practice.
Surprise is finding joy in a simple lifestyle.
Not going out for food or drinks and not buying clothes for a month has made me realize that I could have reduced my spendings on non-essential things. I used to get coffee or tea every day and buy clothes to a point that my closet couldn’t accommodate all of them. Now I make tea or coffee at home and I can see that my existing clothes are enough for at least half a year.
Instead of buying more and more pieces and not wearing some of them, I decided to organize my closet and make the best out of what I have to mix and match. This reorganization has extended to other spaces in my apartment and even to how I manage my work files. I find myself being more efficient and my mind also gets more relaxed and calm.
Surprise is reconnecting with friends.
After seeing in the news the rapid growth of coronavirus cases in Italy, I messaged the only Italian friend I know to check if she was safe. It’s been two years since we last talked. We met while studying in Seattle and we were roommates back then. I was so happy to hear that she was doing well. We both moved to new cities, started new jobs, and missed our time in Seattle.
Chatting with her brought back so many memories — making gnocchi and guacamole for the first time, running a 10k together, taking a sad selfie after the US presidential election, having beer at the brewery near campus, and so much more.
Life is busy and it’s easy for friends to grow apart. But there’s always a way to stay connected, like taking a few minutes to message each other.
Surprise is dedicating time for self care.
After WFH started, more work meetings had been scheduled to keep good communications among the team. There had been so many times that I found myself sitting for hours looking at screens and even seeing yellow hazy shades. My neck felt stiff and my head was heavy. I knew something was wrong.
Where is the time to care for my own well-being? Shouldn’t there be time to take a short water break and protect my eyes? Why not dedicate some time for self care?
Set up reminders for water break, block time for lunch and a short walk, close eyes and relax for a few minutes. These are the little things I’ve learned to recharge. It’s important to not let all the work occupy all of our energy and time. If we don’t put in time to care for ourselves, we will be drowned in the sea of work.
I’m looking forward to more lessons learned as I experience and reflect on life in the future. This current period of time is tough to go through, but it’s also inspiring and retrospective. I’m grateful for the love from my parents, my bf, and my friends to keep me motivated and strong.
We are all in this together. We will see the end of the tunnel and we will become our better selves.
Thanks for reading…
