Six months ago, the acronym ‘WFH’ was not part of our vocabulary. Six months later, we find ourselves living and breathing it. Digital transformation literally happened overnight and our preparations for the future of work were inadvertently being put to the test. Since then, we’ve consumed an insane amount of memes about remote working and seen toddlers or parents making cameo appearances on the news, an experience that is flawlessly depicted in Apple's working-from-home video. As this topic continues to be one of the hottest conversation starters of 2020, we thought we might hop on the bandwagon and discuss our work-from-home experience.
YU TING:
Save The Commute, Save The Time
Being able to sleep in is hands down the best part about working-from-home, so Yu Ting says. “Fight me,” she adds. This is only made possible with the time saved on commuting, which the whole team has come to appreciate. Who knew saving the commute would actually make such a difference in our work life?
“When the work day ends, I’m already home. How good is that?” Yu Ting exclaimed.
To support her point, Yu Ting talked us through the process of preparing for a commute, proving that it is not just time it saves. “There is a bit of planning involved in the commute to work - time estimation, avoiding or navigating crowds, and so on. Having it as a routine can sometimes take the life out of you, especially on days when there’s a lot going on,” she explained.
We also dove into a discussion about making plans pre-lockdown versus post-lockdown. “My calendar used to be packed. There was always something planned during lunch and after work. My mindset has shifted a little ever since working from home and I won’t be able to go back to my old ways,” María shared and the rest of us couldn’t agree more.
EVELYN:
Grateful to Be Taken Care Of
Lunchtimes at home vary widely for each individual. Some prefer cooking while others opt for food deliveries. There are also a good number of people whose lunches are in the hands of good home cooks. For Evelyn, that person is her mom.
“I didn’t think much about it at first, but as time went on I realized how much of a blessing it is to have my mom cook for me all the time,” she said.
When Evelyn used to work at the office, her family wasn’t fussed about having three meals a day. Evelyn, on the contrary, gets hungry easily. “My mom keeps complaining that I get hungry too often. It’s because of me that my family has to get used to eating at timings they are not used to,” she expressed with gratitude and a hint of guilt.
Being taken care of is one of the warmest feelings in the world that one should never take for granted. Evelyn enjoys being fed home-cooked food and being in the presence of her family.
MARÍA:
Accomplishing More with Less
The person who probably had the most on her mind during the transition was María, the one who constantly puts everyone’s needs before hers. “I can’t believe it’s been half a year. I still remember feeling nervous about it, wondering how we'd be able to pull it off,” she recounted. Going through change is always nerve-racking but necessary because we’d be able to learn more about ourselves. In our case, we found out that we might be more well-suited to work remotely.
“It didn’t take much for the team to get used to it (working-from-home). Our level of productivity was not affected and we still have a good work-life balance,” María said.
With more flexibility comes more responsibility. It is key to make sure everyone knows what they are doing and are able to communicate that since we don’t get to see each other at work anymore. This also means that we have to be more mindful of each other’s time and make sure not to get in the way of downtimes like lunch.
“It’s nice to have the freedom to take breaks of any kind. I love meditating whenever I find myself needing time away from the screen. This allows me to feel recharged which in turn leads to increased efficiency,” María shared.
