Covid did something for Germany that I was afraid would take another 50 years: It bumped the share of people working from home from 4% to 30%. Finally!
The flexibility is great, but it also puts our work in flux. Suddenly, there’s no physical separation. When are we supposed to work? When is it okay to rest?
Companies get a new set of rules in the form of more remote-friendly laws, but our personal rulebooks we’ll have to write ourselves.
There’s a lot to be said about pretending you leave the house every morning: You shower, dress properly, and walk to your office – even if’s just the next room over.
Yet, not everyone has an entire room to spare, and so where physical space wanes, we must get creative. I can do a lot sitting on my bed, if only I comb my hair. The feeling of the bristles on my scalp, the magic realignment from chaotic to straight – whatever does the final trick, it works. My vision narrows, my mind calms down, and I can do some work in my pajamas.
Probe your routines. Which elements feel most empowering? Focus on those. Sometimes, brushing your teeth is all you need.
Working from home can be wonderful. Don’t let the blur of boundaries get to you. You can straighten them, you know? Just like you do with your hair. Use your power. Pick up a comb, and go from there.