At some point, nearly all of us have fantasized about walking that short commute from our bedroom to the home office, hot coffee in hand, cozy slippers on our feet. But for those of us who’ve had the experience of working from home, we know that the reality can be somewhat different from that idealistic image. And yes, it involves a great deal of hilarity. Here are 10 hilarious truths that only individuals working from home will understand.
1. Pants? What Pants?
When was the last time you wore anything other than sweatpants or pajama bottoms? It doesn’t matter, does it? Without the prying eyes of inquisitive colleagues, the bottom half of your outfit converts into the embodiment of comfort-style. The web camera only captures the top half of your outfit anyway!
2. Dishwasher Dilemmas
Where in the office, you’d pop into the break room for a quick cup of coffee, at home it suddenly becomes a dilemma of should you unload the dishwasher or not? Some find maintaining productivity means emulating that office schedule as closely as possible. But hey, at least you’ll never run out of clean spoons.
3. Food Frenzy
Every time you step into the kitchen for a cup of coffee or a glass of water, that refrigerator full of food is staring right back at you. Can you hear the siren call of the cheese sandwich?
4. A Meeting with Strange Backdrops
Remember the days of pristine white conference rooms? Now you’re navigating the best background during conference calls. The aesthetic bookshelf, the artfully arranged living room, or the perennial favorite – the virtual background. And let’s not forget quickly muting video when pets or kids invade!
5. Living with (Background) Noise
No more hearing typing on keyboards or office chatter. The soundtrack of work-from-home life is a mix of barking dogs, kids playing, televisions, blenders, sirens, and more. These extraneous noises now make up your symphony of productivity.
6. The “I’ll just quickly do this” Syndrome
Running a full set of laundry in between meetings? Quickly vacuuming the living room? Yes, we’ve all been there. Falling into the trap of low-scale domestic multi-tasking is all too enticing.
7. Avatars of Exercise
Without office constraints, lunch time can suddenly transform into “learning how to do yoga” time. Increasing numbers of desk workers embracing a semi-reclining position, mid-meeting stretches, or even walking calls are marvelously fun to imagine.
8. The Suspicious Spotless Home
It’s surprising how clean a working-from-home professional’s home can be. Can’t find inspiration? Clean the kitchen. Procrastinating on a tough task? Suddenly realize how much the carpets need vacuuming.
9. Technological Terrors
Intermittent internet outages and computer crashes take on a whole new meaning when your superiors think you’re lying because you didn’t want to attend a meeting. Ah, the joys of working from home!
10. Endless Work Hours
Who knew you would end up missing the closing hours of a brick-and-mortar office? Working from home blurs the line between work and personal time so much that you’re never really off work.
In all its glory, working from home is a mixture of comfort, convenience, hilarious situations, and some unexpected challenges. With the wit and humor you show navigating these moments, it’s no wonder you’re smashing those targets. Here’s to finding the funny side of our newfound professional circumstances and to more days of pants-optional success!