I’ve mentioned in previous posts about how during this pandemic I’ve been able to transition to working from home.

I suppose that makes me one of the lucky ones. I empathise with those unable to work from home, who are forced to take the risks of continuing to engage in public. And also with those who have not been able to retain their employment. But for now, I’m doing my best to keep the economy moving while maintaining the health and safety of the community.

Working from home is a funny kind of thing. I know a lot of people have been doing it for a while, but for me it’s very much a new thing. And, as with any new thing, it has its benefits and its drawbacks.

Number one benefit is clearly the removal of the commute. I can sleep in just that little bit more, and after I’ve showered, breakfasted, and cleaned myself up, I just walk to another room and get started on my work. Similarly, at the end of the day, I don’t need to battle with the afternoon traffic. I’m already home.

Another clear benefit is getting to spend more time with the family. It’s always nice to have them around all day, rather than bookended into the early morning and evening.

Of course there are disadvantages as well. I do miss the camaraderie that comes from sharing an office. The joking and playing around between myself and my colleagues. I have to say I’m probably more productive at the moment, due to lack of distractions. Not sure if that’s a pro or a con.

But the biggest disadvantage I think is the breaking down of boundaries between the professional and the personal. Now that my homespace is also my workspace, it’s hard to tell where one stops and the other starts.

It’s definitely had an impact on my favourite personal activity – my writing. It’s funny how I could spend a day at work, drive home, eat dinner, and then have the energy to sit, even if for just half an hour, to do some writing. That distance between work and home created a barrier that enabled the writing to slip in.

But now that seems harder to do. After spending all day sitting in my dining room, staring at a computer, I find it really difficult to return to the same seat and stare at a computer some more, even though the reason I’m staring at that computer is now supposed to be, dare I say, fun. Suddenly, writing seems like an extension of work – and that’s definitely not fun.

I’m not sure how to resolve this. It’s possible that I’ll be returning to work before too long, and I can slip back to old habits. But if this pandemic keeps up and I remain at home, I’ll definitely need to work harder to create a proper writing routine for myself.