This is somewhere around day 46 or 47 of our stay-at-home order. Our office physically closed around March 11. The students were told not to return from spring break and that classes would be conducted online.
So for over a month now, I — like so many other people around the world — am working from home. I go to the grocery once every two weeks or so. I go to the pharmacy for prescription refills and, if necessary, I go to the convenience store for snacks if I’m really craving something. My car is getting about three weeks to the gallon.
I work 8:00 am to 5:00 pm, sometimes a bit longer. I get up and walk around, stretch and sometimes take a short walk outside in order to keep from stiffening up too much. My home was never meant to be an office. I have dreams of making a cloffice (closet into office) for myself, but that didn’t happened before I started working from home. My desk and chair were never meant for spending significant amounts of time at the computer.
The initial problem was my “desk chair.” It was where one of the cats slept most of the day. I pulled up a dining chair so she had another spot. I have a cushion that was for my mom’s wheelchair and I have that on what was a kitchen chair many, many years ago.
The next problem to be addressed was another cat got jealous and wanted to nap beside me, too. Another dining chair is on the other side now.
My third cat is cool with it all as long as she gets to sleep on my bed with me at night.
My desk is more of a secretary. It is in no way a computer desk. I’m fine with that if I just want to work for a couple hours in the evening or weekends. This 9 hours is not good for my wrists, but with a little creativity, I’ve managed for the time being.
The part I love is very little interaction with people physically. I don’t have to try to be engaged. I don’t feel so uncomfortable I run at the mouth. The best is I don’t have higher ups ask a question and walkaway, not listening to the answer.
Most of our unit has Zoom meetings work through some of the issues they have to deal with. I’ve been in three: one for the entire unit; one for a project I’m working on, and one with my direct boss. Everyone else is in several meetings a day, where I can just do my work.
We had a unit Zoom and everyone filled out a head-check survey. I was one of a small percent that said I was feeling mostly sunny. So many people I know are anxious or depressed. My poor brother, social butterfly that he is, has really been struggling. But for a person who has been diagnosed with social anxiety and depression, I gotta tell ya, I’m in my element! I’m suffering from less depression than usual and have very little anxiety — except for worrying if I’ll have a job next month. I don’t think it’s because of the drugs for SAD or depression. In the past month and a half that we’ve been home, I haven’t had a severe headache except due to allergies.
I tell ya — this is what I’ve been training for all my life!
It's My World 
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