Working From Home
by Samantha Hubbard
1. 10. Has being forced to work from home changed your perspective of 'working from home'? How?
1.1. I used to think working from home was amazing....i guess its only those first few days because its alot harder on a regular basis
1.2. I love to work from home, but I NEED CHILD CARE
1.2.1. As an expecting parent, it is exciting to think of WFH as an option to help offset some cost of daycare
1.2.1.1. Sidenote: We can't tour daycares currently and evidently are going to be SOL in terms of getting into one in time by the point we will be able to, so any suggestions on the east or south sides of Charlotte are welcomed
1.2.1.1.1. I know a chick named Tyelisa Reid
1.3. how do we make people who are remote not feel left out of meetings when they're the only one who's remote
1.3.1. we had a whole convo with Lowe's about this - they would like to see their meetings all accomodate those working remotely. they even said people are nicer on remote calls (less interrupting one another)
1.4. I am very appreciative of having a job where I CAN work from home.
1.5. I miss being around people and absorbing knowledge through osmosis
1.5.1. I miss having random-ass conversations with my desk neighbors. :)
1.6. I've seen the importance/impact of physically collaborating
1.7. Has made me look at how I contribute value to my work differently
2. 7. What have you been doing to maintain communication/collaboration with your project teams?
2.1. Coordination calls 4 days a week to distribute workload etc
2.2. Snips on teams as working through design problems
2.3. Mucho Teams-ing!
2.4. weekly calls
2.5. lots of team calls
2.6. Teams
2.7. Lots of zoom meetings and teams chats
2.8. lots of calls and virtual meetins.
2.9. Teams group chats
2.10. Teams outside of the office too
2.11. teams
2.12. Using GIFs even more to express emotions
3. 8. Have you tried any new technologies/programs while working from home? To collaborate/organize, etc
3.1. Yep, mindmeister
3.2. negative
3.3. Zoom
3.4. Zoom breakout rooms
3.5. pretty much all these virtual platforms outside of lifesize have been new to me. I also started using the material bank website
3.6. more use of micro365 onenote & shared docs
3.7. mindmeister!
3.8. teams video conf
3.9. Tasks App
3.10. Online Grocery ordering
3.11. Virtual Sticky Notes
4. 9. How do you think working-from-home will change the workforce? Real estate? (Pie in the sky)
4.1. If we all worked from home for heads down work, Little would only need meeting rooms, a work cafe, central services, and materials library (could we get rid of floors 15 & 16?)
4.2. people will finally be on my level of germophobe!
4.3. it will be more acceptable to work from home in the future.
4.4. this will be a more acceptable new norm
4.5. every company will have a remote work policy...even those who didn't think it was possible
4.6. I think more people will realize that
4.7. real estate will likely reduce
4.8. I think it will make people be less formal and more understanding when someone works from home. I also think that when someone is sick they will actually stay home and not come in and possibly spread what they have. I think people will be more appreciative in that instance.
4.8.1. May decrease the flu spreading if people are taking staying home more seriously
4.9. Going to be a rubber band for a while--both extremes of people going in and staying home. Then back to pre-COVID eventually.
4.10. I think client meetings and site meetings will be done more often by video, people are more comfortable showing themselves on calls, calls are just as effective, less travel, save on gas. Maybe can drive less
4.10.1. Yeah, more frequent video calls
4.11. SF per workstation will increase, but SF needed per person will decrease or at a minimum stay the same bc of WFH option
4.12. I think there will be fewer flights for meetings
5. 2. What have been your favorite things about working from home?
5.1. Able to focus more. Dont get interrupted/distracted as easily (except by my dog)
5.2. Comfy pants
5.2.1. or no pants
5.3. The stress of others doesn't add to my stress
5.4. Flexibility to walk/exercise/eat/shower, etc
5.5. Being able to focus without interruptions
5.6. No buttons on my pants
5.7. Exercising more!
5.8. time w/ significant other
5.9. Introvert heaven!
5.10. Eating ice cream
5.10.1. Lack of collaboration
5.10.2. Miss socializing with teammates
5.10.3. Getting the perfect desk setup
5.10.4. totally agree
5.11. Able to go on walks easily everyday
5.12. Save a lot of casheesh
5.13. more time for me, comfy clothes FOREVER
5.13.1. No shoes
5.14. Cooking more meals & eating vegetarian
5.15. time with significant others
5.16. My kids are sometimes my favorite part
5.17. working in my pjs
5.18. Open windows, birds singing, lunch with hubby many days, less ironing
5.19. no lost commuting time, sleeping later, seeing neighbors, hanging out with pets
6. 1. Describe your workspace at home?
6.1. Laptop, additional monitor, mouse pad, mouse, bar height/bar stool
6.2. When I work where I want to (my desk) I have a second monitor, separate mouse and keyboard and printer. But I'm mostly grabbing my laptop and running around the house.
6.3. Working at dining room table, using a doc storage box as a sit-stand!
6.4. front room in our house. desk, additional monitor, key board, mouse
6.5. laptop, mouse, Steelcase task chair (that I won, very comfy), using bartop for my sit to stand, sofa desk too
6.6. My Dining Room is my office. Table = desk with laptop and large monitor. Lots of floor space to lay out and work with materials. A candle for zen in these troubled times. I do have a good ergonomic task chair that I purchased before. Its been a lifesaver. Miss my sit to stand!
6.6.1. A corner in my living room, on my old sewing table with an extend top on it to accommodate laptop, monitor and keyboard
6.7. Bar height counter/stool, laptop, portable monitor, mouse and phone. I occasionally sit on the couch or the patio table outside and work to change scenery
6.8. Desk and office chair, laptop, large monitor, lamp, mouse and mouse pad, office cats
6.9. Dining Room Table in the corner of our Living/Dining room. Laptop + second monitor w/ mouse and keyboard
6.10. Changing....from Living room to office desk to dining rm table. Aeron chair that i have had for years. Think goodness.
7. 6. What are you doing for your mental health during this stay-at-home order?
7.1. Exercising daily! Walking the dog, running, enjoying nature
7.2. virtual get togethers, talking with friends and family more often, running, drinking wine......
7.3. Gardening
7.4. Sewing & baking
7.5. meditation, yoga, different virtual classes
7.6. running, drinking wine, ZOOM, Houseparty, Netflix
7.7. exercising
7.7.1. `
7.8. Better sleep habits
7.9. meditating...sometimes
7.10. house projects during my off time
7.11. whiskey
7.12. virtual coffee dates & girls nights
7.13. gardening, watching the birds, going for walks, breaking concrete (we are re-doing our sidewalk... im not just crazy with rage issues). calling people that I haven't talked to in a long time.
7.14. Painting, drawing, cooking, crafting
7.15. tequila
7.16. Forcing myself to improve my routines (waking up earlier!)
7.17. keeping a routine, working out
7.18. wine & margaritas!
8. 4. How has working-from-home improved your mental health?
8.1. I don't think that it has. lol
8.2. More me time
8.3. i dont feed off of others stress
8.4. less stress
8.5. I'm better rested, sleeping later, running, not sitting in traffic, less distracting
8.6. My mental health has declined, but I don't attribute it to working from home
8.7. Get more sleep
8.8. More personal time both with family and alone
8.9. more me time, not having to get up as early, but that could also be hindering my mental health?
8.10. i have given more time to meditate to help with focus and manage stress
8.11. I am an introvert so this is heaven
8.12. Once the work/life balance was figured out my mental health has gotten better. Keeping a routine is important
8.13. Less rushing in the early morning starts the day off a little more calm.
8.14. More time to be creative with food and activities
9. 5. How has working-from-home challenged your mental health?
9.1. No social interaction with others has been hard
9.2. normal routine for me but inability to travel has been hard for my projects
9.3. no social interaction with other work people besides on the phone... feels like were in a movie
9.4. I miss you people
9.5. More time to focus on troublesome emotions!
9.6. Realize how much I like being boring.
9.7. I b
9.8. Not interacting with others
9.9. I miss my friends and family that aren't the ones I live with. Im not sure that it's necessarily working from home that is challenging my mental health but the concern about the virus has been hard (job stability, how loved ones are doing, etc....)
9.9.1. agreed. It's the stress of all this that's taking it's toll