The Remote Working Experience

In the quaint state of North Carolina, the announcement of Corona didn’t send shockwaves of terror throughout the office. Most of my co-workers displayed mild concern and even relief at the corporate decision to work remotely. After all, the hassle of commute and appropriate attire were no longer the morning concern. Admittedly, I’d miss the catered office lunches. However, thousands in the metropolitan city of Charlotte were migrating home to continue work.

The first few days were awkward; I rearranged space for a workstation, relied heavily on written comprehension skills as never before, and squinted at dubious emails. Occasionally, I’d glance at a mute television to see Co-Vid 19 headlines creating as much uncertainty nationally as in the workforce. How long will I share my daily lunches with the family dog and acquaint myself with email addresses more than faces? On the bright side, a Keurig was now within a short sprint, cigarette breaks a few paces, and no one could complain about my miniature banquet beside my glowing laptop.

However, within weeks I slowly sank into routine but not without its nuances. For instance, the claustrophobia from neutral bedroom walls, the imbedded and encouraged practice to treat others like social pariahs, and the boredom of loneliness irked my entire being. Frequenting gas stations and restaurants became a norm to reassure me that people were living because journalism and the media had created this heightened sense of paranoia as if the bubonic plague and Ebola had joined forces to form a zombie Apocalypse. I exercised little, ate lots of good food, but working remotely overall is shitty. You read emails, type, look at glowing screens, and in my case, talk to people just as confused about the economy and the welfare of Americans as you are. In my ruminations just within a few weeks I thought to myself, “People are going to get tired of this and fly off the handle.”

I sneered as my peers bragged about working remotely. People were afraid of the virus yet lacked the empathy for those ‘essential’ workers in the surge of a pandemic. They boasted as millions filed for unemployment. In the same breath, they grieved the loss of a relative to the mysterious illness from China. Venturing briefly in civilization, whites were more sympathetic to my ebony skin. Honestly, I don’t care where the fuck they stand so going out of the way to acknowledge me is irritating. If you’re not racist, I’ll take your word for it. A simple ‘hey’ will suffice. People argued about black lives and blue lives and not many have any idea about the basic principle of respect for life in any sense. All arguments before and after that seemed stupid to me. Working remotely sucks.

Within months, I witnessed civil unrest and a global pandemic. The civil unrest was expected, but the racial tension was the icing on a poorly baked cake. Being black, I was suddenly and randomly reassured by corporations that Black Lives Matter. A black man gets killed, corporations emphasize inclusion with diversity, and retailers capitalize with a catchy slogan. I’d roll my eyes, but I found them tearing. This is the certainly the strangest year, the stupidest year, and the wildest year working from home. Unemployment is just a few percentages away from a 1929 depression, the elderly are more susceptible to dropping like flies, people are still marching for the same reasons as Martin Luther King and Malcolm X, and this is all happening within the United States of America. Steven Spielberg couldn’t write or direct a movie with that many plot twists. Working remotely sucks.

Settling into the humdrum of working remotely, I have a few tips to break away from the monotony of routine, the depressing undertones of all media, and to bring normalcy in atypical times.

I. Food- I am by no means a health trainer or a therapist. However, trying an exotic food or cooking something you typically wouldn’t brings a little excitement. A simple deviation in trying a new recipe adds more than a little spice in the kitchen. Go so far as to read about the history of the recipe.

II. Outside- Numerous people exercise, do yoga, and meditate. Wonderful. However, just getting a little fresh air and soaking in sunrays gets the blood flowing and increases your five senses.

III. Read- Reading an article that is outside the hot button issues nationally and internationally is refreshing. Besides, I like solitude, so reading is really my leisure time.

IV. Music- Listening to music has eased tensions for thousands of years. Whether it be Drake or Mozart, melody changes the mind. Make a playlist.

V. Hobby- I went to Michael’s and bought clay pots and acrylic paints to revive my artistic nature. Did I finish painting? Fuck no, but I did something different and it made me happy. I can knit, play piano, and who knows I might go on Soundation and make an instrumental. Hobbies are good.

VI. Explore your state. Take a trip on a budget and enjoy the amusement and attractions of your state within reason and safety.

VII. Create a grateful journal- It’s simple. Just write down the shit you’re happy about and fortunate about.

In conclusion, working remotely is perhaps wonderful for people who don’t enjoy the cacophony of the outside world. I find as much solace working remotely as those who hoard toilet tissue only to discover they cannot purchase food and discover the increased price of milk. However, the economy goes on, there are still plenty of things to do, and although you are grateful to be home, you find the confinement dull.