The wonderful benefits of working from home.
Morning.
I wake up each morning by my alarm clock: my 3-year-old son stomping around his room like a dinosaur.
I or my husband (we switch off morning wake-ups) get him dressed and then start making breakfast and begin brewing coffee.
I get dressed for work and get to keep on my comfy slippers, which I love.
My breakfast consists of coffee, some food, then more coffee in mugs that look like flower pots. (In my world there is never such a thing as too much coffee or tea.)
The nanny arrives around 8:30 am EST and I conduct a hand-off (relay how much my son has eaten, gone on the potty – he’s potty training, and also what kind of mood he is in – he is a threenager after all!). It’s a fairly easy handoff compared to dropping off at day care. Nothing wrong with day care, however preparing all the meals, clothes, etc. for my son then driving to day care takes up much time and can add stress to my day. I am truly thankful for this morning hand-off!
Then I am off to work! My morning commute consists of making another cup of coffee or tea and walking from my kitchen to my office down the hallway.
When I get into work, I turn on my relaxing music and start planning my day and getting tasks done. My first meeting each day isn’t until 11 am EST, taking into account the time zone differences, since our company is headquartered out of California. By the time my first meeting begins, I typically have a large majority of my tasks done for the day. I enjoy the quiet of the morning, it’s peaceful and I feel focused.
Midday.
After my 11 am meeting, I have lunch. Typically, my lunch is a working lunch since I can reheat leftovers and enjoy my lunch at my desk. However, it is such a joy on days when my son is eating lunch and I have a break for lunch; we get to enjoy our lunch together. I consider this a huge privilege.
Afternoon.
After lunch, I typically have many meetings throughout the afternoon and I am on video conference or telephone conference calls almost the entire time with some breaks in between. Our company uses tools that allow you to work anywhere like Slack, Zoom, Smartsheet, Confluence Wiki, Jira, etc.
During the afternoon, I sometimes get hungry for snack or some tea (yes again) and I love that I can walk over to my kitchen whenever I want.
Also, sometimes I have repair technicians that come to my house to fix something and I am always here to let them in and ensure that everything runs smoothly.
Evening.
My husband does the hand-off when he gets home from work. I work until 5:30-6pm and then I have the long drive home… by walking from my office to the living room. Honestly, it’s the best way to end your day, to hear your husband and son playing in the other room and know you will be right there in less than a minute.
I get to see my family quite often and also enjoy the mastery of my job. My typical day is a luxury and I am grateful for the opportunity.
Best,
Sydney Metzmaker
Chief of Operations | PVM
