Surreal. Strange. And actually, kind of good.
To say I was a little nervous about not actually going into an office on my first day on the job is an understatement.
I had been stressed for weeks. My spouse was stressed about how this could affect her and the family. My son was not warming up the idea of me being home all the time (even if I am working), and my dog was really unsure of me using the backroom that had primarily been her space.
But, that day finally came. Here is a picture of how my first day of remote work went.
A New Morning Routine
A new job, especially one that doesn’t require a regular commute, requires a new morning routine.
To burn off some nervous energy, I joined my F3 friends in a new area I had never worked out at before. It’s closer than my usual location to my home, but my usual location is closer to my previous worksite- so that’s where I went.
Now that I had changed work locales- it just made more sense to go here. Not to mention, it’s the only one with a Monday workout. There were some new and familiar faces to make the transition easy. We got our burpees, hill climbs, and pushups in and it allowed me a chance to share my new job change and to hear some helpful unsolicited advice. My heart rate was elevated, endorphins were flowing, and I was ready for my new routine.
How The Rest Of The Morning Went
My spouse is still getting used to this whole “work from home” idea- and there were some quick glances and muted morning greetings. One of her biggest concerns is how will this affect her day to day. So, I kept my presence at a minimum.
Showered, dressed in work clothes like I usually would at any office, grabbed my coffee and to-go breakfast and headed out the door. “Off to work, love you…” I belted to her and the kids. The kids were kind of wide eyed with a “how is this really gonna go” look.
I confidently strode out to the garage like any other day. But today, instead of firing up the car, I exited the side garage door and got into what I hope is my new routine.
A quick 5–10-minute walk around the block to set my mind into “work mode”. To assist with this, my home office is in the back of the house with its own entrance. I stealthy slipped into the back room, fired up the computer, and met with my colleague as planned at 7:15 AM.
Workday started.
Initial success.
This is where the magic of having a morning remote work routine really paid off.
The Actual Workday
As expected, it was mostly “New Employee Orientation” type stuff. Lots of education modules which make anyone question their decisions and meaning in life, and some checking in with new team members.
The workspace nearly immediately showed me that I had not set things up optimally for working from home.
The Workspace
Despite my best efforts, I was wrong and my spouse was right. I placed my desk completely wrong and will be facing too much sunlight in the day. I also don’t have enough ambient light overall and need to adjust for that.
Thankfully, I have my full spectrum light and that provided extra lighting for my face during meetings. But I quickly realized my newbie errors and am adjusting, with a growing amazon list of office needs.
Breaks and Lunch
This was the weird part.
What do people do in a virtual workspace to take a break or when they go do lunch?
Is there is protocol they all follow?
For quick breaks, I just left things humming right along and grabbed a bite from the kitchen or ran to the bathroom. Seemed to be alright. For lunch, I was advised by my team- just go when it’s convenient- you don’t need to announce to the whole world “I AM AT LUNCH”- I guess I’m not all that important in the world after all.
Spousal Interactions
This is the only part of my day, besides when the kids come home that I feared. She already had her reservations about all this- what will this be like. Have I made a huge mistake?
I heard her come in the garage close to lunch. I didn’t want to venture out, but I really had to use the bathroom. So, mustering up all my courage I went to the bathroom. I heard a call out – “Hello?” from the upstairs bedroom. There’s my cue- I greeted back- went up and checked on her, then said I was leaving for lunch.
Having already eaten at my desk I opted for the walking lunch- which has always been my preference, and even more now with remote work. Successful interaction, challenge vanquished.
Kids and After School
My kids started filtering in around 3 PM. This left me with about an hour and half left of workday still.
They weren’t sure if it was ok to check in on me or ignore my presence, so I took the initiative. I heard my oldest come in off the bus and opened the door giving him a big hug and check in from his day. This is one of the things I opted to go for a remote position for- to be here when they get home from school, check in with them, and see how they are doing. He wanted some down time- but seemed relieved to see me and say hi.
My youngest didn’t get home till later as they took a detour from school to check on some ducks in the pond by our house. Worry number two had been quieted.
The End Of The Day
The End of the Day
Once quitting time rolled around, I double checked my emails and messages to be sure I didn’t miss anything glaring on my first day. I logged off and entered my home and gave hugs to everyone.
It was weird to not have any commute home, and I’m starting to realize the time savings that comes with remote work. I was able to visit with my kids about their day longer, and with my spouse about the latest in her world. It was about 30 minutes of unrushed conversation. Usually after coming home, I’m rushing to help start dinner over these conversations- but today was more relaxed and paced.
I was able to help them start their homework before dinner- and my son was able to get started on his bassoon practice. After dinner, my daughter and I rode our bikes down to the river to skip rocks.
Overall, certainly not a bad first day at work. Maybe it was the best first day at work I ever had.