Working from Home - The New "Usual"

How Are We Showing Up For Ourselves And Others?

A dear friend was telling me today about a virtual call she was on at work and how someone’s dog was barking loudly in the background. Someone kindly reminded everyone to mute themselves to limit background noise (frustration in the air).

It turns out the dog barking belonged to the person leading the call who was doing most of the talking. She apologized and said she just could not get him to stop barking. My friend laughed as she told me this story and shared this new reality. It couldn’t be helped.

The dog barking in the background

The child opening your “home office” door because they’re wondering “who are you talking to?”

The cat walking across the keyboard in front of the computer screen during a virtual meeting

There are countless more examples of what it can be like working from home and navigating the unexpected. Especially now.

Business as usual. Life as usual. These take on new meaning now. The new “usual”

As I considered my friend’s story I realized something.

We are required to change how we interact and communicate as we adjust to this new usual – And – Have we changed how we allow others to show up as they adjust?

Breathe!

I’m in a Whatsapp group with these incredible women I worked with in my former corporate life. They were talking about the new trend of thinking of your family members and pets as co-workers. Sharing something their pet, partner, spouse, or child did and inserting “co-worker” for their name or noun. Right now I’m writing this and trying to focus, but my “co-worker” won’t stop licking me.

Try it. It’s hilarious! And laughter feels good. Laughter heals.

Finding ways to allow ourselves and others to show up in all our precious, imperfect, human ways and finding humor in the difficult can create incredible connections in the moments we share together. It can also lead to innovative and creative solutions we are craving amidst the concern and uncertainty in our worlds right now.

I invite you to consider –