7 Work from Home Situations That Are Too Real

Many of us were/are working from home and things got a little weird at times. Adjusting to virtual meetings was tricky, trying to decide if we absolutely had to change out of our pajamas was a regular struggle, and overall, separating our work and home lives became more difficult.

Although challenging, we all learned a lot about ourselves. Here are X work from home scenarios that we can all relate to.

1. Business on the Top; Party on the Bottom

Working from home allows you to be a bit more casual with your attire. Instead of wearing a suit, maybe you opted for a polo. Maybe instead of heels, you wore sneakers. Some took it to another level by hopping on Zoom calls with a button-up shirt on top and comfy PJ pants or underwear on the bottom.

This is harmless-unless you have to suddenly get up from the call and your entire office finds out that you are a boxers guy.

2. “No, You Go Ahead” Trying to Get a Word in During Video Meetings

Video calls have been a saving grace for many businesses during the Coronavirus but we didn’t think they would be as…awkward as they have been.

Video meetings are intended to mimic a real meeting but there is one thing missing that is really important to human communication – body language.

When you are physically in a meeting, you can usually tell when someone is about to speak based on their body language but in video meetings, you don’t have that luxury.

This often leads to two people starting to talk at once and then both of them saying something along the lines of, “No, you go ahead” followed by an awkward silence, and then they both starting to talk at the same time again.

It is a vicious cycle, to say the least.

Recommended Read: 13 Ideas and Tips for Effective Virtual Meetings

3. Rushing to Make Ourselves Presentable for a Video Meeting

Many “work at home gurus” say that you should get dressed, shower, and fix your hair before sitting down to work. This is intended to help you get into work-mode by mimicking the routine that you had when you were physically going into the office.

Although great advice, this can be a challenge some days – especially for those of us with kids, pets, etc. On these days, many of us choose you to take a quick shower, switch into a clean pair of comfy pants and leave our hair as-is.

This is totally fine – until that 10-minute meeting reminder pops up. Now you are doing something that we have decided to call “The Zoom Meeting Scramble.”

The Zoom Meeting Scramble is essentially running around your home while raking a comb through your hair, desperately searching for a shirt that looks halfway presentable, throwing some makeup on so you don’t look as tired as you really are, and checking yourself on-screen before joining the meeting.

4. Starting Happy Hour Early

Although not quite as common as the situations above, we have seen an uptick in people starting happy hour earlier than they would if things were normal. Wine at 3:30 on a Wednesday or Thursday wasn’t the norm, but now it seems to be happening more often than not. No judgment here! Cheers!

5. Mute, Unmute, Mute, Unmute

The mute feature is great for reducing background noise but sometimes it can cause some difficulties.

Let’s look at a scenario: It is finally your chance to talk and you start rattling off ideas, strategies, metrics, etc. just to have someone tell you that you are muted. You then have to unmute yourself and start all over – sometimes with reduced enthusiasm. We have all done it at some point.

Everyone is understanding and knows that it was a mistake but imagining your mouth moving enthusiastically with no sound is a bit embarrassing.

6. Missing the Commute

We never thought we would say it, but a lot of us are missing our commutes. We never realized how much we needed that time alone until it was gone.

A lot of us were initially excited about not having to sit in traffic and save money on gas, but the commute was a time to ramp up in the morning and wind down before getting home. It represented the separation between our work and home lives and for some, it was the only time they truly had alone.

7. Lack Luster Lunch Breaks

The lunch break used to be a time for you to get away from the office, go have a delicious meal, and come back to work feeling better than ever. You may have previously gone to lunch with co-workers or met up with friends who worked nearby. It was a great time but now, we find ourselves eating leftovers in another room of our home which is significantly less enticing.

Some are still doing lunch with their coworkers and friends over a video call which is nice, but just not the same.

Working from home has its pros and cons, hilarious moments, and moments we would rather forget, but it is our reality. It won’t last forever and soon we will all be back to those lovely lunch breaks and less awkward meetings sans mute button.

When everyone gets back into the office it is crucial that all teams reconnect. At MTI Events, we can help you plan and coordinate team building events, corporate meetings, fun incentive programs, and more. If you are interested in learning more, click below!