On the outside, I try to project an image of having it all together. But underneath that, I'm kind of a disaster. Hence... the name of the site: GlossyVeneer. I feel very blessed that my employer allowed me the chance to keep my job even though we were moving to Las Vegas. They have gone above and beyond to make my life and job comfortable, making sure that I have reliable internet access, (somewhat) reliable cell phone service and top notch equipment to work on.
Several telecommuting articles mention that a person needs to be good at working on their own if they are to be a successful telecommuter. I am definitely good at getting in and doing my work. Maybe a little too good because I work ridiculously long hours. I push myself to a point that is so far beyond just feeling a tiny bit stressed. Over the past two years, I have conditioned my co-workers to expect that I am on the job 24-7 and when I don’t respond within a couple hours they are usually asking why I am not done with their request. But I put in the time because I don’t want to come across as slothful or lazy. I desperately want to prove that I am a valuable employee even if I’m not right there in the office day in and day out. (Although my bosses have never given me any indication to think that I have to prove myself this way, it is a burden I have placed on myself.)
But the most difficult thing for me has been the isolation that I feel. Moving to a new city and then immediately beginning a tenure of sitting in my home hasn’t been the most conducive environment to making friends. Never mind the fact that my husband is working in a career with long hours and odd locations. Needless to say, I’m all by myself… A LOT.
It’s something I struggle with every day. There are days where I just want to cry because I feel so isolated. But at the same time, I dread when my phone rings because I know it’s just someone calling to demand something of me. I miss out on all the idle chit-chat that happens when you are physically in a workplace. (The ‘watercooler’, if you prefer.)
I try to attend a cooking class once a week to get me out into the ‘real world’. I go to the gym for my weekday lunch break because there are other people around. Even a trip to the grocery store is fun because I am reminded that I’m not entirely alone, trapped in a small room with demands being shot at me through electronic mediums. Another co-worker that telecommutes tells me that she goes for a walk around her block a few times during the day, just to remind herself to move and to get out in the world.
It’s a hard thing for a telecommuter to remember and adapt to, but it’s necessary. Otherwise you’ll find your mental state suffering and that doesn’t do much for making you an effective employee either. It’s a balancing act, one that I haven’t entirely mastered.
