18 Real Truths About Working From Home. Nope, It’s Not All Rainbows And Unicorns!
It's not as glamorous as Tumblr and Insta make it out to be!
By Hew Lee Yee
We here at SAYS are fortunate to be given the choice of working remotely sometimes. Even though it's awesome, it has its pitfalls as well...
1. Your neighbours think you're either a bum or running a scam
They think you're one of those dodgy anons posting spammy comments or sending phishing e-mails.
2. You get too comfortable for your own good, and your wardrobe consists of only PJs
"Adult baby" would be the right term to describe you.
3. Most days, you end up sitting in your own filth and don't shower until 8pm
Wake up, brush teeth, work, work, work, eat, work, work, work, eat, work, work, work, look at the time, decide it's finally time to take a shower, and the work some more.
4. If you've been gone long enough, your co-workers start to forget you are an actual human being
You become some sort of a robot that lives on the Internet and unfortunately, gets left out of social activities. Hopefully, they don't forget you when it comes to promotions...
6. It feels like you never truly "leave your office" and you become a prisoner in your own home
The lines are blurred when your home is also your office and you have constant access to work, and your supposed sanctuary feels like a prison.
7. Calling in sick somehow feels unjustified unless you're unconscious or incapacitated
Taking MC seems like a lie to get out of work even though you're genuinely ill because you can take your medication and still work remotely from home. To feel justified for calling in sick, you have to be seriously ill or be hospitalised. And even then, hospitals have WiFi...
8. Distraction gets the better of you all the damn time!
"Okay, today is the day I finish Task A!"
"But look at this cat video!"
"Oooo, there's a flash sale on Zalora. Maybe I can check it out for 10 minutes."
(1 hour later)
"Crap..."
9. Personal appearance and regimen take a backseat because hey, you don't have to look presentable for anyone
Messy hair, torn clothes, greasy face - who cares? :p
11. Or you get so engrossed in your work, you completely forget to eat and drink
*stomach grumbles*
"Why am I so hungry? Oh right, I haven't eaten since breakfast..."
12. Your parents think you don't have a "real job"
"What do I tell people when they ask me what you do? When will you get a real job?"
14. When you're dialled in for conference calls, you understand only 10% of what is happening
16. After being isolated from civilisation for too long, you start developing social skills of a tortoise
Human interaction sounds so foreign and genuinely scares you. God forbid you have to make small talks!
17. While not having to commute is awesome, it also means you can easily end not leaving the house for a week. IT'S A TRAP!
18. At the end of the day, you're basically just a productive sloth. But a sloth, nonetheless.
The most exercise you get is walking from your seat to the toilet. You can even choose not to get out of bed or get dressed.