WFH: The Double-Edged Sword.

So, I tend to write about things that are affecting me or rants I can't seem to shake out of my head. Today is no different.

For those of you who don't know, I work in marketing. Marketing is like the stage crew of a company. We are constantly working one, two, three months ahead of the actual date and making sure advertising, press releases, awards, etc., are all organized and perfected ahead of time. We work in advance, so the day-to-day flow correctly.

If you work in marketing or strategy, especially for a company, you understand all the work and planning that goes on before an actual event takes place. It can get pretty hectic trying to keep all the dates and deadlines straight. That's why I invest in sticky notes.

Anyway, due to the very online nature of my job, I am blessed with the opportunity to work from home when needed. This has proven to be very helpful during my pregnant days, because I only have one pair of pants which really fit me now, and if I'm at home, I don't need to wear pants.

In fact, I'm sure it's hilarious to see how different I look when I'm at home compared to in the office. I think this comic sums it up.

Source: Catana Comics

The effect is complete when you think I wear GM's shirt for comfort at home, which is really a me-sized nightgown. I love how I acquired so many nightgowns when we got married. 

Comfort clothing isn't the only thing that is a perk when working from home. I also enjoy the ability to eat whatever and whenever. I mean, I can eat at the office and nobody is going to say anything (unless you try to microwave your fish in the shared lunch space, heathens). But I still feel awkward taking out my graham crackers and spreading frosting on it while my co-workers are eating salads.

At home, I'm free to eat Nutella from the jar with a spoon, as intended. However, I've never had a co-worker ask for a bite of my snacks... which the same can't be said for GM while working at home.

But I love him. So, I share. Also, he gives me food so I don't have to move. I really hit the lottery with him.

Now, working from home is not all free food and no pants. There are some downsides as well. For example, I get distracted a LOT easier while at home. At home, I usually have food, my computer, chores, a husband who also works from home occasionally, and I can fall asleep almost anywhere in the house, which is a downside when work needs to be done.

I enjoy a blended schedule. I'll stay home for a few days and work, but the other days I'll go to the office. That way, it's the perfect balance of pregnancy comfort and the success of getting work done. I also really like my co-workers who are on my team, it's a lot easier to collaborate when we're all in the office.

Basically, I feel like being a responsible worker is knowing your environment weaknesses and allowing yourself to either grow and be better, or to put yourself into the most productive work environment possible.

Working from home is nice, but it is not always ideal (at least for me). Maybe, one day, when procrastination has been destroyed from my body, I'll be able to conquer the full potential of working from home. Unfortunately, I'm not quite there yet... hence the distraction of writing a blog post. Which is why I'm going to wrap it up now.

Until next time. Byee.

What's in a letter?

It may not surprise anyone here, but I really enjoy writing. If you were to ask my parents, they'd say I've been a writer since I was in Kindergarten. Now, my spelling has never been as good as it should be, (Which is why I won't play Scrabble.) but that never stopped me from putting pencil to paper while I was growing up.

I think better when I can see my thoughts. I am more in control of my emotions when I take the time to write, whether it's anger, hurt, or exhilaration I'm feeling at the moment. But, that doesn't mean I can always "let the words flow" and write a novel in one go. It's still a process and I get writer's block... a lot.

In the past couple of months, one of my personal projects has been writing letters (seemingly randomly) to different people I know. I have my own reasons as to who I pick to receive these letters. Sometimes, it's because I think they need the pick me up or reassurance. Other times, it's because I just know they love getting mail and knowing someone, somewhere, is thinking of them. Or there are times I write to a specific person because I want to converse with them and there never seems to be enough time to talk deeply throughout my normal day.

Whatever the case may be, I've been writing a lot of letters lately.

And I love it.

It's one of those things I do for other people. I don't need them to write me back or to express gratitude. That's not why I write letters. I do it to spread a little more happiness in the world. Also, it does help with my anxiety to sit down and stop for a few minutes, before returning to my own crazy life.

I don't remember everything I write. I have a swiss-cheese memory anyway, and adding pregnancy brain just limits how far back my mind can remember. Which leads to a lot of sticky notes with reminders for myself.

I've never met someone who doesn't enjoy getting personalized mail. It's a dying art.

Ha, sorry. It's really early and I get carried away in thought while I'm in this space at times. Writing letters isn't just for those who love words and letters and pens, they're for anyone who wants to try and get to know someone else. Birthday cards, drawings, postcards, little notes, all of these things (and I'm sure a few billion more ideas you can find on Pinterest) could count as a "letter".

It takes time to make something, have someone's address, and find a stamp to mail it. Definitely more effort than a text message. However, don't get me wrong, texts and calls are very convenient. Just, different.

While in university for my degree, one major theme kept popping up in my Communications classes. The saying goes, "The medium is the message". Which is Marshall McLuhan's fancy way of saying, the form in which something is presented (paint, charcoal, graffiti, ads, words, letters, phone call, etc.) affects what the message is and what it symbolizes.

And with that, I'll leave it here. Hope you all had a good 4th of July! Or... a regular Wednesday if you don't celebrate the 4th. Bye!