When I was looking back, it seemed like I was the lucky one

According to the Pew Research Center, it has been found that an enormous percentage of employed individuals in the United States, approximately 9.6 million workers aged between 16 and 64, experienced job losses. This analysis is based on the average statistics collected over the initial three quarters of both 2019 and 2020. I might say that I am one of the lucky ones because I am not included in that 9.6 million. In fact, in the last quarter of 2020, I received a new offer from a nonprofit organization known as FMCH Indonesia. In summary, the pandemic did not change my career trajectory. During that particular period, I got the opportunity to work from home since day one. For the initial three to four months, I was living in the moment.

Furthermore, as I entered the fifth month, I started to burn out. This situation hit me for various reasons. First, I experienced a sense of boredom because every day I work by myself in my personal space. Second, I kind of lost my sense of teamwork due to the extended absence of face-to-face interactions with my coworkers. Third, I faced some distraction from the household chores. In certain instances, sometimes my mom calls me to help her buy groceries in the afternoon, while on other occasions, my brother needs my help taking care of his kid. This situation came from the perspective that working at home means I have very flexible time for engaging in other activities. In some aspects, it may be true, but on the other side, working at home seems to eliminate the border between personal and professional life.

Working on my personal space! 

At that moment, I initiated a dialogue with both my supervisor and my family regarding the deals. I seek my supervisor's permission to visit our assisted village without holding any meetings at least once a month. The objective was to restore my mind and observe the real situation in the field. Moreover, to be underlined, I was highly restricted in meeting people; I was only able to meet a small number of people with the restricted health protocols. The other thing I can do to overcome the situation regarding the working-at-home scheme is talk with my family members. We agreed to make clear the boundaries between my personal and professional duties during the work time, which is from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. every Monday to Friday. If there was any sudden or urgent situation that needed to involve me, I would take part, notifying my supervisor. It was not as smooth as the plan, but after talking to either my supervisor or my family, my situation got better day by day. I was able to manage my work properly.

Moreover, other important things I have done to manage it are doing hobbies at home, such as working out at home or cooking while I have leisure time. At the end of the day, it was about balancing and managing my personal and professional lives. From a looking-back point of view, the opportunity to get involved in remote work remains one of the most valuable moments of my life. I discovered how to navigate stress, negotiate, articulate ideas in diverse and creative ways, and enjoy life when you are in difficult circumstances.

For today’s scheme, the hybrid can be viewed as one of the positive impacts of the pandemic that shapes new work cultures. It is more effective and provides a large opportunity for people to explore their individual growth. I might say that I am one of the lucky ones because I have experienced this either as an employer for the last 2–3 years or now as a graduate student. I aspire to continually live in the moment and discover ways to address upcoming challenges regarding these new scenarios.

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