Like many of us, working from home became my daily routine in 2020. And it remained so for a long time, as the return to the office was very gradual and never every day during the week. I’ve learned to like the peace and quiet of this situation and the potential for concentration. In our jobs, not living in an open space all week means you can write with a clear head and be more efficient. Our to-dos are more adaptable, we lose the notion of useless meetings and we learn much more independently.
As a resident of Lyon for three years, I can say that my few years spent in Paris before were satisfying, full of twists and turns, with a lot of culture and diverse activities, but not always restful. The compromise I found in Lyon suits me perfectly for my personal life, but I missed the hustle and bustle of Paris on the professional side.
The COVID-19 crisis had at least one positive effect: It has enabled us to adapt the way we organize our work and create new models. For those who embraced the change, fully remote working has become a new standard. That’s how I was able to join a Parisian agency, even an international one, from my apartment in Lyon. And I’ve been enjoying it for nearly five months now at The Hoffman Agency.
Fully remote living also allows me to balance my professional and personal life: doing my shopping over lunch, starting my yoga class at home directly after work, forgetting the travel by the metro during rush hour. This means I feel more rested, can enjoy my weekends at 100% and therefore feel in great shape when the workweek resumes on Monday morning.
Nevertheless, seeing colleagues and socializing with them remains important, and I find a compromise by traveling to Paris, a city dear to me, three times a month. And by taking the train, I travel in a green way and can reach the office in two hours. When I am not at the office, Teams or Zoom help us stay connected with instant messaging and videoconferencing.
I’d like to share with you my three ways to stay energized during my telecommuting days:
- I have created a routine and a dedicated space at home to have a work environment and be able to cut back in the evening.
- I take a lunch break and an afternoon break outside my workroom and without my computer by reading, going for a walk or doing sports.
- I meet friends regularly in the evening for a drink (obviously like people who work in the office), or I go to a sports or cultural class during the week to socialize and exchange ideas.
In short, working from home has given me a balance between my professional ambitions and my personal life. I wanted quieter and the possibility of living two realities in two cities I like so much: Paris and Lyon.
