When I graduated from college in 2007, finding a full-time job was the priority. I got married and moved into an apartment within a month after graduating, so contributing financially and using my degree was the essential next step. I rode out some rough economic times at a job that I disliked. I wasn't using my degree the way I wanted, and the location was not ideal. I did what I had to do in those early years, and it led me to the job that ended up being a stepping stone into working from home.
That second job came with a commission plan that allowed me to pay off debts and reduce our monthly expenses, so we could afford for me to stay home after having our first child. I worked really hard to get things where I needed them to be to facilitate this. I was also building my writing portfolio the entire time that I was working these full-time jobs. I took on some freelancing here and there, which I kept up with after my first child was born. Freelancing while working a full-time job was difficult at times, especially when the so-called 9-5 job expects you to check your email, go to networking events, and take calls outside of work. This constant connection is exhausting.
I found the idea of sitting at a desk for a certain number of hours to be mind-numbing
Even if there wasn’t anything going on or if you didn’t have anything else to do or if your brain just stopped working {hello the 2 p.m. slump, anyone?}, you were still expected to sit there as if you were working. Pretending comes along with working a desk job. So does walking around and visiting with coworkers.
Sitting so long in a stretch makes you go insane. I would need to take a mid-morning or mid-afternoon break and go for a walk. Fresh air and movement did wonders for both my body and brain. These walks were not always possible depending on what was going on, but when I got to them, they helped me. People were not made to sit still all day long and gaze longingly out the window.
Working in offices taught me many things, but I do not care to repeat them
Since becoming a mom, I realized I could not leave my babies. I did not want to put them in daycare, so I worked hard to reduce monthly expenses and pay down debt, so we could afford for me to stay with them.
I was glad to already be working from home when COVID hit. I didn’t have to adjust my work much, and I learned how to grow toward the end of 2020. This period further showed me that there is no reason for me to ever return to a traditional 9-5 job in an office. They just stink. I can do my work from anywhere, on my time while my kids are napping or otherwise occupied, and take those walks that I so love.
COVID made me and others realize that chaining someone to a desk "just because" is not essential or sustainable
I actually want to work now. I am more efficient while I’m working, and my brain works better. Working with my own rhythm has made a world of difference in my productivity and my happiness. I am happier than I’ve ever been working and caring for my kids. I will never go back to a traditional 9-5 job.
