Work from Home Woes: The Challenges of Womanhood in the New Normal

Work from Home – A curse for the women!

Did you ever imagine that you can run the world right from your home? Well, we never imagined anything remotely close to it until 2020. The COVID-19 pandemic has changed a lot of things for us!

People are working from home. And they are doing all sorts of jobs right from their home! I mean, it’s not only the software engineer. The doctor, the teacher, the nutritionist, everybody shifted their office to home.

Thank god! Online consultation became a thing before the Pandemic. 

Even now, after 6 months, many are doing their jobs from home!

Though a few months ago, it would have sounded like a dream! Sitting on the sofa in your night suit and working on the laptop. No commute. No traffic. So much family time. Kids growing right in front of your eyes. 

But the real picture is quite different.

When the boundaries get blurred things too become very difficult.

Both for men and women. 

But the weight of household responsibilities inclines toward the women of the house.

Even if it’s 2020! 

Here are 3 real-life stories from modern women sharing their woes of working from home. 

Also Read: How to make WFH Work?

School from Home: It’s a Disaster

I am a 45-year-old Math teacher. 

And I absolutely loved my profession, until 2020!

Teaching was supposed to be fun. It was fun. Interacting with a class full of young minds. Seeing their fresh curious faces would light up my day. Looking at each student and seeing their individual progress would bring me satisfaction in my job!

It was always the simple things that mattered to students. Asking them to solve a problem on the board. Giving them a pat on the back. Handing them the chocolate as a prize. These were the highlight for both my students and me.

But this pandemic ruined it all.

Also Read: Anxiety and OCD at the times of coronavirus

My Woes of Work from Home

Firstly, the classes were off for the initial phase of lockdown. 

That means the whole schedule went for a toss. 

Secondly, the zoom classes! 

I did not even know how to turn on the computer. It gave me sleepless nights. The fun was replaced by anxiety. It was my students teaching me how to adjust things more than me teaching them Maths. It’s so embarrassing.

And the network issues and everything else were quite a nuisance. And more than anything I could not understand if all my students were paying attention or not. Because in Maths you need to understand the concepts.

Then I saw the video of an old man mocked for his teaching and it was all over the internet. I went into depression and wanted to quit my job. These modern online teaching techniques are for young people not for us.

My husband and son stood by me through that phase. And my students also kept motivating me. I guess they too saw that video. And young minds are more sensitive than we imagine. Though I am continuing this job, I pray every morning and every night for the vaccine to come.

Also Read: Coping with the panic of a pandemic

My Advice for the teachers

Times are changing and things are getting challenging. But teaching has always been one of the most honorable and challenging jobs. So, just focus on the teachings, keep things light and remember surviving is the biggest fight this year.

So, keep the pressure and the expectations low this year. Because everyone is dealing with a lot we don’t know and especially the children. Abusive parents, absent parents, teenage problems, distant friends, no playtime. It’s a dark year for them anyway.

Thus, I would suggest keeping the class fun and the students will learn!

Also Read: Are you struggling to strike the perfect work-life balance?

Being a mother and a software engineer is the worst combo

I am a 34-year-old software engineer, with two little kids. 

A four-year-old and another two-year-old.

Working from home has always been a dream for me. 

I used to take two- or three days to work from home every month.

And it was such a relief. No traffic. No traffic. And the best part is staying with my kids. 

So, when the lockdown was announced and we were asked to work from home, I was so excited. I thanked God. Seeing my kids grow in front of my eyes, seemed like a blessing. 

But it turned out to be the worst nightmare that I could ever fathom.

It’s the worst nightmare.

My husband is working from home. My maid went on paid leave. The babysitter went on leave too. So, hell broke upon me. From cleaning to cooking to caressing, everything came down on me. 

My husband was there and he tried to support me too. But his role in the household was just like garnishing the food. Everyone pays attention to that but it actually makes no sense!

It was rather like me having three kids!

So, with that working was impossible. 

Be it my conference calls or general work. My head and eyes were always scattered. 

The quality of my work was deterred and stress and anxiety kicked in. This is the time when companies are cutting down costs and letting go of resources. And being off track could mean I might get into that red list!

And the guilt of neglecting my child while I am with them kills me. Their screen time is increased. Physical workout is reduced. And that has even impacted their diet. It’s just too much to handle.

I feel like trying to control the high tides of an ocean with my bare hands.

My peace was gone. And I repented for every decision I made. My life looked like an entire mess. The house was impossible to manage. They say it takes an entire village to raise a kid. And here I was raising two kids with a house and a job, all alone!

My advice to the working mothers 

Relax! 

It’s important for you to relax and destress. 

This year is tough for all, especially tough for the mothers. 

If possible, seek help from family. Ask someone to come over for the kids. But if that’s not the most practical idea for you, then try to set the routine. And ask your husband to chip in. Men work well when they get detailed orders rather than vague ideas of work. 

If you want him to do the dishes then add that to his list. Share the time with the kids. And work things out as a team. And most importantly, speak up. Until you speak up, no one is going to listen. 

And about the job, just keeping it alive this year, should be the only priority on everybody’s bucket list. So, stressing about a job or promotion makes no sense at all.

Work from Home: On-call with the nutritionist

I am a nutritionist and this year everyone needs a nutritionist. 

At least everyone thinks so!

There is no vaccine for coronavirus yet. The only thing that everybody knows now is immunity. So, they ping me asking for all kinds of supplements, side effects, and food options. Not to forget their google knowledge!

Today everyone knows about everything from google.

But diet is a very personal thing. And it comes personally curated for every individual. So, the diet recommended for the husband will not work for the wife or for their parents or children. The workload of a nutritionist has increased exponentially. 

But the responsibilities of the family have made it a hustle. I have never handled the house before. So, everything is new and overwhelming. I am tossing between the housework and the overloading professional work.  

It’s exhausting!

Work from Home: The balance between Work and Home

• This year is a tough challenge for everyone!
• Everyone is struggling in some way or another. But this year is all about survival.
• Focus on your health and your family’s wellbeing. 
• Try to find solutions rather than stressing about the problems. The kids, the housework, the workload, you have to find a new balance between all of it. Change is difficult, but change is good. 
• This pandemic will teach a lot of things to a lot of people.