Hello my lovely readers, How are you. Last year I wrote a small series on the work-life balance for working women. With everything going on in 2020, it felt like a good time to update my views on the topic.

2020 has changed the way we work, for most of us. Suddenly we find, working from home is the new normal. Teachers, professors, personal trainers had to update their tech savvy and learn to hold video classes and trainings. Video conference calling have been the new normal right now. Most of us were not prepared for this mentally or logistically. This has naturally thrown the work-life management off the balance once again.

Saving Time /Separation of space

For a lot of us, getting ready is no longer needed unless we have video calls or video classes. I am working most of the time in my pyjamas. The whole effort of getting ready can be invested somewhere else. The time that gets saved on daily commute, boy the day suddenly have so many extra hours.

It was so refreshing to have so much time freed up suddenly in the beginning. But as days rolled into weeks and weeks rolled into months: I realised, there is no separation of getting up and getting to work. More often than not, I am starting to work, immediately after getting up and without getting breakfast. The mental distancing between work and my own personal time was gone.

Going Out/ Staying In

Lockdown has severely limited our going out options. In the beginning, it was good to be cocooned in my own little space, cosying up being my own self. There was no need to go out unless necessary. The enforced solitude meant that when you were desperately craving company, even then you could not meet anyone. You could not visit your elderly parents or grandparents if any. If there was a vulnerable friend, you also cannot visit them. Going out for recreation, meeting up with friends, going shopping is very restricted at the moment.

Household Chores

The ongoing lockdown has multiplied the chores a lot. Those who have household help, do not have them now. Everyone is staying at home; working from home; studying from home; doing hobbies from home. That means all the cooking, cleaning, washing all the time. No eating out or ordering from outside ( happens), no eating from office canteen. My husband used to have his lunch at his workplace canteen and it has not been happening for half a year now. Cooking at our house has increased by tenfold. I cannot believe I am saying that but I miss canteen food. We had to find out new and quick recipes, to cook fast and yet last longer than half a meal. Innovative cooking is turning me into next Julia Child I guess.

This post, once again has become way to long and so it will be a two part series. The next part will come up in next week. In the meantime, I am trying to put up the grammatically imperfect German version of the post. If you like the blog and it’s content, please like, comment and share it.

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