I only teach classes on Mondays, Tuesdays, and Wednesdays this semester. Therefore, I have no teaching commitments on Thursdays and Fridays. This is a gift. This means there are two days each week I can work from home. I also have nearly complete control of my schedule on these two days.
My campus office is a concrete-block bunker. It’s in the back of the west building on the Austin Campus. There are no windows in this area. I can enter the building at 7:30a and not see the outside until I leave that afternoon. Working in a space without natural sunlight and vegetation takes a toll on the psyche. Working from home allows me to be in a place that is more supportive and comfortable.
I work from the desk in my office. I arranged my space so my library-table desk faces the large three-pane window of the glorious outdoors. I can work and enjoy the sun, watch it snow, and hear the birds sing and play when they are out. I can open the window and enjoy some fresh air on warm days. A window in my workspace helps me focus and relax. I am more productive and less likely to burn out when I have a view of nature from my desk.
I love how working from home allows me to take short breaks to change the laundry, play with my cats, or get a cup of tea, all while barefoot and wearing my favorite yoga pants. I can’t do that on campus. It’s amazing how much someone can get done around the house 5 minutes at a time over the course of a day. Taking breaks like this keeps me productive and prevents my body and mind from draining as quickly during the workday. I get to switch up my activities easier and in a more beneficial way when I can work from home.
I still get my work done. I can do my more complicated tasks when I am in my green zone and save the easier jobs for the times I have lower energy. I can play my music as loud as I want, light candles, and organize my working environment to suit me best without violating campus safety policies. There is no way I can light a candle in my campus office, but I can enjoy one when I work from home.
Just because I don’t teach classes Thursdays and Fridays doesn’t mean I sit at home eating chocolates and watching The View. I have lessons to prep, papers to grade, students to help, and other projects to work on. For several reasons, it can be hard to accomplish some of these things on a day I teach. First, I am usually exhausted when I am done teaching. I expend so much mental and physical energy when I teach. I often return home drained and in need of a nap. Second, I have little energy to give to these other tasks and projects after a day teaching acid-base chemistry or running around the lab helping students complete an experiment.
Second, all kinds of things come up over a day on campus. When I work from home, those interruptions are fewer. I don’t have people dropping into my office. I don’t need to stop writing an assignment on molarity or density because I have a class to teach. I have blocks of time to revise laboratory experiments, create new lecture content, and conduct literature reviews. These are activities that require deep work. The best environment for me to do deep work is in my home office, where I can control my environment and better limit interruptions and distractions.
I recognize this schedule won’t exist forever, so I am enjoying it now. This is one of the things I love about working in higher education – there is flexibility in my schedule. There is time I need to be in the classroom and time I can work on my own. I have the space to teach, learn, and create during the week. My work varies enough that it doesn’t grow boring. I enjoy personal interactions and have quiet time working alone. I am so grateful for the time to work from home on Thursdays and Fridays. It is a balm for my soul and allows me to recoup for the next week. It allows me to show up recharged and ready for another week with my students. It helps me be a better educator and advocate for my students. It keeps me from reaching burnout.
And that makes these days priceless.