Sometimes you can’t help giving in to a giggle at a funny video doing the rounds on social media. This week it was the fabulous clip of Michael D Higgins giving a speech to RTE while being completely distracted by his puppy Misneach. The statement was quite serious – paying respects to the actor Tom Hickey after his death – and the president continued talking completely seriously with no break in his composure. But throughout the clip the seven-month-old dog is desperately vying for his attention, licking his hand just off camera.
We’ve all had plenty of practice at being at home while working by now, and it’s fair to say the initial novelty has worn off. But the lovely Misneach reminded me of the “blooper” clips which came out at the beginning of the pandemic, of parents valiantly trying to continue their serious work call while children burst in, or other working-from-home related disasters unfolded.
Now that we’re all a bit more used to the situation it’s become easier to adapt, and to gain confidence in those measures which were once so strange to many of us. As my work has been home based for many years by choice, I saw a limited impact of the lockdowns on my working arrangement – apart from the ban on seeing people in person.
But I remember first adapting to working from home, learning to feel comfortable and taking control of my own timetable. Working from home can allow you to be flexible, whether that means starting slightly later, taking a conveniently-timed break to do something else or balancing certain chores alongside work. There is no room for guilt in adapting the “new normal” to however best it suits you. I used to feel guilty for not beginning and ending my work day at the same time every day, as office workers would, until I realised I could work better and be happier if I allowed myself a bit of flexibility.
I haven’t quite managed to bring an adorable puppy to any of my sessions so far, but many of you will remember our cat Norbert trying to join classes in the studio through an open window! It has now been many months since Norbert left us, and much-loved as he was it might be time to move on. We are on the lookout for a new kitten, so I’m hopeful there may be a furry friend to gate-crash my own calls soon enough.