22-2-2022, working from home and self-care

It’s been a whole month since my last post (22-1-2022). I said I would write more regularly but I clearly underestimated the force of inertia from not writing for a long time, to actually writing again.

It is almost two years since I started working from home, and it looks like it has become a permanent arrangement now. For several reasons, I think I managed this new normal better in 2020 than I did in 2021. Perhaps it’s like running the first lap in a race where you have the most optimal energy level but by the second lap, you’re wondering how many more laps there is to go.

Not that I don’t enjoy working from home, I do. What’s not to like about avoiding the pain of getting up early and dressed for work, or skipping the morning commute? In fact, I am saving quite a bit of money by just working from home - factoring in only the mileage and cost of lunch.

Working from home allows me time in the morning to set some routine without the need to wake up at the ungodly hour of 6 am. I could go for a 30 minutes walk, come back and shower, then make some light breakfast. And by the time I sit down in front of my workspace with a hot drink, it’s just 9:00 am when I start work.

But I’d be lying if I suggest that this is what my everyday looks like. No, some days are less than ideal, and some are just not worth mentioning. I am sure all of us have been through the funk more times than we care to remember. Someone even had a TED Talk on this - it’s called languishing.

That’s how 2021 was for me. A little empty, a little joyless. Just languishing.

WFH Lunch: who would have thought that the combination of stir fry ginger chicken, braised broccoli and sauerkraut would go so well together on a bed of parboiled rice?

It is a culmination of not knowing when this pandemic will end, or what it will evolve into that brings about a certain restlessness. Coupled with a longing for the days before the pandemic, it seems like we were forced to say goodbye rather abruptly to the world we once knew.

Personally, this year felt a little different - in a good way. It is quite likely due to the easing of restrictions, and the gradual return to the normality of social and public settings. Even for an introvert such as myself, I find catching up with friends and family after a long absence to be surprisingly invigorating.

With a more upbeat outlook on life again, I began to see 2021 for what it is - which is just me taking one day at a time, and celebrating small wins.

Work-wise, I am glad to have expanded my horizon and picked up on quite a bunch of new issues - mainly revolving around climate change actions and policies, both at the international and national levels. However, I am often exhausted with meetings that have to happen after 6 pm due to the different time zones. As I grow older, I find myself becoming less willing to compromise my work-life balance because I know how it would affect negatively my mental health. And I need to revisit some of the things that used to bring me simple joys, such as photography and drawing, to recalibrate myself and balance things out.

Aside, I am also taking supplements more religiously than I did before, which I think is helping with my overall health and immunity. In fact, my eczema has recently started to gradually clear up which is quite a miracle in itself - thanks to improving gut health and copious amount of moisturising cream throughout the day. (NB: After an episode of violent flare-up during my time in the 2018 wintry Katowice, my skin condition didn’t quite calm down or show any signs of recovery up until now)

Here we go again. It’s the time of the year again where I have to come to terms with the massive carbon emissions caused by flying to climate conferences and governmental meetings in Putrajaya.

Depending on how the pandemic goes, I might resume flying again. After 2 years of staying grounded, I wasn’t as excited to travel as I thought I should be. Maybe it is because of the apprehension of being in a confined space with poor air circulation, or the fatigue that comes from travelling, I look at the airport with a renewed perspective now. I mean, that was how COVID19 spread across the world, wasn’t it? Although vaccinated and boosted, I still have fear of contracting and spreading the virus. Even if I don’t end up in a bad state because of it, someone else who may not be so fortunate may do far worse, all because of me. Ah, the guilt…

We got too excited with the amount of food we can actually eat, so half of it end up as brunch the next day.

This is why I decided to stay in on the first day I found my status turning from blue to yellow (casual contact) on My Sejahtera. It was the first time for me and I didn’t quite know what I should do aside from taking an RTK test immediately. Thankfully there are online references on what casual contacts can do but it was mainly silent on the rules about dining in. And of all days, it had to happen on my husband’s birthday - on the evening which I planned on taking him to a nice dinner and drink at a rooftop bar with a scenic view of George Town. Although my RTK home test result came out negative, I wasn’t going to take the chance. So we end up ordering dinner from GrabFood, watched Disney+, and finished the scrumptious meal with Glenfiddich.

Anyway, I think that is all I have to share in this post. It’s just something that I have to do to warm things up here again, and maybe the next post - I will write on other themes rather than Musings, which admittedly, is the easiest to write on the fly. If you are reading this, thanks for stopping by and reaching the end of the post. You’re a star.