This pandemic has made us realize many things about ourselves.
For me, I realized I unconditionally adore spending all day at home with my husband and cat.
We don’t always have to chill, but just waking up like it’s a weekend every day has spoiled me. I love reading and writing, while he’s doing his own thing.
This lockdown has made me get used to having my husband around all the time. And I love it. Every night is practically date night.
Our old routine was very rushed. We never had time for breakfast at home. We were both constantly racing through our days. I’m not even sure for what purpose.
With the rush hour traffic, and after work gym session — by the time we’re home, we’re both exhausted. We still make time to talk, chill, have dinner, until it’s time for bed. It terrifies me to go through that again.
Most of us have experienced the epiphany that life is indeed short. I don’t want to spend the majority of it at work, and away from my husband.
Don’t get me wrong, I am an independent woman. I don’t think I have any separation anxiety issues. I am a firm believer of being two individuals in a relationship.
I just no longer think having a 9 to 5 job, 5 days a week, is a way to live. Why did society even create such a horrible thing?
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Relationship Joys of Working from Home:
1. Coffee break conversations
For those of us who have worked corporate, we know the conversations we make in the office pantry. Sometimes, they can be quite entertaining.
Other times, they serve as fillers in our day — especially when it involves company gossip that don’t benefit us.
When working from home with your spouse, these coffee moments are amplified. They become special parts of our day. I don’t feel guilty for having them, or worried I’m spending too much time and less work.
Coffee break conversations with your partner can be presented as quality time. You laugh, b*tch about work, help each other focus, go off-topic, and dive into a deep emotional session, the possibilities are absolutely endless.
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2. Eating at home together
I do not look forward to spending money on a salad that needs more dressing, or a cold boring sandwich. Don’t even get me started on the coffee — I love my Starbucks, but that can be a daytime delight to celebrate the weekend.
Staying relatively fit is also challenging when at work. I don’t enjoy the meal preps. When I meal prep for a week, I am already so bored by the 3rd day. It’s just not as gratifying as a fresh home-cooked meal.
When at home with your spouse, I love that you get to devour a fresh homemade dish every day if you wanted to. It doesn’t have to be a fillet mignon, but a simple homemade dish like chicken breast, some rice, and a salad is hella tasty when having it at home.
According to a Swiss study, cooking for your partner can enhance intimacy. There are plenty of ways that eating home with your spouse can be fun. You can surprise each other by cooking your favorite dishes, or experiment together. When you run out of ideas, just have eggs — there are numerous ways to get creative.
You can eat clean together, or cheat and prepare animal style burgers together. Whatever you want, from the comfort of your kitchen.
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3. Convenience
Being at home with your spouse means that household chores don’t need to wait until the weekend. You can do the laundry on a Tuesday if you desire, or deep cleaning on a Wednesday.
You can run personal errands together in the middle of a workday. Or better yet, have sex whenever you feel like it. You don’t have to do a morning quickie or wait until the end of the day to do the fun stuff.
Also, I don’t have children yet, but I can just imagine how awesome it would be to be present at home for the kids. I already feel that about my cat.
The convenience of working from home provides flexibility that is an absolute luxury.
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4. Working more efficiently
Because you and your spouse want to spend quality time together, you end up working more efficiently without realizing it.
You focus on getting things done. All of a sudden, what you would normally spend 5 hours doing can be finished in a matter of 2 hours.
Admit it, there are times we even stall on the same project because you simply don’t want to start a new one on the same day. And that’s ok.
Forcing yourself to stay in the office just because it’s mandatory, and everyone else is required to just sound like a complete waste of time.
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Key Takeaway
All in all, I experienced an epiphany that life is too short to spend it on a 9–5 job. Because I enjoy every waking moment with my husband at home, I would love to be fortunate enough to continue working from home even after the lockdown is lifted.
Without a 9 to 5 job, you and your partner can spend your time efficiently working from home knowing you can have fun together as soon as you’re done. The coffee breaks, meals shared, convenience, and efficiency all make working from home together worthwhile.
Our time is valuable and should be spent wisely. Spending it with your partner facilitates the development of your marriage or relationship.
Working at home with your spouse can enhance your relationship goals. With all the quality time you spend together, your relationship can flourish on higher levels. You learn stuff about each other that would have been limited otherwise.
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Previously published on “Hello, Love”, a Medium publication.
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Photo credit: Toa Heftiba on Unsplash