Still working from home? Use these memes to describe the experience

Adding “remote work” to the list of our new social norms seemed like a blessing in disguise for the early days of the pandemic. Some of us had more time with friends and family, flexible schedules, and time to eat a real breakfast every morning. But for some,  it may have been the fall of the best work-free sanctuary. 

Whether or not you’ve found a way to strike a balance between both worlds, some of us will be relying on our “home offices” for the foreseeable future. If you’re still one of those workers, these memes may just describe your experience.

Work at home: Expectation v. Reality

Could this look like you? The first few mornings were incredible – hot coffee at the ready, the casual dress, and even the possibility of a healthy routine. But replace comfort with long hours of increased responsibilities, playing our favorite game of “catch-up,” and you may start hitting a wall of imbalance. 

Remember to stick to your hours, eat some real food, and for all of our sake – pick your head up off your keyboard and just go to sleep already. Keeping mental sanity at home is just as important as getting your work done – at least we think so. 

Working at home: What you actually do 

We have to admit there’s some real truth here. The “What  I Actually Do” memes may fall upon one honest conclusion, but they capture the assumptions and misconceptions of a whole host of onlookers.

From relaxed to productive to over exhausted – working from home too often falls victim to the one label: “lazy.” But hey, now with so many doing it, there’s no doubt that friends and family have a better understanding of what happens at home. And let’s be honest – aren’t all these you at some point each day? 

Working at home: Day “X”

For anyone used to a clean office and a dedicated space to work, the switch to your living room may not have been the easiest thing in the world. Fans of South Park will recognize this gaming troll – but maybe he’s just blowing off steam from a frustrating day of working at home? Okay, maybe not.  

But if you had a messy office, no doubt this may be what your new workspace looks like – even if it’s been well beyond five days since whispers of quarantine. In fact, if your home-office didn’t look like this after five days, you deserve a medal – some of us still haven’t figured it out. 

Work from home wardrobe 

Even if the devil does wear Prada, we bet that’s not the case when it’s working from home. And why should it anyway? We see you there in your t-shirt and sweatpants with the mustard stains from two days ago.

Working from home sometimes gets a bad rap for its lowly professional standards, but who isn’t more productive when they’re comfortable? So keep your head up and wear those sweatpants with pride, because you’re not going back to the office anytime soon (sorry). 

Zoom fashion show 

Let’s be real – Keanu Reeves looks great no matter what he’s wearing. But there’s something to be said about the impending doom call – whoops, we mean Zoom – and the race to look professional for your peers. In fact, sometimes it feels like a competition for who’s kept it together the most in their new “normal.”

But there’s few better feelings than learning your meeting, or conference, or “team hangout” is audio only. Let the boss and guest speakers talk, because you’re happy to enjoy listening from the comfort of your pajamas. 

Working at home: Your boss wants to Facetime

When working at home also means being on-call to your boss and co-workers, it’s hard to imagine anything more intrusive – even if it comes with the job. We have lives too, with responsibilities and problems we don’t need to add to our work day. So being caught off-guard for a video call can be the cherry on top of your sundae of misery.

The next time the boss rings for an impromptu, virtual meeting – respond with this meme instead. If gazing into this woman’s eyes isn’t a clear “now’s not a good time,” maybe it’s time to switch employers. 

Get with the Zoom routine 

If you’re still working from home, it means you’re likely relying on Zoom to stay in touch with the office. It’s incredible to think how months after being the technical innovation employer’s turned to for productivity, Zoom has been an incurable nightmare of interruptions. 

Maybe even worse than meeting every day is the soul-crushing routine that comes with every sign-on. We get it – we can all see and hear each other for the fiftieth time; Isn’t technology fascinating? Now let’s get the meeting started so we can all go back to pretending we can get anything done at 8am. 

Working from home: Your new coworkers 

Like every new situation, we can expect some new changes and some new memes to follow. One recent trend includes people expressing how they’ve adapted to working alongside their pets for the entirety of the workday. 

Whether they’re an occasional nuisance or a symbol of emotional support – we’re here for it. We know you like them better than your coworkers anyhow. Whatever gets you through the day, right? 

Still working from: Is it all bad?

If you’re still working from home and loving every minute of comfort, this may be the meme for you. Not everyone can relate to “Condescending Wonka,” but let’s be honest – even with the downsides, some of us are still enjoying our time at the home office.

With the combination of increasing virus cases and the fact that we just found a routine that works, what’s the rush to get back? So stay on your couch, enjoy a home-cooked lunch, and let your family or pet bug you to no end. At the end of the day, it still beats rush hour traffic and the bland walls of your real office.