Remote work is a wild ride! From overcommitting to Wi-Fi fails, explore the 8 stages every remote worker experiences. Which stage are you in?
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Remote work is not just a job, it is a journey. One day, you are setting up your home office like it is a Silicon Valley start-up. The next day, you are taking Zoom calls in your pyjamas, eating last night’s parippu and roast paan for breakfast and wondering if “just one more power nap” is a productivity hack or a fast track to unemployment.
The truth is, working remotely comes with its own set of challenges, victories and utterly bizarre moments. Like that time you confidently started a client call, only to realise your mic was muted for the first five minutes or when your mother walked into the room mid-meeting, demanding to know why you have not taken the laundry down.If you are a remote worker (or thinking of becoming one), you will recognise these stages of the Remote Work Life Cycle. Buckle up, it is a wild ride, filled with optimism, over-commitment, Wi-Fi betrayals and a newfound appreciation for quiet neighbours.
The first stage of remote work is like the honeymoon phase of a new relationship. You are in love with the idea of working from home. You tell everyone, "No more commuting! No more office politics! Just me, my laptop and unlimited productivity!"
Naturally, you invest in a high-tech chair that looks like it belongs in a spaceship, a desk lamp that makes you feel like a CEO and a cute little plant (which you forget to water within a week).
The phase:
You post a first day remote selfie on LinkedIn with the caption: "Finally living the dream! Productivity is about to hit 200%
#RemoteLife #Blessed"
Reality check: Fast forward two weeks and that sleek workspace is now a jungle of tangled cables, half-drunk coffee cups and a pile of notes with absolutely no context.
This is the stage where you believe remote work has turned you into a productivity superhero. You start saying “yes” to every project, every task and every meeting. Because hey, you are at home! Surely you have all the time in the world?
The phase: It is 11 PM. You have been working since morning but somehow your to-do list keeps growing. Meanwhile, your family has started referring to you as “that person who lives in the laptop”.
Reality check: Just because you work from home does not mean you should work all the time. Your laptop might be portable but your sanity is not.
By now, you are feeling bold. You fully embrace the remote part of remote work. You are no longer chained to your desk, you are a digital nomad! You take your laptop to trendy cafés, hotel lobbies, even a beach in Galle, feeling like a character from a travel influencer’s vlog.
The phase: You confidently join a Zoom call from a beachside café. Five minutes in, your Wi-Fi lags, your video freezes mid-sentence and your client is left staring at your awkward pixelated smile.
Reality check: You might love working from anywhere but your boss loves a stable internet connection more.
You think you have got this remote work thing under control, until you do not. Whether it is your mum watching a teledrama at full volume, your neighbour's rooster deciding to contribute to your morning meeting at the exact same moment the employer asks you a serious question, "Parana Badu Walata Denawa Aluth Besan!” lorry rolls in with its loudspeaker on full blast, that is when you realise your mute button is your best friend.
The phase: You are in the middle of an important presentation, confidently explaining your ideas. Suddenly, the unmistakable melody of the Choon Paan truck starts blasting through the neighbourhood, filling the air with the unholy combination of Beethoven’s Für Elise and existential dread. You panic, hit mute and hope nobody heard it but someone on the call asks, "Is that… an ice cream truck?".
Reality check: If you work from home, at some point, everyone will hear your family, pets or the fish selling guy shouting “Maalu… Maalu…!”
A strange phenomenon occurs. Your hunger levels have skyrocketed. You eat breakfast, sit down to work and within 30 minutes, you are back in the kitchen, staring into the fridge like it holds the answers to life’s biggest questions.
The phase: You promise yourself you will be “disciplined” today. No unnecessary snacking. Ten minutes later, you are making toast because working requires brain power.
An hour later, you are having a "tiny snack" (which somehow turns into a full plate of kottu because it is still in the fridge from yesterday). By 3 PM, you are craving short eats and by 5 PM, you justify another coffee and biscuits.
Before you know it, you have spent more time at the fridge than at your desk and your biggest concern is not deadlines, it is running out of biscuits before the next grocery run.
Reality check: When your home is your office, the kitchen is the real boss and it demands your attention 24/7.
After months of working remotely, your once-perfect workspace feels boring. The same desk, the same chair, the same four walls, it is all starting to close in on you.
The phase: You convince yourself that what you really need is a "workcation", a nice little stay at a beachfront hotel in Unawatuna or a cozy cabin in Ella. The plan? Work during the day, relax by the pool in the evening. Sounds perfect, right?
Except reality hits fast:
You spend half your time chasing a strong signal and the other half wondering why you did not just stay home.
The WiFi is worse than your home connection (and your home connection is already testing your patience).
By the end of the trip, you have achieved zero relaxation, minimal productivity and maxed-out your credit card. But at least you got a LinkedIn post about "embracing remote work from anywhere" out of it!
Reality check: A workcation only works if the WiFi does.
After months (or years) of remote work, you start to realise something unsettling, you have not seen another human being in days (except for the Choon Paan guy and he does not count).
The phase: You step out of your house for the first time in a week to grab groceries. At the checkout counter, the cashier asks, “Cash or card?”, a simple question, yet your brain short-circuits because it is the first time you have spoken out loud all day.
Your social skills have completely deteriorated. You overcompensate by chatting way too much, giving the cashier an unnecessary backstory about your shopping habits, your childhood and your theories on why biscuit prices keep increasing. By the time you leave, they look genuinely concerned.
You realise you have spent so much time communicating through emojis, GIFs and Slack messages that you struggle with real-life conversations.
Reality check: You might be a remote work pro but you still need actual human interaction before you turn into a socially awkward cave creature.
At last, you have cracked the code. You no longer overwork, your workspace is under control (sort of) and you have mastered the art of pretending to be deep in thoughts when your boss calls.
The phase: A new remote worker asks for advice and you confidently say, "Stay hydrated, set boundaries and always have a backup internet plan". Meanwhile, your cat has taken over your chair.
Reality check: You are now the wise one. People come to you for remote work hacks. Maybe it is time to start charging for consultations?
Remote work is not just about skipping the commute, it is about crafting a work-life combinations that works for you. Whether you are just starting or already a WFH pro, embrace the chaos, laugh at the missteps and keep evolving.
And remember: The Wi-Fi may fail you but your resilience never will!
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