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| The day I really needed to reconnect and co-work |
Put yourself first! It's more of a reminder to myself than a write-up for others. I being a considerate person, have often found myself to be a giver in situations, where I need to take care of myself. Having said that, I know there are many like me, who also need this reminder. Remember, the announcement in airplanes? Put the Oxygen Mask on yourself first, before helping others. At the surface level, it sounds selfish, but if we scratch the surface, the deeper meaning is that you can help many if you are healthy.
My current job is a full-time home-based role. Though such work arrangements have their own perks, they also come with their own share of perils. There are days when you find yourself confined at your solitary home office and this feeling of isolation can reach its peak. I do have these periodic episodes, so to take care of my well-being, I have taken up a membership at Wework, a co-working space. Once in a week or once in a fortnight, I book a desk and work from there for the entire day. This allows me, to feel part of an office environment, seeing other working professionals around me, the hustle-bustle of the cafeteria uplifts my mood and gives me enough fuel to last for another week of WFH, before I need my next dose of co-working environment.
It was one of those days, when I was feeling really low (bored, lonely, not motivated to open my laptop and start my day). To take charge of my day, I booked my desk at Wework and walked down there from home. I went in early, to grappling my favourite desk, which is just next to the big glass windows. I like that desk, because you can look out and see people, cars and bikes, the symphony of city life, the changing daylight patterns from morning to dusk and you also have the indoor working environment around you, working professionals focused at screens and rhythmically typing their keyboards. A perfect vantage seat, to zoom out and zoom in, while working.
As I went in, and pulled the chair to sit at my favourite spot I found a bag kept on the chair. The person seated next, to me, told "It's kept for his friend". In situations like this, I usually generously give it away. But this was one of those days when I needed to take care of myself the most. So, I asked him, is your friend already in? He said, not he is not the way, so they are keeping this desk for him. I politely, but assertively told him, "Well in that case, let me occupy this desk, as he isn't in yet. You can keep the next desk to your right or opposite of you, for him." He obliged and I took my favourite spot, unpacked my bag and settled down to work.
After some time, this person walked in and he was having a friendly banter with his friend, "a re tune, mere lika seat kyun nahi rakha? did he (referring to me) come in before you, isle tujhe seat nahi mila?" Overhearing them, I jumped into the conversation with a smile and told him, you have a very good friend. He had blocked this seat for you, but I insisted that I sit here, because it is one of those days, when you are really in a low mood and I needed this seat to revive my mood and energy. They responded in a friendly manner and acknowledged my feelings. The best part of this incident is, we ended up as acquaintances, talking to each other during breaks and lunch hour.
So next time, you are also in similar situations like me, don't shy away and don't hesitate in Putting Yourself First. We all should strike the balance in giving and receiving, to sustain ourselves.