I Wasn’t a “Distractions Pro”

At the beginning of quarantine, my supervisor checked in to see how I was doing and whether I could work from home. We were on a video call, and I was sitting at the dining table. As I proceeded to respond with positive things, including how my family is considerate, a family member made random noises in my direction. My supervisor definitely heard it, but she just chuckled. Honestly, I wasn’t amused and felt a bit unprofessional because of it.

Then, another time, I was on a call with her again, and some little ones were fighting over a toy. They ran past me, the older one complaining about how “it’s not yours!” You all know how that goes. My supervisor laughed again.

At that point, I wondered: Will I ever be able to save face while working from home? Isn’t professionalism still important regardless of the environment?

Hiding Behind the Struggle

I remember after that second incident, I did roll my eyes. Which then prompted her to ask me if I was okay.

I simply said yes, but I knew her eyebrow raise meant she wasn’t convinced. More importantly, at the time, it felt like my mask had slipped. It was silent, and I wish she’d quickly drop it. I was already embarrassed, but wasn’t sure if it was because of me or my living situation.

Looking back, it sounds like I had judged myself harshly. Wasn’t everyone else learning to adjust? If my supervisor’s children had ran past her, or even given her a hug, I know I would have smiled. Why is it that we give grace to others’ proof of family living, but not ourselves? We understand that our coworkers are working from the dining table or in their bedroom because everyone else is watching the game on the TV.

This Called for an Attitude Adjustment

Here’s the bottom line: people are annoying because we’re human. Everyone has moods that can distract, habits that can disrupt, and needs that don’t perfectly line up with our schedule. If we weren’t annoying, we’d be robots who always took careful consideration of each other. But we’re not, and that’s beautiful.

Still, that’s not to say that I need to just suck it up — I’m human too, and my needs matter. The best thing I could do for myself was communicate and set boundaries. I had to try, and the one thing I learned was that home does not turn into an office just because I say so.

So, if I wouldn’t side-eye a coworker for holding their child on camera, I shouldn’t feel bad about the occasional outburst or someone passing by when my camera’s on. Home and work collided and forced me to adapt, and there was nothing we could do about it.

These distractions didn’t make me unprofessional. They made me adaptable, and I realized that real life didn’t stop just because my workday started. Letting go of the idea of a perfectly controlled environment helped me breathe again.. I’m glad I did, because it shifted my focus to working with what I had rather than against it.

Accept What Can Be (Partially) Changed

Yes, clear communication is always important — please advocate for yourself. However, it doesn’t mean your ideal working environment magically appears because you say so. Family will try to respect it, but they have their own lives too, and you might never achieve an ideal coworking space. Will it annoy you? Maybe.

But the only thing we’re in control of is how we respond. I remember how annoyed I definitely was back then, when I didn’t have to be. Why was I punishing myself for my living situation? I showed up the best I could with the home I lived in.

Coworkers have and continue to understand the reality of working from home. Where there’s home, there’s family. Don’t ever feel like a failure because your life at home tends to be louder.

Peace and rhythm aren’t always guaranteed outcomes; you create them when you stop expecting perfection from your family. Sometimes they’re found when you’re gentle with yourself, despite the distractions.

Have a cozy workday, dear.