My “non-office buddy”

I’m very lucky to have my friend M. – I like to call her my “non-office buddy” – who checks that I’m alive every few hours. After all, when you share your “office” with no one but your dog, you’re not exactly safeguarded against intruders and sudden health scares, like panic attacks resulting in hyperventilation. Thankfully, I live in an apartment block where there is always someone around, and my hubby-to-be, parents, mother-in-law and sisters-in-law give me the occasional phone call to make sure I’m ok. And then there’s M.; she’s special. She makes me feel like I do have a colleague right beside me. Not one of those annoying, nosy ones, but a true friend, who asks you how you’re feeling first thing in the morning, who wishes you bon appétit at lunchtime, and who cheerfully ends the day with a funny one-liner. And yes, we also meet for cappuccino and cake. Like real colleagues do – wait, do they? I’m not sure.

I always thought that the worst thing about working from home was the gut-wrenching loneliness. And to a certain extent I was right. You do feel cut off from the rest of the world. You don’t have staff parties. On your birthday no one surprises you with a box of chocolates on your desk. And there’s no such thing as office pranks…

But even worse – and this was something I hadn’t really considered when my stay-at-home adventure started – is that you’ve got no one to turn to in case of emergencies. I like to think of my labrador as my guard dog, but if you’ve ever had the honour of being a lab owner, you’ll agree that those wonderful furry friends are not of much help in terms of crisis management.

So if you’re working from home, or you’re considering setting up shop in your living room, find yourself a “non-office buddy” who always has your back. Someone to give you a shout to remind you it’s time to go home – correction: to LEAVE home. This true friend will become your punching bag – sorry M. – when you’ve just realised you’ve translated a text into the wrong language (yes, that has happened to me). When boiler no. 9 has decided to trip (Maltese readers need no further explanation, I suppose?), causing a 9-hour power cut as you were about to send out an urgent proofreading assignment. Or when your allergy is making you sneeze all over your keyboard. Yes, that is happening right now. M., are you online?