Working from home memes have popped up all over the internet during the coronavirus pandemic.
With 64% of US employees and 49% of UK workers working from home at some point during the pandemic, it’s not surprising that so many working from home memes have been doing the rounds.
Before COVID-19, only 7% of US employees regularly worked from home. Pretty much overnight millions of people’s working lives were turned upside down. Office workers around the world finally had the opportunity to experience the benefits (and challenges) of home working first hand.
It didn’t take long for the internet to be swamped with working from home memes sharing the good, the bad and the ugly of WFH life.
Best working from home memes
As the (not so) old saying goes, “a meme is worth a thousand words.” Here are the best working from home memes that capture what life is really like when WFH.
1) Always making sure your top half looks professional…
Although wearing clothes you would actually be happy to go outside in is one of my top working from home tips, I’ve definitely been guilty of this in the past. As long your top half looks professional, who cares what you’re wearing out of shot?!
2) …including perfecting your Zoom face
While I am no Charlotte Tilbury, I always touch up my make-up before a video call. If anyone has any tips on how I can look like this, I’m all ears!
3) Coping with family distractions
While I don’t have kids myself yet, I’ve heard many stories of parents struggling to work and keep their kids educated/entertained during the pandemic. According to State of Remote Work 2020, 12% of remote workers said that family distractions were their biggest challenge, so you’re not alone!
4) You don’t need children to be distracted…
This is a big one for me. I can’t stop looking at my phone! When you don’t have your boss looking over your shoulder all day, it’s easy to check social media just one more time before getting back to work.
5) Feeling like you’re constantly juggling everything
When you work from home, you don’t have office luxuries like someone to fix your laptop or an assistant to order some new office supplies. You have to actually try and sort things out for yourself. Speaking as someone who has just gone four months without a working printer, I can tell you that it’s pretty tough trying to be a master of everything.
6) Unreliable WiFi driving you crazy
Why is it you can spend all evening watching Netflix, then the second you start an important video call, your WiFi goes down? Seriously, can someone please work out how we can have 100% reliable WiFi already?
7) Getting into your WFH groove
This is one of my favourite working from home memes. There are days when this is literally me! When I have some repetitive admin tasks I need to do, I put on some tunes and sing/dance at my desk to my heart’s content! There’s no way I could get away with my terrible desk moves working in an office!
8) Trying to find new ways to keep moving
It’s really easy to become super-sedentary when you work from home. As a commuter, you have to do some amount of walking, even if it’s from the car park to your office entrance. When your commute is rolling from your bed to your desk, however, you have to find innovative ways to get movement into your day.
9) Handling video call interruptions like a pro
This happens to me all the time! Whether it’s my boyfriend wanting to ask me something or a delivery driver calling me about an Amazon package, I rarely get through a video call without being interrupted.
10) People STILL not understanding how video calls work
It amazes me how after several months of mass home working, people still haven’t got to grips with the mute button. Maybe we will have perfected video conferencing by the time the pandemic is over…
11) Serious case of square eyes after back-to-back video calls
Spending all day on video calls is enough to send anyone a little crazy. Due to the lack of non-verbal cues, our brains have to work extra hard during video calls, so it’s totally understandable if this is you after one too many Zoom calls.
12) Desperately trying to escape the same four walls
Working from home can definitely give you cabin fever. Going for a ten-minute walk is the perfect escape. As well as being good for you physically, it can relieve stress and help you think more clearly.
13) Constantly reaching for the fridge
Instant access to food is definitely one of the biggest benefits of working from home. Keeping those mid-morning and afternoon snacks under control is a constant battle.
14) Sometimes feeling like everything is a bit too much
Work stress can sometimes be amplified when working from home, especially if you’ve got family pressures to deal with as well. Don’t worry, every remote worker feels like this sometimes. At least once a week I feel like I’m having a minor meltdown.
15) Being slapped in the face by pangs of loneliness
As an only child, I’m pretty well-practised at spending time alone. Even so, I often find working from home lonely. And sometimes I let it overwhelm me and I look a little bit like this.
16) Working from home is hard work, you know
Some people think that working from home means watching Netflix all day whilst occasionally checking emails. How wrong they are!
17) Putting on your out-of-office is still a blissful feeling
Working from home could never take away the pure joy of putting on your out-of-office. While we might be vacationing at home this year, we can still have fun and forget about work stresses, even if for a couple of days.
18) No matter how tough WFH gets, remember that you’re awesome!
Without colleagues physically with you to help motivate you and keep your spirits up, it can be very easy to get down and feel overwhelmed sometimes. In the difficult moments, dig deep and remember you’re stronger than you think.
What are your favourite working from home memes?
Hope you enjoyed this list! Let me know what your favourite working from home meme is in the comments below!
