I Had An Epiphany Last Tuesday!

I quit my in-office retail management job a little over three years ago and took a hybrid role way closer to home but with a huge pay cut. I support a family of four so it’s been rough but I see them way more. I get to WFH several days of the week, saving me the gas, time on the road, and the hassle of finding parking on-site. Not having to worry too much about how I look has been nice except the times we have Teams meetings and are expected to be on camera. I’ll run a brush through my hair and throw a cardigan over my pajamas. Here’s the flip side that few consider until the damage is done. If you WFH in most cases you’re glued to a screen 6-8 hours a days with a few breaks scattered in where you grab coffee, a shower, play with your dog, run an errand (or a few), and what not. You can sit and you can stand but sitting or standing in one place for hours a day wreaks havoc on your body, specifically your back and discs. You literally have to go out of your way every single day to combat the damage a desk job does to your body. I’ll be the first to admit, I didn’t for the past three years I’ve been at this job. In my last job, I was on my feet and moving around ALL day, I was lean and flexible with few if any chronic pain issues- even in my early to mid forties, both of my pregnancies I worked right up until the last few days. My epiphany happened this past Tuesday. I saw that a company I’ve wanted to work for years was hiring, from the profession I left three years ago. I managed to score an interview and by the time the interview ended I realized, not only was the pay and benefits incredible like a HUGE increase over what I’m making now but it was active! I managed to throw my back out last October and have been suffering from horrible lower back pain and sciatica for over six months now that I know I probably would not have had happen had I not taken a sedentary desk job. Out of transparency I did mention I had some mobility issues in the interview. I also needed to obtain a new certification that was recently made mandatory in my profession. Unfortunately I feel like my mobility issues and lack of this certification made me a less than ideal candidate so I doubt I’ll hear back from them despite a great interview and dialogue. Disappointing because they are NEVER hiring so it’s possible they may never be looking for someone again in my lifetime. Which is unfortunate because I believe leaving this horrible soul sucking corporate joke of a company and working in a role where I’d be active again may actually be the key to healing my back/disc issues. It’s sadly ironic it took THIS interview for me to realize that if I continue my WFH/ desk job I will probably die an early death and continue to have increasing health issues. And unfortunately this was the ONE company that offered the perfect blend of what I need in my life, close to home, incredible pay, incredible benefits, and in a physical environment I could only thrive in. I hope whoever they select appreciates what a lottery they’ve won. The moral of my story is, if you continue your WFH scenario enjoy and appreciate the freedoms you have, I mean, it is nice. Just don’t lose sight of the repercussions of this kind of a job. It only took three years for me to reap the consequences of my inactivity.