Pets + Pattern: Take Your Dog to Work Day
While we missed the "official" Take Your Dog to Work Day last week, every day is Take Your Dog to Work Day at Hygge & West! So we're taking advantage of this fun, canine-themed holiday today to celebrate the four-legged loves of our lives (cats included!). As an entirely remote team, our furry coworkers play a vital role in our day-to-day business, and H&W just wouldn't be the same without them. From endless comic relief, to reminders to get up and get moving from time to time, to just providing a warm head to pat when things get crazy, there are no better beings to spend our work days (and our every days!) with. Keep scrolling for some serious pet + pattern eye candy!
CHRISTIANA COOP
I love working from home for so many reasons, including that my commute consists of walking from the bedroom to my office, so no time wasted there; my doggie coworkers don’t judge me if I choose not to shower and/or work in my PJs for a large portion of the day; and I can create a more flexible schedule and get a lot more things done. Aimee and I listened to a podcast a while ago that mentioned the benefit of “microbreaks,” so usually I will take these short 5 to 15 minute breaks once or twice a day, depending on how things are going in wallpaper land, to clear my head. I recently moved to the country and there has been nothing better than taking quick breaks to water my outdoor plants, play fetch with my pup, Otis, or just walk to the mailbox across the street in the sunshine.
The best thing about doggie coworkers is their lack of judgement, their capacity to sleep through and/or not care about any stressful work-related situation, and their ability to always make me happy just by looking at them snoozing. Along those lines, they set the bar extremely low on the “get your to-do list under control” barometer, so you can always feel like, “Well, at least I’m doing a better job at this gig than my (dog) co-workers.”
AIMEE LAGOS
I love working from home because working from home is the best! I’m lucky to have a dedicated home office with two big windows, and I love spending most of my day in that space. I really enjoy having a very streamlined morning routine, and at the end of the day, it’s wonderful to just step out of my office and close the door behind me rather than struggling through rush hour traffic to get home. Like Christiana, I’m a big fan of microbreaks! All moms are masters of multitasking, so it’s nice to be able to take care of small tasks for the house and the family during the day as opposed to loading everything into the evenings and weekends.
People often ask if I find it lonely working from home, which I honestly never do thanks to my dogs (and cat). When I worked outside the house, I always wondered what they did all day, and now I know that they mostly sleep. But they do keep me company, force me to get outside, and provide general emotional support and morale boosts.
MELISSA ANDERSEN
I love working from home because I can set my own pace, my own schedule, and my own environment, which always includes my dog, Molly, and cats, Peeka and Boo. A lot of my work is writing, which, for me, requires focus and quiet. Being at home allows me to tune out the entire world and just do what needs to get done. And there's nothing better than being able to take a break to play fetch with my dog during lunch, or take my computer outside on a beautiful day and soak up all that vitamin D that's missing in an office setting. But most importantly, my first baby, my daughter, Siena, was born at the end of last year, and working from home has made it possible for me both to pursue my career and fulfill my passion for interiors, but also be present for my daughter when she needs me. I'm quickly learning that this first year flies by in the blink of an eye, and I thank my lucky stars every day that I never have to miss a moment with my sweet girl.
The best thing about doggie (and cat!) coworkers is there is zero office drama (other than the all-hands-on-deck, take-no-prisoners freak out from my dog every time the mail or delivery person comes by). It's yoga pants, no makeup, and messy hair most days around here, and my furry officemates and I are a-ok with that. There's also no greater stress relief, if you ask me, than doggie snuggles; luckily, when things get crazy with work, my four-legged pick-me-up and calm-me-down is always at my feet.
