{"id":3950,"date":"2026-07-07T09:07:25","date_gmt":"2026-07-07T09:07:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/?p=3950"},"modified":"2026-07-07T09:07:25","modified_gmt":"2026-07-07T09:07:25","slug":"harriette-cole-why-should-i-be-chipper-just-because-i-work-from-home","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/?p=3950","title":{"rendered":"Harriette Cole: Why should I be chipper just because I work from home?"},"content":{"rendered":"
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DEAR HARRIETTE<\/strong>: I\u2019m at the point in my career where I can work mostly from home. I still work 9 to 5, five days a week.<\/p>\n

Read more Miss Manners: I got in a fight with the birthday boy\u2019s mom over the cake<\/a><\/p>\n

This allows for much more flexibility; however, it does come with its own issues.<\/p>\n

Because I am not physically leaving my house, those around me feel as though I am not really working. Throughout the day, I am constantly interrupted, and after work I\u2019m not expected to be as tired as anyone else.<\/p>\n

I experience this most from my husband, who expects me to have helpful energy after a day of work simply because I didn\u2019t have the same commute as him. This triggers deeper emotions of not feeling seen or valued, and it is causing us to argue almost every day.<\/p>\n

I feel like I shouldn\u2019t have to explain that I\u2019m tired after work since he should be able to sympathize.<\/p>\n

How do I get him to understand that my work is draining, too?<\/p>\n

\u2014 Stressed From Home<\/em><\/p>\n

DEAR STRESSED FROM HOME<\/strong>: Maybe you need to vary your routine. When you have finished your workday, go out for a bit. Ideally, you can go to a scheduled class that requires you to be somewhere. An exercise class or walking group would be great.<\/p>\n

\n<\/div>\n

Don\u2019t be home to have to listen to any of the buzz that upsets you. Come back on your own terms with energy to tackle whatever is next.<\/p>\n

DEAR HARRIETTE:<\/strong> I consider myself to be very pro-Black and pro-Black advancement. One of the ways I try to show my investment in my community is by buying and shopping Black. I specifically enjoy going to Black-owned establishments like bars and restaurants.<\/p>\n

Read more Dear Abby: My husband won\u2019t follow a recipe, and his cooking is a minefield<\/a><\/p>\n

I have a friend who sees this as an inconvenience and does not understand the importance of shopping Black. They say they have had negative experiences at Black-owned establishments when it comes to the quality of service.<\/p>\n

I feel like we are conditioned to be more sensitive to the shortcomings of some Black-owned businesses when we also have negative experiences at other restaurants that do not receive the same criticism.<\/p>\n

\n<\/div>\n

I\u2019m not sure how to politely disagree on a topic that is so important to me. Do you have any tips for having difficult conversations about important topics like this?<\/p>\n

\u2014 Buy Black<\/em><\/p>\n

DEAR BUY BLACK<\/strong>: I understand your perspective \u2014 and your friend\u2019s.<\/p>\n

First, historically, it has been the practice of various ethnic groups to circulate at least some of their dollars within their community. Look at the Chinatowns of the country as well as Jewish, Indian and Italian communities as examples. By consciously spending money within your community, you help to fortify it.<\/p>\n

That doesn\u2019t mean that you have to support every business, especially if some offer poor service, but if you consider a business to be \u201cpart of the family,\u201d you may also want to say something to the proprietor about upping the service. If you take a stake in the business, you may help it to flourish.<\/p>\n

To your friend\u2019s point, if a business is not treating its customers well, either say something or don\u2019t go there \u2014 and definitely not with someone who is going to complain.<\/p>\n

Harriette Cole is a lifestylist and founder of DREAMLEAPERS, an initiative to help people access and activate their dreams. You can send questions to askharriette@harriettecole.com or c\/o Andrews McMeel Syndication, 1130 Walnut St., Kansas City, MO 64106.<\/em><\/p>\n

Read more Red, white and \u2026 the blues<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Harriette Cole: No, I don’t commute, but my day is still draining.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":92,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-3950","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-advice"],"yoast_head":"\nHarriette Cole: Why should I be chipper just because I work from home? - Next City Digest<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/?p=3950\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Harriette Cole: Why should I be chipper just because I work from home? - Next City Digest\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Harriette Cole: No, I don't commute, but my day is still draining.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/?p=3950\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Next City Digest\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2026-07-07T09:07:25+00:00\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"admin\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"admin\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"3 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/nextcitydigest.com\\\/?p=3950#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/nextcitydigest.com\\\/?p=3950\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"admin\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/nextcitydigest.com\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/13065d40d633843429ac57d4e5c06f9b\"},\"headline\":\"Harriette Cole: Why should I be chipper just because I work from home?\",\"datePublished\":\"2026-07-07T09:07:25+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/nextcitydigest.com\\\/?p=3950\"},\"wordCount\":630,\"commentCount\":0,\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/nextcitydigest.com\\\/?p=3950#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/nextcitydigest.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/05\\\/0139233f8c854ca253912d1b9432926f.webp\",\"articleSection\":[\"Advice\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"CommentAction\",\"name\":\"Comment\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/nextcitydigest.com\\\/?p=3950#respond\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/nextcitydigest.com\\\/?p=3950\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/nextcitydigest.com\\\/?p=3950\",\"name\":\"Harriette Cole: Why should I be chipper just because I work from home? 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