PHOTO BY RICHARD COOK

This is not the first time I’ve worked from home. In a couple of previous jobs, my home was my permanent office. But this time is different.

Back then, I did not check in every day with my now-adult children, who live in different parts of the country, to make sure they didn’t have symptoms of a virus.

I did not ration my intake of news in order to keep my anxiety level under control.

I did not make a point of trying to get some regular exercise because I knew it would make me feel better mentally as well as physically.

I used to think text messaging was merely a convenience. Now, hearing from others on how they are coping is a form of therapy.

When out for a walk with my wife, I wasn’t mentally calculating the distance between us and another person.

I was not as grateful as I should have been for having a good job with great colleagues and I didn’t empathize nearly enough for those in less fortunate circumstances.

Some things have not changed. T-shirts, sweats and sneakers remain the uniform of the day. As for when I get around to taking a shower … let’s not go there.

Richard Cook is the Director of Digital Media at Pittsburgh Magazine.