Work from Home impacts

emgracewrites
emgracewrites Posts: 478 Member
in Sleep, Mindfulness and Overall Wellness
Just curious if anyone has experienced any physical/mental impacts of working from home?

I know for me I tend to snack a lot more because no one is around to see me do it.

Secondly, it’s harder to turn off my work brain at the end of the day. I feel like I’m constantly on call, especially because everyone I work with has my cell number now thanks to no more office phone.

Thirdly, work was the bulk of the social interaction that I got pre-COVID so working from home means I’m even more introverted now than I was before. My company has no plans to start having people come back into the office so it looks like I’m fully remote now whether I like it or not (I don’t).

Just curious if anyone else has had a similar sort of experience.
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  • Chef_Barbell
    Chef_Barbell Posts: 6,644 Member
    I actually do better working from home. No stressful commute, no take out lunch from one of the many delicious restaurants in NYC, no dealing with people in person. I'm not a snacker so that's not a problem. I can stay home indefinitely.
  • Lietchi
    Lietchi Posts: 6,884 Member
    When we were in full lockdown, sure, it was hard (even for introverted ol' me).

    - I quickly realised I needed to mentally give myself food guidelines to avoid grazing (food always accessible): no morning snacks and only very rarely afternoon snacks, as a principle
    - without my commute, my step count plummeted - I started walking laps around my living room while surfing on my phone, watching TV...

    Currently I'm back at the office for 2 days a week, 3 days working from home. I've recently found myself struggling again with my routine on days when I work from home, because my boyfriend no longer works from home himself (new job):
    - we used to eat lunch together (usually bread and toppings): being alone for lunch now, I need to be much more proactive now in thinking about what I'll eat (BF does the shopping, but he doesn't think of buying lunch when it's only for me). And bread isn't the best option anymore (eating alone, the bread goes stale,...)
    - even though his hours were slightly earlier than mine, his presence at home ensured that I would not work too late. But now, he only comes home around 6.30-7PM (long commute) and I tend to keep working until he's home. Combined with him wanting to go to bed earlier, it's gotten a lot harder to get my workouts done

    Luckily nobody has my cell phone number - the only issue I also struggle with is checking my e-mails outside of work hours and even while on holiday (really bad habit, just increases my stress level).

    It's still a work in progress to get to a good new routine :smile:
  • HoneyBadger302
    HoneyBadger302 Posts: 2,085 Member
    edited September 2022
    I LOVE working from home to the point that a heavy on the remote side of hybrid is probably the least I will accept in any future jobs.

    First off, I have a home office set up in a spare room (if I don't have that I section off a part of a room that is the "office" space). I work in the work space, not in the home space. Period. Only exception is if there is some down/slow time, and I'm doing something around the house but need to keep an eye out for anything that pops up, in which case the laptop may follow me around a bit.
    I HATE commuting. For me, it is a complete waste of time, piling miles and wear and tear on my truck just to go keep a different chair warm...that time is SO valuable to me, losing it to that is a major loss in my world.
    I'm pretty introverted - I don't really need much for in person interactions. Teams/zoom meetings and what I do outside of work satisfies my needs.
    I LOVE having the ability to accomplish so much more "stuff" that needs to be done - I can wash and dry laundry, eat fresh meals, do little things here and there throughout the day that help me check off my to-do list that by the time my day is actually done, I can relax guilt free
    Working two jobs (p/t job is in person at a barn), plus starting a business, working on getting into the best shape of my life....every minute is precious. WFH lowers my stress levels MASSIVELY.
    I have ADHD, so people looking over my shoulder drives me INSANE. Even if I just "think" they might it drives me up a wall. WFH lets me shine as an employee as I can rock my work without the appearance of non-conformance/laziness due to my work-style.
    Another HUGE perk is that it GREATLY expands my options on where I could live - let's face it, COL prices and rent are STUPID high in a lot of places, so having the ability to keep a living wage and move someplace where I can afford a decent life on said wage is another BIG perk for me as I look forward (especially as a single woman in my 40's with no family help/inheritance/support since high school).

    I get that it's not for everyone, especially extroverts. I get that a lot of jobs simply can't be done remotely. But it's kinda nice that us introverts are finally able to have a voice instead of getting bowled over by the extroverts LOL. Also nice that it is bringing to light a few things like micro-managing managers, the workers who aren't actually accomplishing much (since boot-licking isn't quite as easy and they can't just "look" busy anymore)...


  • kshama2001
    kshama2001 Posts: 28,052 Member
    emgracewrites wrote: »
    Just curious if anyone has experienced any physical/mental impacts of working from home?

    I know for me I tend to snack a lot more because no one is around to see me do it.

    Secondly, it’s harder to turn off my work brain at the end of the day. I feel like I’m constantly on call, especially because everyone I work with has my cell number now thanks to no more office phone.

    Thirdly, work was the bulk of the social interaction that I got pre-COVID so working from home means I’m even more introverted now than I was before. My company has no plans to start having people come back into the office so it looks like I’m fully remote now whether I like it or not (I don’t).

    Just curious if anyone else has had a similar sort of experience.

    This would annoy me.

    We weren't much for calls at my last job. We mostly used email and slack. I'd mute slack notifications at lunch and at night.

    I highly recommend slack:

    https://slack.com/what-is-slack
  • joans1976
    joans1976 Posts: 2,201 Member
    @HoneyBadger302 "I get that it's not for everyone, especially extroverts. I get that a lot of jobs simply can't be done remotely. But it's kinda nice that us introverts are finally able to have a voice instead of getting bowled over by the extroverts LOL. Also nice that it is bringing to light a few things like micro-managing managers, the workers who aren't actually accomplishing much (since boot-licking isn't quite as easy and they can't just "look" busy anymore)..."
    This totally this! On occasion when I do visit the office the same manager who always sat on her butt and did nothing is still sitting on her behind doing nothing because shes a "manager." Also at my last review they said something like "we created this position for you and it has made you shine!" I dont think I will ever take anything but a remote job in the future.

    @kshama2001 We use Slack. And that Slack goes on do not disturb at 6 pm until 8am. i love Slack.
  • pamperedlinny
    pamperedlinny Posts: 1,688 Member
    Actually, I do better working from home with my goals.

    Without the commute time I am able to get in a quick morning walk or at home work out before logging in for work. Also, we no longer have food trucks outside my building or people bringing in donuts. I no longer worry about making sure I bring a healthy lunch and no longer am tempted to go out to lunch with work friends. Instead, I can use my lunch hour to actually make a real meal at home in my own kitchen.

    Also, I work more efficiently because I don't have that friend by the coffee in the break room or ask a question of a co-worker and end up spending 10 minutes discussing the weekend. Thankfully, we use Teams for meetings, inter-company calls, direct messaging and even customer contacts (we'll email a meeting link for the call) so that I don't have to give out my personal number except to my boss.

    For social interaction I walk with a neighbor most days and also try to go to the Zumba class at my local YMCA a few times a week. Since most people in that class are the same all the time I don't have to meet anyone new unless I want to do so but still get my excercise and social interaction all rolled into one.

    I didn't love remote work the first 6 months or so. However, once I embraced getting all my ducks in a row I prefer it and don't really want to ever work back in the office again if I can manage it.
  • emgracewrites
    emgracewrites Posts: 478 Member
    What I’m getting from this thread is that I’m pretty much in the complete minority. My whole team that I work with on a daily basis also love working from home so even if I went back to the office I’d still be isolated and dealing with the same communication issues.

    Looks like I’ll just have to suck it up but I hate how it’s becoming the norm. So even though I’m looking for a new job I’ll have to deal with a lot of the same mental pitfalls
  • joans1976
    joans1976 Posts: 2,201 Member
    @emgracewrites Do you know if your co-workers have the same issues with feeling on call all the time? Or maybe you are all in different time zones, Im not sure. If all of you felt that way, you could collectively go to your boss and ask if you/him/her/all could come up with a system that shuts off at 5 pm for example.
    I know it helps me to keep my office area away from my living area. When I first started working from home I didnt really know how to keep things separate so I tried things out until I found what works.
    When I first started I was checking emails until I went to bed. It took me awhile to train my brain out of that. I also had to put up boundaries with my co-workers and I had to set them and re-set them but they have finally worked. During working hours I get alerts from 5 different sources and it stresses me out! I feel like thats not okay but I dont know what to do about it currently.
    Good luck.
  • Alatariel75
    Alatariel75 Posts: 18,349 Member
    Yup, I'm back in the office 4 days a week even thought I don't need to be because working from home was making my lazy, unfit, and antisocial.
    I *know* that I could be fitting in workouts rather than commutes. I *know* I have more time to eat healthy. But what was happening is I was at my desk longer, my incidental exercise was through the floor (I hit 10k steps a day without trying in the office), and I was grazing.
    I appreciate the structure of working from the office and I need the forced socialising or I just don't.
  • kshama2001
    kshama2001 Posts: 28,052 Member
    edited September 2022
    emgracewrites wrote: »
    What I’m getting from this thread is that I’m pretty much in the complete minority. My whole team that I work with on a daily basis also love working from home so even if I went back to the office I’d still be isolated and dealing with the same communication issues.

    Looks like I’ll just have to suck it up but I hate how it’s becoming the norm. So even though I’m looking for a new job I’ll have to deal with a lot of the same mental pitfalls

    Well, you might also be getting a statistically unrepresentatively large amount of introverts who prefer WFH on this thread :smiley:

    I think it's worth having a conversation about boundaries about calls to employees cell phones after work hours end. Try using less intrusive communication methods that can be muted, like Slack.
  • Chef_Barbell
    Chef_Barbell Posts: 6,644 Member
    emgracewrites wrote: »
    What I’m getting from this thread is that I’m pretty much in the complete minority. My whole team that I work with on a daily basis also love working from home so even if I went back to the office I’d still be isolated and dealing with the same communication issues.

    Looks like I’ll just have to suck it up but I hate how it’s becoming the norm. So even though I’m looking for a new job I’ll have to deal with a lot of the same mental pitfalls

    Working from home is a privilege. I hope it does become the norm. My introverted self has never been more productive and mentally not drained.
  • kshama2001
    kshama2001 Posts: 28,052 Member
    edited September 2022
    I actually started WFH in 2011, so I had years to create healthy habits before dealing with a global pandemic.

    I've long prioritized getting in exercise at lunch time. Moderate exercise is a mild appetite suppressant for me, and eliminates the afternoon muchies and sleepies. When I exercise at lunch I'm more productive in the afternoon for work and into the evening for personal stuff.

    I've always had flexibility with work hours, so if I took an extra long lunch, I could make it up that night or weekend. I did take extra long hikes in the woods during spring 2020 lunchtimes.

    Then I lost my job summer 2020. Funny how for me it is easier to get in exercise when I have one dedicated block of time for it. If I can hike anytime, I'm less likely to do it.
  • KPenguin73
    KPenguin73 Posts: 7 Member
    I don't think you are in the minority. I think people have started to get used to what they are doing. I was having a lot of the same issues as you describe and then reviewed my priorities and schedule. I picked a specific time to do my exercise. At one point this ment I exercised first, then started my first zoom meeting at 9am and then worked until my husband came home. Currently, I start early then close the computer at 5pm and then go exercise and am done when he gets home. I also let phone calls from work go to voice mail after 6pm, I'll listen to them and usually text back 'got your message, lets discuss in am' This has worked really well and I'm no longer getting as many voice mails after hours. I also blocked my lunch hour on my work calender so fewer meetings were scheduled, that let me be more intentional about what I'm eating and getting a real break before the next meeting.
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,865 Member
    I've been back in the office since July 2021...did it for 16 months. My overall experience was pretty unpleasant largely because I was WFH...my wife was WFH...and my two kids were SFH. Trying to get work done while simultaneously dealing with your kids and their remote schooling was a friggin' *kitten* show on top of just trying to be a good and positive parent in a situation that was pretty friggin' scary, especially at the beginning.

    Also, I love my family to death, but literally 16 months of seeing every single one of them every single day 24 hrs was...well, nobody died and my wife and I are still married, but that was some suck after awhile. Also, my wife and I had to share an office setup in our master bedroom...she'd get it one day and I'd get it the next and the other had to be out at the kitchen table. We had pretty strict lockdowns here so it was pretty much a WFH, live at home, play at home, school at home, be entertained at home, never leave your home friggin' nightmare.

    I also lost a lot of daily activity because I work in two different office buildings on different days and both of them are multiple floors and while I do sit in an office, I'm at least up checking with colleagues on something or needing to go to the second or third floor or over here or over there to the breakroom or bathroom. I counted one day and at home my bathroom was literally like 10 steps away from my desk. My general movement went way, way down.

    Also, given a lack of much in the way of entertainment other than staring at my walls in my off time, I started drinking like a friggin' fish.

    Yeah, not good times...though I'd be interested in trying it in a non-pandemic situation where I also had the option to go do other things outside of my house and wasn't staring at my family 24/7 for 16 months.
  • karahm78
    karahm78 Posts: 505 Member
    emgracewrites wrote: »
    What I’m getting from this thread is that I’m pretty much in the complete minority. My whole team that I work with on a daily basis also love working from home so even if I went back to the office I’d still be isolated and dealing with the same communication issues.

    Looks like I’ll just have to suck it up but I hate how it’s becoming the norm. So even though I’m looking for a new job I’ll have to deal with a lot of the same mental pitfalls

    I have always had the ability to work wherever I want, but I go into the office most days by choice, for many of the same reasons. My DH has WFH since pre-Covid and my parents live with us, plus we have two teens. I need to get out of the house!

    I am in a Director level role, but our teams are now hybrid with two days in office and the other days are choice. Some come in a few extra days, some choose to WFH. But at least we have two days in together to do what we need to do in person, while still allowing some WFH.

    WFH is becoming less and less in my area, which is not surprising. You sound like you’d be better off finding a job that is at least hybrid.
  • ythannah
    ythannah Posts: 4,371 Member
    Alatariel75 wrote: »
    I appreciate the structure of working from the office and I need the forced socialising or I just don't.

    This is me. I never worked from home and life felt pretty normal with my usual routines. My "commute", which is 14 minutes at its worst, dropped to 8 minutes with less traffic on the roads. 80% of my organization did work from home at the height of the pandemic so the office was a lot nicer with less people in it.

    My socialization decreased by about 90% and I find myself loathe to make any effort to change it. Oops.

  • penguinmama87
    penguinmama87 Posts: 1,155 Member
    Not exactly the same I know, but a lot of these are issues for stay-at-home parents/homemakers/whatever you want to call it, too. I'm glad I stay home and it works best for our family dynamic, but I do have a firm routine I adhere to, break times, regular socializing, a "uniform" even if I'm not leaving the house that day, etc. For me to do my best I have to be willing to create the structure that would otherwise be provided by a job.
  • 1BlueAurora
    1BlueAurora Posts: 439 Member
    When I worked part-time, co-workers seemed to think that they could phone me for help or email me asking for help ALL THE TIME. I talked to my manager and said that I would be turning off email notifications at 5 PM every night and would respond during normal business hours. My manager said that was fine, none of the work was a life and death situation and my coworkers needed to learn to be more self-sufficient. Plus, I wasn't getting paid for that extra after-work duty. I also said that I would not be taking any calls from work during my non-work hours - that time was for me. My manager agreed. I stuck to my new routine and it helped so much! And then I started logging food on MFP and taking walks without worrying that I'd get some stupid work-related call. I learned to send everything to voice mail. Win!
  • finleycats
    finleycats Posts: 7 Member
    I'm more productive at home... but the flip side is I sit more than in an office. I have a flexible schedule working around other commitments so I also feel on call 24x7. My 2nd job is in retail so I get socializing there.
  • TxDesertFox
    TxDesertFox Posts: 53 Member
    edited March 2023
    I prefer to work from home as I'm very introverted and being around people mentally drained me. I spent 10 years working mostly from home so when COVID happened not much changed for me, except I didn't have to go in for weekly meetings. Now I have to commute daily and I'm always filled with rage during my drive to/from work.
    Plus working from home meant I didn't waste 2 hours of my life sitting in traffic or driving. I get more done in a day.

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