Work from Home impacts

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

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)...

@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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.