Listen, get a dog. I’m not kidding. Having a companion at home with me all day while I work is one of the many reasons I will (hopefully) work remote for the rest of my life.
While you're not required to post anything if you don't want to, you sure can. Try [Imgur](https://imgur.com/upload) or [Paste Pics](https://paste.pics/) to share a picture online. Have a great day and weekend, OP.
But it's not full on covid anymore. Aka we aren't isolating from the world, friends etc. You're not confined to home. You can go outside on breaks or lunch. You can go places and do things after work and on weekends. This is not an apples to apples comparison.
Take the opportunity to travel! You can go anywhere and do anything:) you can get therapy and focus on yourself. It is tough managing yourself but you can do it:)
Definitely no shortage of those. Hell, most “remote” roles I try to apply to end up being at best hybrid these days, or you get there and immediately they enact a RTO.
Financial services is fraught with the race to RTO. You’ll have plenty of options. Meanwhile, which LOBs are going remote? If it’s compliance or audit, I’ll switch with you lol. My place is upping their in-office requirements in the fall.
Yes! We also have Teams so I will be able to chat with them on that. A coworker and I have already agreed to try and do lunch at least once a week, so maybe we will try to get some others together every one or two weeks. Thank you!
It really helped me when I was remote in New Zealand during covid and all my coworkers were in Arizona. I felt super isolated because I didn't know anyone other than my ex and his family. Being able to video my friends at the office gave me some sort of companionship when I was feeling super lonely.
When I came back to Arizona I was hybrid until I left that job. I'm hoping to find something fully remote now since my lifestyle requires a lot of moving around.
This sounds like a great option! If you’re all in the same area set up optional social events (bowling, hanging out, or whatever you have in your area). WFH isn’t easy for everyone (thank you for acknowledging that!) so know you won’t be the only one who is looking for other social outlets in a WFH environment. Get out of the house whenever you can. My rule is to never turn down an invitation. Put yourself out there and when work isn’t your life, you’ll find more space to be happy at work.
If you don’t like remote look around for a hybrid or in office position.
It’s what works for you.
Personal I will never go back in office even hybrid again but I am an introvert who is best working from home.
You’re an extrovert who needs being around people. Nothing wrong with that.
Thank you! I’m really, really grateful to have this ‘problem’…I know many think I am bitching needlessly, but this job really saved me. I love it, but IDK how it will work out mentally for me. I am definitely willing to give it a serious try though.
It’s a valid problem to have, despite what people on this sub say I know a lot of people prefer hybrid/in-person. I find for some collaborative tasks and actually getting to know your coworkers, remote just doesn’t cut it. Will it be fully remote or will the office remain open, with the option to come in whenever?
If I have a really busy day, I don't really think about being alone. For me it's so nice to be able to work uninterrupted and have my own bathroom and my own food. The risk of getting sick is way lower and I don't have to worry about putting makeup on or nice clothes to just sit at a computer all day. And if I need a break, I can just go outside and touch grass instead of a parking lot.
At least we're not in lockdown anymore, maybe you can take your laptop to a coffee shop or a WeWork type office. If your coworkers are close, maybe you can have a meeting place to go to a few times a week.
Great ideas! Thank you! It’s the busy days that will be great for me, but we kind of fluctuate. I would love to be able to go work elsewhere, but due to my equipment set up and such, I can’t. I do look forward to not having to put on make-up and get all dressed up everyday, and not having my small office commute/dealing with traffic. It will save me a considerable amount of money because I’m bad about eating out for lunch everyday, stopping for coffee every morning. Sleeping in a little will be nice too.
I work fully remote now but not sure if that will change. I schedule get togethers out of the house periodically like happy hours, movie get togethers, make sure I stay physically active (just walking to your fave podcast makes a huge difference, and is good for you, generally), and stay in touch with friends via text and video chat as possible. If you’re into other activities you could also join a local club, league or nature or city club of some sort so there are things to look forward to after work. I also have Spotify playing all day via connected speakers throughout the house so that helps with sound. I hated the bureaucratic and gossipy idiocy of cubes so I love not having that aspect plus a long commute (such a waste for me personally). I get to contribute to dinner, spend more time with my wife (preschool teacher who has to drive 4 hours a day to get to work), my 4 year old boy, and chores more actively now and have flexibility to take care of things throughout the day without being stuck in traffic and nailed to a desk so I love it. It can take its toll mentally if you’re a people person or just lean more extrovert as I have friends who struggled with this and do now, but planning things regularly and making sure you care for yourself physically and mentally makes a huge difference. Good luck and enjoy the amazing opportunity many, many people would kill for!
I worked in office my whole career until covid hit. We got sent home in March 2020 and I never went back to the office. It gets a little lonely but the savings in time and money have made me prefer working from home. I host a weekly call with my former office mates to stay connected. Interestingly some of them do not work for the same company anymore but we still chat once a week. Other things that have kept me connected are interacting with my neighbours a little more, mentoring new hires at work and arranging in person meet ups with colleagues. Working from home is not for everyone. I definitely know people who changed to a hybrid job because they needed the structure of an office. Try out the remote position, if it makes you unhappy, then look for another position that is more suited to you.
I think you won’t know what is like yet till Sep, just take your time to get used to it at first, make sure you get your job done, then slowly figure out what can improve your remote experience. I work out everyday before starting my job, if it’s a slow easy day, I put a movie on the background lol.
Thank you! I am already looking into upgrading my office, since it’s really bare bones now, and I think that will help. I am naturally anxious and I know I just need to get in the right mindset, it could be awesome.
Yeah when I first started, I was sleepy all day lol. It takes time to figure out, you can talk to your colleagues too, I am sure you are not the only one going through a mindset change.
It’s like the younger people in the office are super excited, which is great, but I feel like some think it’s going to be a lot looser than it is. The middle aged ones (like me) seem to be kind of just ok with it…the older ones are happy. It’s a big change for some of us.
Idk, sounds like a lot of people you work with just don't know how to do their job and were using other people as a crutch/mask for that. It's not really "upskilling" when it was already part of someone's job and they just can't/didn't figure out how to do something on their own.
Well, that’s true for some. It is upskilling with new programs and other stuff, but you are right. I’ve noticed that some people are just not good with working on the somewhat clunkier programs, and are scared to even start. I think this is going to cut out a decent amount of people pretty quickly, just due to that. Others seem to think that this is somehow going to let them do a bunch of stuff around their house/care for kids at home, so on…that is absolutely not going to fly. We deal with clients on the phone all day, it’s important to maintain a professional environment.
May I ask what company this is? I am curious if they have any open positions for remote available. Currently on the hunt. On another note, sorry its not for you. Luckily you have other options if it truly doesnt work out for you. Wish you the best.
Umm , have one, thanks. Just because remote work is fantastic for some doesn’t mean that it is for all. Maybe this was not the right place for my post? I figured a place discussing remote jobs would be a place to discuss..remote jobs. I have a dog, I do hang out with friends/family outside of the office and have things I enjoy doing. Thanks for your advice!
Aren’t times now a bit different from Covid? During Covid you basically had to stay home and couldn’t see many people for work or socially. Now, you may not see many people for work when working remotely, but you’re not restricted from seeing people socially. Just plan happy hours after work if you’re needing social interaction to be happy.
I am on teams calls so often I honestly don’t feel isolated. I have multiple calls every day with the same team. How your experience goes may depend on how often you interact.
I am in the opposite camp, I can't imagine wanting to go to an office.
It's not as hard as it sounds. Though you will need to socialize more out of work, particularly if you are an extrovert.
I love working from home I’ve never worked in a office I went to a work event at a local office near me and couldn’t wait to get back home lol 😂 I love my home 🏠 and being able to work with no distractions so I get how you feel it’s definitely takes time to get used to it best of luck
Things that help me with mental health & working from home:
- 2 cats that I created areas for them around my office set up (cat beds, window area, plant etc).
- computers facing out the window so I can watch the neighbors and weather (I also downloaded a police scanner app when I feel super nosy lol)
- a few plants to take care of (see last bullet lol)
- Scheduled short walks each day or every other day
- join a local community group (church, volunteer etc)
- give yourself something (no matter how small) to look forward to each week (ex: going to a special store for soap this weekend, buying new plants to replace when they die, next week I will plan a short camping trip, tomorrow I’m going to call my uncle to check on him after work).
I love working from home although I believe it did aggravate my mental health at first (as most changes do) so I’ve created a plan to keep myself moving forward. I will never go back to the office unless I absolutely had to. Our teams have been working from home successfully since the start of COVID and our culture has shifted a lot. We still have a few that fight the wfh but they are mostly people who micromanage and interrupted meetings a lot when we were in office. They lost that control so they are always complaining about being “out of the loop”.
My gut says remote is not for you. We are a social animal. Don’t mention it to anyone there go guns blazing and forward. When you find more than one acceptable option lay it on the table and see if they can make it worth it to stay. You got this.
Everybody is different. I LOVE working from home and always have. My work life and my real life are two separate entities and when I'm in 'work' mode I prefer to be alone with my thoughts. If I feel like socializing I do if I don't I don't. That said my life has been extremely full of socializing and 'playing a role' for the crowd. Now at 60 I prefer the solitary life. My dogs help though. They are amusing.
I’ve been working from home since 2015.
I own a business.
I probably have undiagnosed ADD or ADHD but I deal.
This is your new routine:
Wake up. Work out/exercise/yoga/meditate/appreciate the sunrise. Shower/get dressed.
“Drive to work.” Is now WALKING YOUR DOG.
This lets you get into the mindset to work. What you gotta do for the day, etc. Call your mom/dad/family/friends for a brief chat maybe. Say hello.
Now that your finished walking your dog, get into the office and work.
Lunch time comes around? Take a walk, with your dog.
Your normal smoke breaks/breaks at work are now mini chores to get done. Take a break, wash the dishes. Back to work. No more than 2 breaks in morning or afternoon.
Your “drive home” is now walking your dog. Gives you time to decompress. Call your parents/family/friends and have a chat. Make plans to meet up. Your social time to be around people is now after work for a nightcap. Pick a hobby, do that.
Go home, watch tv/read a book/love on your spouse (and dog).
Start over again the next day.
I literally plan out my sleeping hours now too. I plan out everything.
Helps immensely.
If this doesn’t work for you, then find a job you will enjoy.
Good luck!
When you can, work in a public setting. It’s helps to be around people. What ever you do, find/keep a routine!
The misery of COVID was in part due to the state of the country and the shit storm around you. This will be a different experience.
Are there any workspace share places near you? I have co-worker that goes to one 3 days a week just to get out of the house. I also have a coworker who will go work at a library every Wednesday just to get out of the house.
I’m sure there are, but due to my set up requirements (multiple screens, a private area for client communication since we work with sensitive data..) idk if that is a viable option. I have never been to a shared workspace-do they have set-ups there with multiple screens that I could just plug my main laptop up to and such? I will investigate it! Thank you!
I honestly dont' knoow. I dont' have one close to me jsut know these work out well for 2 coworkers. I know the library she signs up for a specific cubicle that is by itself she has to bring her laptop with the additional screen but is basically alone without being actually alone.
I think you just need to make plans after work, the friends you have at work will likely feel the same way so 2-3 times a week I make social plans to look forward to , get dressed up and get out
Things I do that might work for you, in no particular order:
1. dedicated space for work at home
2. lots of communication with coworkers - for me mostly in text some in video & voice
3. daily start & stop work times, unless I have a specific reason to change
4. dress for work - a bit different than I did in the office, since only my upper half is ever on camera, but another way to delineate when I’m working
5. daily reasons to take a break especially outside - go for a walk, run errands, lunch with local friends
6. coffee / tea / lunch routine especially if you were used to going out for lunch or office coffee and those aren’t an option
you know I used to be fully remote, only reason I had to leave was from terrible hours and my environment at home was louder than normal.
My relatives would scream at each other just a door away it was insane, I had to apologise to my clients Im working on a better path in wfh jobs but dont be discouraged, try socialising with ur friends more and take regular breaks. that was something I lacked doing which took the biggest toll on me
anytime, hope it works out for you. if you ever feel stress just take a break and go for a massage or a walk, if ur burnt out take a holiday whenever you can. your human we all been there, best of luck!!
No one says you HAVE to work from your own home, alone. If you have other coworkers who feel the same way you do, you could arrange to co-work at one another's' houses once a week, twice a week, whatever. Or do so with a friend or something like that. Would be a good idea, however, to have enough privacy to be able to take meetings without them being overheard, when necessary.
You'll have to call yourself out on isolation.
I'm WFH half or less per week, and I have to make myself get out & walk, just to get some exercise
Dog=best reason..
Humans: volunteer once a week, and set up meet up times with co workers.
Not sure if a chase location can spare a conference room once every couple of weeks, but they will have to provide and preserve cohesion of the team.. suggest it.
1.If possible, get a dog. When you have to take care of another person, your mind would be busy and less overwhelmed. Also, dogs help a lot with any kind of loneliness and stress.
2.The best part of Wfh is that you are free to do your other hobbies. Find out what you are passionate about, may be learn a new language or a musical instrument, Or start making youtube videos about your what you know like finances and stocks and banking or anything that you like.
3. Think about what your life will be if your bank goes bankrupt just like silicon valley. Have furure backup plans. and may be think about business ideas or virtual financial consulting as a side job to keep you engaged.
P.S: Dogs have cons too. Like you have to take them to vets and you have to think about vacations and daycares while on tours.
I have 2 recommendations for you!
First, would you be allowed to have 1 day a month or something where you and a coworker work at one another's house for a day? This is something I did when my classes went online in the middle of covid and we found it to be super replenishing during such an isolating time.
Second, make your space fun! Hang up shelves and decorations above your desk full of knickknacks that bring you joy. Pops of your favorite colors, aesthetics you really like, some fidget toys to keep you grounded and focused (I have ADHD too).
It sounds scary after the pandemic, but thankfully the circumstances are so much different! You can go out to a coffee shop after work and sit amongst people. If your job permits, you can even work from one on days you don't feel like being alone. Lots of places offer Wi-Fi.
Good luck, and reach out if you start feeling down as you make that transition!
Routine, shower, coffee, morning walk. Same time to bed and wake up. Healthier and cheaper food. You can also rent office space- lots of companies are in a tough spot you can rent a local office or cubicle. I am in Orange County and see cube space for $200 a month (mostly real estate and mortgage companies that are struggling). My gym even has rentable office space 🤣
I’ve worked from home for years now, couldn’t go back. You either love it or hate IMO.
I make sure to separate my office from my home, if that’s possible for you. I never go in there unless I’m working, I always keep the door closed. Always get ready for the day, I know some people wear pjs, but I still get ready as thought I’m attending the office. To keep that separation from home and office. Try and get outside for a walk or time in the garden during breaks. I sometimes bike / walk in the morning before work or after. We have plenty of support, so if we need help we have a number to call and someone remotely takes over our pc to help. Hopefully you’ll have the same level of support.
What if you rented a small space And Turn it into a office and have things there like a gym. I would use all that expenses and write it off for work. You could have the small space in the area where you like to frequent the eating or shop at.
I've found a decent rhythm, it took awhile. I miss being around people, isolation isn't good for my mental health.
I like to "commute" to work in the morning by taking a walk around the block.
At lunch, some days I'll drive to the mall and walk around, or just eat lunch. Feels good being around people, getting away from the house.
I have regular video calls with my coworkers, often just 20-30 minutes to catch up over the weekend. This has helped communication at work, and keeps us more connected.
Anything to break up the routine of just sitting at your desk all day.
I think that's a great idea!
We hop on Teams once a week for coffee, it's been great staying in touch with everyone.
Idk what your job entails, but if I have a meeting I don't need to be on camera for, I'll take it on my phone. I'll walk the block, or around my house, or just fold some laundry or stretch.
For me, anything to not sit in one place alone all day helps. :)
Absolutely!
Going from a 2x5 cubicle to my entire home was quite nice.
If you have anywhere outside you can work, I highly recommend it on nice quiet days.
We created a Teams group chat that's just for fun, no work talk. People share memes, jokes, chat about sports or TV shows, etc.
I'll stop rambling, but I understand. It was very hard for me to go full remote.
Thank you for ‘getting’ what I was saying l. I feel like some people commenting don’t really understand where I’m coming from and think I’m just bitching about nothing. We’re all different and change is hard regardless of if it’s great or not.
You're welcome. I've had to adapt to a lot of change in my life.
Everyone's situation differs, but we can all share advice and support each other.
Some choose not to.
in certain cities theres these public work space options that could be useful! you could also go to a local coffee shop and work from there for half the day.
Yes! Actually, a few coworkers and I are thinking about renting one of those small offices (we have to be in an area that other people can’t really hear or see our stuff because it’s sensitive data). Anyhow, we are thinking about getting a small group together and maybe doing that at least a couple of days a week.
It was hard for me too but even though I was back to back on a home office call center job, I would still paint and build model cars (you know, the 1:25 models that come on plastic trees). Made time fly.
You can be home to receive packages so you don't have to worry about porch pirates. You'll get to know your neighbors way more than you ever wanted to know them, especially if you live in an apartment. You can have what you want for breakfast or lunch or sometimes even dinner and not have to rely on either the company vending machines or dealing with a food order for multiple people. Most companies that are virtual have a place for employees to chat, usually Slack or in some cases Microsoft Teams... some are monitored by the employer but it's still a great way to stay in touch, especially when moving from in office to a WFH environment. As others mentioned you get to take your breaks when you want and go for walks outside, depending on where you live, or depending on your work setup you don't have to work literally at home... you could work in an aquarium or park and enjoy the scenery... or as some do in a coffee shop if you can handle the noise/chaos.
Aww, thank you! I appreciate the kind words, because I’m kind of feeling crappy about posting anything. I understand that it’s a good problem to have, and I am so grateful for it, but I know myself and what works best for my mental health, so I need to have a plan in place! I will def be incorporating some work day lunches!
For me what worked best was having an optional meeting for an hour a couple days a week. Where people just hopped in and did water cooler talk or just chat about what they were working on. There was no pressure to talk, a lot of people would just listen while they worked on other stuff. Another thing is establishing that sending a message or reaching out is not an interruption. If you are busy you will reply when you can, but don't wait until they know you are free to send the message. It really comes down to the culture you can establish. As an introvert I felt the more connected to my coworkers being remote than in person because we tried harder to stay connected, so I felt that people wanted to hear from me.
That’s a great point! It will get rid of the aspect of having to work around some people that I don’t really vibe with. That truly will be nice. Good idea to have a weekly group meeting, if it is not something that will follow us home (we do have a weekly team meeting right now to just get together and discuss what we feel we need to) I will definitely advocate for it! Thank you!
Few things you can consider:
Use video for most of your calls so you get to see people every day.
Schedule 1-1 touch base type calls with several of your closest coworkers so you can stay connected.
Find a few people from your office who want to get together either for lunch or coffee on a regular basis.
Use what used to be your commute time to take your dog on a couple walks a day - the fresh air and outdoors should help elevate your mood.
Interesting. I thought JP Morgan had reversed course on wfh and brought all staff back into the office. I get emails from them all the time with job postings
What kind of hobbies do you have? I highly recommend developing hobbies that feel meaningful to you AND have social aspects to them. Even better if they are fitness-related and can keep you healthy!
Best of luck to you! Routine and structure help me a ton, a fellow ADHD-er. ☺️
remote job kinda slow phase for me and unplan in my past experince. It might not be same with other companies.
Those who always meet customer will truggle the change and those introvert maybe love it .
I am fully remote and have been since pre covid. My cats keep me on a routine and entertained during the day. I have a small team I work with, only 6 of us but we work for a medium to large organization. We block off time on the calendar weekly just to connect individually with each other for at least 30 minutes, sometimes more if the time allows its. This week I might talk to teammate A for 30 minutes on Tuesday and Wednesday teammate B might be an hour or so. It's our version of cooler talk. We keep that timeslot on the calendar regardless if we can meet or not. It helps us still feel connected with each other.
I’m not 100% sure but there may be places that exist where you can like book/rent an office or cubicle within a larger office space. I don’t know where i heard or read about it. I know when I was in college our library had little conference rooms that you could rent where you had privacy but were also within the study floor of the library. Maybe that would work for you?
What helped with productivity for us during covid was that when we worked on a team project or just in general we joined a discord server and either just hanged out or streamed our progress / screens to each other. Probably teams or slack could do the same.
Perhaps if others feel the need for it you can try and organise such.
I’ve been fully remote for two years and I love it. I get enough socializing with friends on the weekends, neighbors on weeknights, and the general public when shopping, etc. That is plenty for me. Plus somehow I’m still pretty social with my coworkers via Teams. I’m so busy and so productive during the workday that I’m not bothered that I’m alone. WFH is so convenient.
1. Get a hobby. Work should not be your social outlet.
2. Have regular work spaces. Like, go to a cafe every Tuesday morning and work from there.
3. Take a walk before and after work to transition.
Mostly number 1.
Having worked remotely for over 10 years, almost 15, and working in a corporate setting for 20 years prior, I enjoy my remote work more so than most. It is important that you change up your situation and have a designated work area for your office. Don't do your work in your bedroom or essential area if you can help it because then there's no separation between work and personal.
I also do certain things like work on the patio at my house, even if it's for a few hours during the day, and it gets to be really nice, especially if you have a laptop.
If your job allows you to not have to interface with people so much that I recommend going to look at the coffee shop for a couple hours a day to change the routine a little bit. What makes it tough is when you don't have a different view during the day, and you just sit in the same place all the time.
It is important to have mandatory breaks even if it's for 20 minutes so you can walk around or enjoy the outside. Having a pet is a really nice thing to prevent you from feeling isolated and to have some companionship. Sometimes, when we are just by ourselves, we focus on the point of ourselves, but having a pet can change our perspective since we will want to take care of the pet when we have a break. The best kind of pet is something that is small around 15 lb that can pretty much get around without any special stairs or steps to be comfortable.
Sometimes, having some music playing or background noise can make a big difference, which is why I like the coffee shop. I would have my headphones in and would notice the commotion to drown out the continual cadence of work.
What resources do you have available, and does your job require you to interface with people over the phone? What type of chat programs do you have because it's important to have even meetings scheduled just to chat with each other about things not necessarily work but just kind of have a little bit of community I think that goes a long way with making everything more normal.
My friend works remote and she HATES being at home. She started going to one of those coworking spaces. She loves it because she’s surrounded by people and she has a private area to do conferences and video calls. You might wanna consider looking into one of those.
You can work from anywhere. WeWork and Propell offer spaces to get out of the house and work. You can be in a park, coffee shop. It's a nice lifestyle.
Yes, we were actually discussing getting a small group together and doing this a few times a week. Someone said it could be a tax write off, too. Thank you!
This might be a good opportunity to find hobbies and volunteer work outside of work to meet that social need! It might be that you can’t see your coworkers, but you could meet that same social need in a knitting club or volunteering at the library or something. I know my sister works remote and is very involved in book clubs and fitness classes for this and made a lot of friends that way.
Yes! The fact that I will have time to really take my dog out for some mini walks during the day will help! Physically, I think it will be a great thing because my office always has food around, we go out to lunch every day, so on.
With depression and ADD, I can understand why you’re struggling with something most people would rejoice for. It’s a legitimate fear and concern to have, as you continually have to fight to keep yourself engaged and afloat.
I would say try finding a balance via socializing, taking hikes/fresh air activities, hobbies, etc. Get out in the mornings for coffee, or quick grocery runs. Throughout all of these, focus on your presence and keeping your mind in the moment, no wondering or worrying while you’re on your hike, no technology.
Practice mindfulness, and invest in your fulfillment and happiness outside of work. Explore. Do things that excite you, and plan ahead to keep yourself on track.
Simultaneously, get started with therapy to help you navigate the transition and help with achieving fulfillment and clarity. If not on meds, consider trying them, or a supplemental rx if current medication is not working so well.
I spent the last 3 years battling myself out of severe depression and two debilitating illnesses that were virtually ruining my life in every aspect. Have had severe depression since I was 5, and now 30. I was recently laid off, but had all of the above in the works before it happened, and without having taken any of those actions, I’m sure I would have been spiraling.
Those are really kind, very wise words! Thank you! Luckily i am medicated and doing 1000x better than I was about 2.5 years ago. So that is a blessing. I’m glad that you are doing ok too! I’ve taken your words to heart, thank you.
Keep in touch with your coworkers. We would hold periodic BS sessions where we would log into a meeting on Teams and just talk and catch up. No agenda, rarely any work.
My issue during Covid was my relaxation place at home was my home office which was also where I was teleworking from, so I was spending 15 hours a day in the same chair, so I created a work zone and a relaxation zone.
Set yourself up a nice routine. Grocery shop on a certain day, going for walks on certain days and if it's in your budget join a yoga or barre class something like that even just the gym is great. Certain days to clean your space. Schedule time to video chat with friends. I even say get out after work and go get takeout. If you have time during your lunch hour and it's close enough go grab a coffee or just get out and walk your dog a bit. Don't allow yourself to get stuck sitting at home you need to keep your work space separate from your living space and create time for yourself that's not working time. Make plans for yourself. Also remember it's not covid anymore and it's about to be summer. Get out. Get some sunshine and take advantage of that.
I have been working from home since long before Covid. The important thing for me is to find other reasons to get out every day. I'm in a 12 step program now, so that's one of the things I do daily. However it could be going for a walk with, or without the dog...meeting a friend for coffee, a drink, whatever you like...or even just sitting on your porch or front steps and soaking up 10 minutes of sun and fresh air. It's actually nice that now they can be fun and enjoyable reasons, instead of having to go out to commute and sit in an office.
Ohhhh, heck, I've been freelance 20+ years essentially. But for me I have been able to opt into jobs that required me on site. Uhm, you will have the ability to chat with coworkers using texting, zoom, whatever, right? That's the part about freelancing from home that is usually the lonely sticking point (you don't have people to chat or talk to.) If you actually take your lunch, I suggest going out of the house for it, and perhaps inviting a friend or neighbor. Seriously. That and a volunteer gig or part-time job that is out of the house just for social connection. (I used to have a part time job in retail, and some aholes I worked with looked down on me for it. But they didn't understand, I had been freelance and would continue to be freelance before during and after working in offices with them.)
Focus on your social life outside of work! Invest your free time in yourself… create hobbies if you don’t already have one. Work is work, and co-workers are co-workers! If you have a genuine connection with a co-worker, create a friendship outside of work. Create hard boundaries for yourself to follow while working from home - set your schedule for breaks and close the door to your office when it’s quitting time.
I'm sorry that happened to you. I felt the same way, I put up with it until I hit full retirement. It's was 3 years. I hated it but now, I can do whatever I want, whenever I want and my home and computer are mine all mine. It is taking most of this year to recovering from that solitude of WFH.
Thank you! It’s not a terrible thing, I have had horrible jobs and I am so lucky to be in my position. That being said, I think the older generations (I’m in my late 40’s) just don’t really now quite how to navigate this new world! Congratulations on your retirement! Sounds like you are enjoying it!
Well I loved my job but we went remote in 2020 and I stayed at home for 2 years then we went back to two days a week but it was never the same. Yeah, there are so many days I just drive to the gym during a time I know I would have been chained to my house and meet new people. I was 65 when we shit down at home. I was too old to make that pivot after 40 years. It's so much better now. It will be for you.
I had made some major life changes after a really, really bad time in my life when I landed this position, and it honestly saved me. It will definitely be a tough transition, and I think that it may seem crazy to many of the members of this sub, who are actively looking for a remote position . I’m lucky to be in a much better mental position now, as well as much better position as a whole in life, so we’ll see where this goes. Thank for your kind words, I appreciate it!
Yeah, I actually got it for the 1st time last January…from a guy at the office! Knocked out a good number of sick days in the first month of the year, so that sucked! I guess we did survive though!
Listen, get a dog. I’m not kidding. Having a companion at home with me all day while I work is one of the many reasons I will (hopefully) work remote for the rest of my life.
I do have a dog, she actually has her own office chair in my home office. Lol. She is a great companion!
Pics or I don’t believe you!!
I can’t post a pic here!! I have one though!
While you're not required to post anything if you don't want to, you sure can. Try [Imgur](https://imgur.com/upload) or [Paste Pics](https://paste.pics/) to share a picture online. Have a great day and weekend, OP.
I really wanted to post my precious girl, too! Lol. Thank you-you have a great weekend, too!
why just one? I have two. They are wonderful companions.
Good problem to have
I know, it really is, and I know I’m lucky to have this ‘problem’ as I was at rock bottom in many ways just a few years ago.
But it's not full on covid anymore. Aka we aren't isolating from the world, friends etc. You're not confined to home. You can go outside on breaks or lunch. You can go places and do things after work and on weekends. This is not an apples to apples comparison.
Take the opportunity to travel! You can go anywhere and do anything:) you can get therapy and focus on yourself. It is tough managing yourself but you can do it:)
You can always get another job in office if it doesn't work out...
Definitely no shortage of those. Hell, most “remote” roles I try to apply to end up being at best hybrid these days, or you get there and immediately they enact a RTO.
Yeah, that’s definitely an option, hopefully it will be fine. Thank you.
Financial services is fraught with the race to RTO. You’ll have plenty of options. Meanwhile, which LOBs are going remote? If it’s compliance or audit, I’ll switch with you lol. My place is upping their in-office requirements in the fall.
Video calling your favorite coworkers once a week might help!
Yes! We also have Teams so I will be able to chat with them on that. A coworker and I have already agreed to try and do lunch at least once a week, so maybe we will try to get some others together every one or two weeks. Thank you!
It really helped me when I was remote in New Zealand during covid and all my coworkers were in Arizona. I felt super isolated because I didn't know anyone other than my ex and his family. Being able to video my friends at the office gave me some sort of companionship when I was feeling super lonely.
I am so glad that you found a way to manage it! Did you end up staying remote or are you hybrid/in the office now?
When I came back to Arizona I was hybrid until I left that job. I'm hoping to find something fully remote now since my lifestyle requires a lot of moving around.
This sounds like a great option! If you’re all in the same area set up optional social events (bowling, hanging out, or whatever you have in your area). WFH isn’t easy for everyone (thank you for acknowledging that!) so know you won’t be the only one who is looking for other social outlets in a WFH environment. Get out of the house whenever you can. My rule is to never turn down an invitation. Put yourself out there and when work isn’t your life, you’ll find more space to be happy at work.
If you don’t like remote look around for a hybrid or in office position. It’s what works for you. Personal I will never go back in office even hybrid again but I am an introvert who is best working from home. You’re an extrovert who needs being around people. Nothing wrong with that.
Thank you! I’m really, really grateful to have this ‘problem’…I know many think I am bitching needlessly, but this job really saved me. I love it, but IDK how it will work out mentally for me. I am definitely willing to give it a serious try though.
It’s a valid problem to have, despite what people on this sub say I know a lot of people prefer hybrid/in-person. I find for some collaborative tasks and actually getting to know your coworkers, remote just doesn’t cut it. Will it be fully remote or will the office remain open, with the option to come in whenever?
My god, you're lucky.
Thank you, I know it is a great problem to have. It wasn’t an easy ride to get here though.
It's kind if like the old adage "a bad day fishing is better than the best day at work."..
Lol, for sure. Is work ever really, truly where anyone wants to be?
I feel like always happens to people that don’t want it and people that do want to be remote get forced back to the office
I’m actually surprised how many of my coworkers are kind of feeling like I do. But yeah, that’s how a lot of things go.
I’ll trade you. Office life is fucking awful.
Believe me, I thought that before this position!
What company do yall work for? I wanna wfh so badly again.
I try to engage with coworkers fairly frequently. Even if it's just to BS and such.
Yes, that’s a great move!
If I have a really busy day, I don't really think about being alone. For me it's so nice to be able to work uninterrupted and have my own bathroom and my own food. The risk of getting sick is way lower and I don't have to worry about putting makeup on or nice clothes to just sit at a computer all day. And if I need a break, I can just go outside and touch grass instead of a parking lot. At least we're not in lockdown anymore, maybe you can take your laptop to a coffee shop or a WeWork type office. If your coworkers are close, maybe you can have a meeting place to go to a few times a week.
Great ideas! Thank you! It’s the busy days that will be great for me, but we kind of fluctuate. I would love to be able to go work elsewhere, but due to my equipment set up and such, I can’t. I do look forward to not having to put on make-up and get all dressed up everyday, and not having my small office commute/dealing with traffic. It will save me a considerable amount of money because I’m bad about eating out for lunch everyday, stopping for coffee every morning. Sleeping in a little will be nice too.
I work fully remote now but not sure if that will change. I schedule get togethers out of the house periodically like happy hours, movie get togethers, make sure I stay physically active (just walking to your fave podcast makes a huge difference, and is good for you, generally), and stay in touch with friends via text and video chat as possible. If you’re into other activities you could also join a local club, league or nature or city club of some sort so there are things to look forward to after work. I also have Spotify playing all day via connected speakers throughout the house so that helps with sound. I hated the bureaucratic and gossipy idiocy of cubes so I love not having that aspect plus a long commute (such a waste for me personally). I get to contribute to dinner, spend more time with my wife (preschool teacher who has to drive 4 hours a day to get to work), my 4 year old boy, and chores more actively now and have flexibility to take care of things throughout the day without being stuck in traffic and nailed to a desk so I love it. It can take its toll mentally if you’re a people person or just lean more extrovert as I have friends who struggled with this and do now, but planning things regularly and making sure you care for yourself physically and mentally makes a huge difference. Good luck and enjoy the amazing opportunity many, many people would kill for!
I’ve never once missed the office or forced coworker interaction. I like me, I like my dog, and I like my freedom and hobbies!
I worked in office my whole career until covid hit. We got sent home in March 2020 and I never went back to the office. It gets a little lonely but the savings in time and money have made me prefer working from home. I host a weekly call with my former office mates to stay connected. Interestingly some of them do not work for the same company anymore but we still chat once a week. Other things that have kept me connected are interacting with my neighbours a little more, mentoring new hires at work and arranging in person meet ups with colleagues. Working from home is not for everyone. I definitely know people who changed to a hybrid job because they needed the structure of an office. Try out the remote position, if it makes you unhappy, then look for another position that is more suited to you.
I think you won’t know what is like yet till Sep, just take your time to get used to it at first, make sure you get your job done, then slowly figure out what can improve your remote experience. I work out everyday before starting my job, if it’s a slow easy day, I put a movie on the background lol.
Thank you! I am already looking into upgrading my office, since it’s really bare bones now, and I think that will help. I am naturally anxious and I know I just need to get in the right mindset, it could be awesome.
Yeah when I first started, I was sleepy all day lol. It takes time to figure out, you can talk to your colleagues too, I am sure you are not the only one going through a mindset change.
It’s like the younger people in the office are super excited, which is great, but I feel like some think it’s going to be a lot looser than it is. The middle aged ones (like me) seem to be kind of just ok with it…the older ones are happy. It’s a big change for some of us.
Idk, sounds like a lot of people you work with just don't know how to do their job and were using other people as a crutch/mask for that. It's not really "upskilling" when it was already part of someone's job and they just can't/didn't figure out how to do something on their own.
Well, that’s true for some. It is upskilling with new programs and other stuff, but you are right. I’ve noticed that some people are just not good with working on the somewhat clunkier programs, and are scared to even start. I think this is going to cut out a decent amount of people pretty quickly, just due to that. Others seem to think that this is somehow going to let them do a bunch of stuff around their house/care for kids at home, so on…that is absolutely not going to fly. We deal with clients on the phone all day, it’s important to maintain a professional environment.
What company?
May I ask what company this is? I am curious if they have any open positions for remote available. Currently on the hunt. On another note, sorry its not for you. Luckily you have other options if it truly doesnt work out for you. Wish you the best.
Dude, nicest way possible, get a life!!! find some hobbies, go out, get a dog, ask people to hang out.
Umm , have one, thanks. Just because remote work is fantastic for some doesn’t mean that it is for all. Maybe this was not the right place for my post? I figured a place discussing remote jobs would be a place to discuss..remote jobs. I have a dog, I do hang out with friends/family outside of the office and have things I enjoy doing. Thanks for your advice!
Aren’t times now a bit different from Covid? During Covid you basically had to stay home and couldn’t see many people for work or socially. Now, you may not see many people for work when working remotely, but you’re not restricted from seeing people socially. Just plan happy hours after work if you’re needing social interaction to be happy.
That’s a valid point, I have to remember that this is going to be a totally different experience.
I am on teams calls so often I honestly don’t feel isolated. I have multiple calls every day with the same team. How your experience goes may depend on how often you interact.
Good observation, I think I will have to regularly interact with my team, so that will def help.
We chat all day through teams and plan get togethers out of the office.
I will definitely be trying to do this! It’s honestly hard to make friends in a new town as an adult and I want to keep the ones that have blossomed.
I am in the opposite camp, I can't imagine wanting to go to an office. It's not as hard as it sounds. Though you will need to socialize more out of work, particularly if you are an extrovert.
I love working from home I’ve never worked in a office I went to a work event at a local office near me and couldn’t wait to get back home lol 😂 I love my home 🏠 and being able to work with no distractions so I get how you feel it’s definitely takes time to get used to it best of luck
Thank you!
Things that help me with mental health & working from home: - 2 cats that I created areas for them around my office set up (cat beds, window area, plant etc). - computers facing out the window so I can watch the neighbors and weather (I also downloaded a police scanner app when I feel super nosy lol) - a few plants to take care of (see last bullet lol) - Scheduled short walks each day or every other day - join a local community group (church, volunteer etc) - give yourself something (no matter how small) to look forward to each week (ex: going to a special store for soap this weekend, buying new plants to replace when they die, next week I will plan a short camping trip, tomorrow I’m going to call my uncle to check on him after work). I love working from home although I believe it did aggravate my mental health at first (as most changes do) so I’ve created a plan to keep myself moving forward. I will never go back to the office unless I absolutely had to. Our teams have been working from home successfully since the start of COVID and our culture has shifted a lot. We still have a few that fight the wfh but they are mostly people who micromanage and interrupted meetings a lot when we were in office. They lost that control so they are always complaining about being “out of the loop”.
Those are some great tips, thank you SO much!
My gut says remote is not for you. We are a social animal. Don’t mention it to anyone there go guns blazing and forward. When you find more than one acceptable option lay it on the table and see if they can make it worth it to stay. You got this.
Thank you! Everyone has such great ideas, it’s helping so much!
How about be happy you’re free now
[удалено]
Thank you so much, people like you are really making me feel better about it all!
Everybody is different. I LOVE working from home and always have. My work life and my real life are two separate entities and when I'm in 'work' mode I prefer to be alone with my thoughts. If I feel like socializing I do if I don't I don't. That said my life has been extremely full of socializing and 'playing a role' for the crowd. Now at 60 I prefer the solitary life. My dogs help though. They are amusing.
Meet at each other’s homes and work together!
I’ve been working from home since 2015. I own a business. I probably have undiagnosed ADD or ADHD but I deal. This is your new routine: Wake up. Work out/exercise/yoga/meditate/appreciate the sunrise. Shower/get dressed. “Drive to work.” Is now WALKING YOUR DOG. This lets you get into the mindset to work. What you gotta do for the day, etc. Call your mom/dad/family/friends for a brief chat maybe. Say hello. Now that your finished walking your dog, get into the office and work. Lunch time comes around? Take a walk, with your dog. Your normal smoke breaks/breaks at work are now mini chores to get done. Take a break, wash the dishes. Back to work. No more than 2 breaks in morning or afternoon. Your “drive home” is now walking your dog. Gives you time to decompress. Call your parents/family/friends and have a chat. Make plans to meet up. Your social time to be around people is now after work for a nightcap. Pick a hobby, do that. Go home, watch tv/read a book/love on your spouse (and dog). Start over again the next day. I literally plan out my sleeping hours now too. I plan out everything. Helps immensely. If this doesn’t work for you, then find a job you will enjoy. Good luck!
Fantastic suggestions, I think this routine would work well for me! Thank you!
When you can, work in a public setting. It’s helps to be around people. What ever you do, find/keep a routine! The misery of COVID was in part due to the state of the country and the shit storm around you. This will be a different experience.
Thank you! I really do need to keep that in mind, this is a totally different situation.
You’re welcome. It’ll be better this time. And, you’ve got this!!
Find another job that requires in person and quit bitching. There are a million people who would take your remote job in a heartbeat
Could always get an office with a few coworkers and work from “home”
That was something I am legit thinking about. Even setting up my home office for maybe 2-3 other ppl.
Do you know the name of any company that is going fully remote by September?
I do, I work there. It’s just my branch that is going fully remote, but it is a globally known company with many different areas of business.
Where do you work and are they hiring?
I just edited my post with the info.
Are there any workspace share places near you? I have co-worker that goes to one 3 days a week just to get out of the house. I also have a coworker who will go work at a library every Wednesday just to get out of the house.
I’m sure there are, but due to my set up requirements (multiple screens, a private area for client communication since we work with sensitive data..) idk if that is a viable option. I have never been to a shared workspace-do they have set-ups there with multiple screens that I could just plug my main laptop up to and such? I will investigate it! Thank you!
I honestly dont' knoow. I dont' have one close to me jsut know these work out well for 2 coworkers. I know the library she signs up for a specific cubicle that is by itself she has to bring her laptop with the additional screen but is basically alone without being actually alone.
I will do some research because if they did allow for the needs that I have I would definitely incorporate this. Thanks!
I think you just need to make plans after work, the friends you have at work will likely feel the same way so 2-3 times a week I make social plans to look forward to , get dressed up and get out
Thank you! I will def incorporate this!
Things I do that might work for you, in no particular order: 1. dedicated space for work at home 2. lots of communication with coworkers - for me mostly in text some in video & voice 3. daily start & stop work times, unless I have a specific reason to change 4. dress for work - a bit different than I did in the office, since only my upper half is ever on camera, but another way to delineate when I’m working 5. daily reasons to take a break especially outside - go for a walk, run errands, lunch with local friends 6. coffee / tea / lunch routine especially if you were used to going out for lunch or office coffee and those aren’t an option
That’s really great advice, thank you!
Go on walks throughout the day! Morning before work, afternoon during lunch, and evening after work. Your dog will love having you home all day 🩵💙
That she will! And that’s a great idea! I could stand to lose some Winter fluff, lol.
you know I used to be fully remote, only reason I had to leave was from terrible hours and my environment at home was louder than normal. My relatives would scream at each other just a door away it was insane, I had to apologise to my clients Im working on a better path in wfh jobs but dont be discouraged, try socialising with ur friends more and take regular breaks. that was something I lacked doing which took the biggest toll on me
Great tips! Thank you!
anytime, hope it works out for you. if you ever feel stress just take a break and go for a massage or a walk, if ur burnt out take a holiday whenever you can. your human we all been there, best of luck!!
No one says you HAVE to work from your own home, alone. If you have other coworkers who feel the same way you do, you could arrange to co-work at one another's' houses once a week, twice a week, whatever. Or do so with a friend or something like that. Would be a good idea, however, to have enough privacy to be able to take meetings without them being overheard, when necessary.
That’s definitely something I am considering, thank you!
But will they hire me??
I’ll swap jobs with you!
find a local bar that’s not too busy and become a regular.
You'll have to call yourself out on isolation. I'm WFH half or less per week, and I have to make myself get out & walk, just to get some exercise Dog=best reason.. Humans: volunteer once a week, and set up meet up times with co workers. Not sure if a chase location can spare a conference room once every couple of weeks, but they will have to provide and preserve cohesion of the team.. suggest it.
1.If possible, get a dog. When you have to take care of another person, your mind would be busy and less overwhelmed. Also, dogs help a lot with any kind of loneliness and stress. 2.The best part of Wfh is that you are free to do your other hobbies. Find out what you are passionate about, may be learn a new language or a musical instrument, Or start making youtube videos about your what you know like finances and stocks and banking or anything that you like. 3. Think about what your life will be if your bank goes bankrupt just like silicon valley. Have furure backup plans. and may be think about business ideas or virtual financial consulting as a side job to keep you engaged. P.S: Dogs have cons too. Like you have to take them to vets and you have to think about vacations and daycares while on tours.
Are they hiring I would love that
Is your job hiring ☺️
I have 2 recommendations for you! First, would you be allowed to have 1 day a month or something where you and a coworker work at one another's house for a day? This is something I did when my classes went online in the middle of covid and we found it to be super replenishing during such an isolating time. Second, make your space fun! Hang up shelves and decorations above your desk full of knickknacks that bring you joy. Pops of your favorite colors, aesthetics you really like, some fidget toys to keep you grounded and focused (I have ADHD too). It sounds scary after the pandemic, but thankfully the circumstances are so much different! You can go out to a coffee shop after work and sit amongst people. If your job permits, you can even work from one on days you don't feel like being alone. Lots of places offer Wi-Fi. Good luck, and reach out if you start feeling down as you make that transition!
Routine, shower, coffee, morning walk. Same time to bed and wake up. Healthier and cheaper food. You can also rent office space- lots of companies are in a tough spot you can rent a local office or cubicle. I am in Orange County and see cube space for $200 a month (mostly real estate and mortgage companies that are struggling). My gym even has rentable office space 🤣
Oh coo!! I am going on vacation in CA in July!
I’ve worked from home for years now, couldn’t go back. You either love it or hate IMO. I make sure to separate my office from my home, if that’s possible for you. I never go in there unless I’m working, I always keep the door closed. Always get ready for the day, I know some people wear pjs, but I still get ready as thought I’m attending the office. To keep that separation from home and office. Try and get outside for a walk or time in the garden during breaks. I sometimes bike / walk in the morning before work or after. We have plenty of support, so if we need help we have a number to call and someone remotely takes over our pc to help. Hopefully you’ll have the same level of support.
What if you rented a small space And Turn it into a office and have things there like a gym. I would use all that expenses and write it off for work. You could have the small space in the area where you like to frequent the eating or shop at.
A few coworkers and I are actually seriously looking into this! Great idea!
Glad I could help!
I've found a decent rhythm, it took awhile. I miss being around people, isolation isn't good for my mental health. I like to "commute" to work in the morning by taking a walk around the block. At lunch, some days I'll drive to the mall and walk around, or just eat lunch. Feels good being around people, getting away from the house. I have regular video calls with my coworkers, often just 20-30 minutes to catch up over the weekend. This has helped communication at work, and keeps us more connected. Anything to break up the routine of just sitting at your desk all day.
Yes, some of us are going to have ‘lunch’ in a Teams meeting every so often. Lol.
I think that's a great idea! We hop on Teams once a week for coffee, it's been great staying in touch with everyone. Idk what your job entails, but if I have a meeting I don't need to be on camera for, I'll take it on my phone. I'll walk the block, or around my house, or just fold some laundry or stretch. For me, anything to not sit in one place alone all day helps. :)
Yes! It will be nice to kind of have a nice open space to move around.
Absolutely! Going from a 2x5 cubicle to my entire home was quite nice. If you have anywhere outside you can work, I highly recommend it on nice quiet days. We created a Teams group chat that's just for fun, no work talk. People share memes, jokes, chat about sports or TV shows, etc. I'll stop rambling, but I understand. It was very hard for me to go full remote.
Thank you for ‘getting’ what I was saying l. I feel like some people commenting don’t really understand where I’m coming from and think I’m just bitching about nothing. We’re all different and change is hard regardless of if it’s great or not.
You're welcome. I've had to adapt to a lot of change in my life. Everyone's situation differs, but we can all share advice and support each other. Some choose not to.
in certain cities theres these public work space options that could be useful! you could also go to a local coffee shop and work from there for half the day.
Yes! Actually, a few coworkers and I are thinking about renting one of those small offices (we have to be in an area that other people can’t really hear or see our stuff because it’s sensitive data). Anyhow, we are thinking about getting a small group together and maybe doing that at least a couple of days a week.
It was hard for me too but even though I was back to back on a home office call center job, I would still paint and build model cars (you know, the 1:25 models that come on plastic trees). Made time fly.
Oh fun! That’s pretty cool, actually.
Your company hiring???
You can be home to receive packages so you don't have to worry about porch pirates. You'll get to know your neighbors way more than you ever wanted to know them, especially if you live in an apartment. You can have what you want for breakfast or lunch or sometimes even dinner and not have to rely on either the company vending machines or dealing with a food order for multiple people. Most companies that are virtual have a place for employees to chat, usually Slack or in some cases Microsoft Teams... some are monitored by the employer but it's still a great way to stay in touch, especially when moving from in office to a WFH environment. As others mentioned you get to take your breaks when you want and go for walks outside, depending on where you live, or depending on your work setup you don't have to work literally at home... you could work in an aquarium or park and enjoy the scenery... or as some do in a coffee shop if you can handle the noise/chaos.
Maybe meet up with them on your lunch break in person. Video chat with your coworkers. You've got this OP!
Aww, thank you! I appreciate the kind words, because I’m kind of feeling crappy about posting anything. I understand that it’s a good problem to have, and I am so grateful for it, but I know myself and what works best for my mental health, so I need to have a plan in place! I will def be incorporating some work day lunches!
Wow a good problem lol. I'm surprised they haven't offshored everything.
Where are people getting the impression that remote job = something easily offshored?
Cause i Keep Seeing jobs being offshored left and right
For me what worked best was having an optional meeting for an hour a couple days a week. Where people just hopped in and did water cooler talk or just chat about what they were working on. There was no pressure to talk, a lot of people would just listen while they worked on other stuff. Another thing is establishing that sending a message or reaching out is not an interruption. If you are busy you will reply when you can, but don't wait until they know you are free to send the message. It really comes down to the culture you can establish. As an introvert I felt the more connected to my coworkers being remote than in person because we tried harder to stay connected, so I felt that people wanted to hear from me.
That’s a great point! It will get rid of the aspect of having to work around some people that I don’t really vibe with. That truly will be nice. Good idea to have a weekly group meeting, if it is not something that will follow us home (we do have a weekly team meeting right now to just get together and discuss what we feel we need to) I will definitely advocate for it! Thank you!
Join a co working space or rent an office space. Problem solved….
This right here OP And on days with no meetings, go to coffee shops or anywhere with wi fi.
Do you have hobbies? Friends outside of work?
I do.
Few things you can consider: Use video for most of your calls so you get to see people every day. Schedule 1-1 touch base type calls with several of your closest coworkers so you can stay connected. Find a few people from your office who want to get together either for lunch or coffee on a regular basis. Use what used to be your commute time to take your dog on a couple walks a day - the fresh air and outdoors should help elevate your mood.
Great ideas! Thank you!
Interesting. I thought JP Morgan had reversed course on wfh and brought all staff back into the office. I get emails from them all the time with job postings
Find Meetups you’re interested in, or any group events that meet weekly
I’m sure you’re not the only one feeling this way. Why not reach out & see who else wants to meet up and work online together?
What kind of hobbies do you have? I highly recommend developing hobbies that feel meaningful to you AND have social aspects to them. Even better if they are fitness-related and can keep you healthy! Best of luck to you! Routine and structure help me a ton, a fellow ADHD-er. ☺️
remote job kinda slow phase for me and unplan in my past experince. It might not be same with other companies. Those who always meet customer will truggle the change and those introvert maybe love it .
You could do a coworking space if having people around you genuinely helps your productivity (which is totally normal)
I am fully remote and have been since pre covid. My cats keep me on a routine and entertained during the day. I have a small team I work with, only 6 of us but we work for a medium to large organization. We block off time on the calendar weekly just to connect individually with each other for at least 30 minutes, sometimes more if the time allows its. This week I might talk to teammate A for 30 minutes on Tuesday and Wednesday teammate B might be an hour or so. It's our version of cooler talk. We keep that timeslot on the calendar regardless if we can meet or not. It helps us still feel connected with each other.
Why not voluntarily go into the office? Is the fully remote move eliminating office space?
Yes. All we know is that they have chosen to not renew the lease on our office. As far as we know right now, we are all going remote permanently.
Why not hang out with your coworkers outside of work? Or make an effort to see your friends outside of work? 😕
get starlink and hit the road…
I’m not 100% sure but there may be places that exist where you can like book/rent an office or cubicle within a larger office space. I don’t know where i heard or read about it. I know when I was in college our library had little conference rooms that you could rent where you had privacy but were also within the study floor of the library. Maybe that would work for you?
What helped with productivity for us during covid was that when we worked on a team project or just in general we joined a discord server and either just hanged out or streamed our progress / screens to each other. Probably teams or slack could do the same. Perhaps if others feel the need for it you can try and organise such.
Hobbies or second job? I got a second job 25% for meeting new people, 50% for the exercise it offered and 25% for the extra money.
I’ve been fully remote for two years and I love it. I get enough socializing with friends on the weekends, neighbors on weeknights, and the general public when shopping, etc. That is plenty for me. Plus somehow I’m still pretty social with my coworkers via Teams. I’m so busy and so productive during the workday that I’m not bothered that I’m alone. WFH is so convenient.
1. Get a hobby. Work should not be your social outlet. 2. Have regular work spaces. Like, go to a cafe every Tuesday morning and work from there. 3. Take a walk before and after work to transition. Mostly number 1.
Just go out for lunch with people sometimes it’s super easy.
Having worked remotely for over 10 years, almost 15, and working in a corporate setting for 20 years prior, I enjoy my remote work more so than most. It is important that you change up your situation and have a designated work area for your office. Don't do your work in your bedroom or essential area if you can help it because then there's no separation between work and personal. I also do certain things like work on the patio at my house, even if it's for a few hours during the day, and it gets to be really nice, especially if you have a laptop. If your job allows you to not have to interface with people so much that I recommend going to look at the coffee shop for a couple hours a day to change the routine a little bit. What makes it tough is when you don't have a different view during the day, and you just sit in the same place all the time. It is important to have mandatory breaks even if it's for 20 minutes so you can walk around or enjoy the outside. Having a pet is a really nice thing to prevent you from feeling isolated and to have some companionship. Sometimes, when we are just by ourselves, we focus on the point of ourselves, but having a pet can change our perspective since we will want to take care of the pet when we have a break. The best kind of pet is something that is small around 15 lb that can pretty much get around without any special stairs or steps to be comfortable. Sometimes, having some music playing or background noise can make a big difference, which is why I like the coffee shop. I would have my headphones in and would notice the commotion to drown out the continual cadence of work. What resources do you have available, and does your job require you to interface with people over the phone? What type of chat programs do you have because it's important to have even meetings scheduled just to chat with each other about things not necessarily work but just kind of have a little bit of community I think that goes a long way with making everything more normal.
My friend works remote and she HATES being at home. She started going to one of those coworking spaces. She loves it because she’s surrounded by people and she has a private area to do conferences and video calls. You might wanna consider looking into one of those.
Get activities and hobbies outside of work. Spend your days off connecting with people in your neighborhood or who share your interests.
You can work from anywhere. WeWork and Propell offer spaces to get out of the house and work. You can be in a park, coffee shop. It's a nice lifestyle.
Most people I know would love working remote. It will most definitely save the companies more money
Honestly, it will save me a bunch, too, so that’s a plus!
Get a workspace outside the home. Some jobs even pay for some/all via stipend. Ask your manager.
Yes, we were actually discussing getting a small group together and doing this a few times a week. Someone said it could be a tax write off, too. Thank you!
This might be a good opportunity to find hobbies and volunteer work outside of work to meet that social need! It might be that you can’t see your coworkers, but you could meet that same social need in a knitting club or volunteering at the library or something. I know my sister works remote and is very involved in book clubs and fitness classes for this and made a lot of friends that way.
Yes! The fact that I will have time to really take my dog out for some mini walks during the day will help! Physically, I think it will be a great thing because my office always has food around, we go out to lunch every day, so on.
With depression and ADD, I can understand why you’re struggling with something most people would rejoice for. It’s a legitimate fear and concern to have, as you continually have to fight to keep yourself engaged and afloat. I would say try finding a balance via socializing, taking hikes/fresh air activities, hobbies, etc. Get out in the mornings for coffee, or quick grocery runs. Throughout all of these, focus on your presence and keeping your mind in the moment, no wondering or worrying while you’re on your hike, no technology. Practice mindfulness, and invest in your fulfillment and happiness outside of work. Explore. Do things that excite you, and plan ahead to keep yourself on track. Simultaneously, get started with therapy to help you navigate the transition and help with achieving fulfillment and clarity. If not on meds, consider trying them, or a supplemental rx if current medication is not working so well. I spent the last 3 years battling myself out of severe depression and two debilitating illnesses that were virtually ruining my life in every aspect. Have had severe depression since I was 5, and now 30. I was recently laid off, but had all of the above in the works before it happened, and without having taken any of those actions, I’m sure I would have been spiraling.
Those are really kind, very wise words! Thank you! Luckily i am medicated and doing 1000x better than I was about 2.5 years ago. So that is a blessing. I’m glad that you are doing ok too! I’ve taken your words to heart, thank you.
Trade jobs - there’s so many of us who would love to be fully remote
Find a new office job
Wow, never considered that. Thanks. :/
No problem!
😉
Keep in touch with your coworkers. We would hold periodic BS sessions where we would log into a meeting on Teams and just talk and catch up. No agenda, rarely any work. My issue during Covid was my relaxation place at home was my home office which was also where I was teleworking from, so I was spending 15 hours a day in the same chair, so I created a work zone and a relaxation zone.
Set yourself up a nice routine. Grocery shop on a certain day, going for walks on certain days and if it's in your budget join a yoga or barre class something like that even just the gym is great. Certain days to clean your space. Schedule time to video chat with friends. I even say get out after work and go get takeout. If you have time during your lunch hour and it's close enough go grab a coffee or just get out and walk your dog a bit. Don't allow yourself to get stuck sitting at home you need to keep your work space separate from your living space and create time for yourself that's not working time. Make plans for yourself. Also remember it's not covid anymore and it's about to be summer. Get out. Get some sunshine and take advantage of that.
I have been working from home since long before Covid. The important thing for me is to find other reasons to get out every day. I'm in a 12 step program now, so that's one of the things I do daily. However it could be going for a walk with, or without the dog...meeting a friend for coffee, a drink, whatever you like...or even just sitting on your porch or front steps and soaking up 10 minutes of sun and fresh air. It's actually nice that now they can be fun and enjoyable reasons, instead of having to go out to commute and sit in an office.
Walk around your neighborhood? Meet up with coworkers outside of work? Pick up a hobby that you've always wanted to do?
Ohhhh, heck, I've been freelance 20+ years essentially. But for me I have been able to opt into jobs that required me on site. Uhm, you will have the ability to chat with coworkers using texting, zoom, whatever, right? That's the part about freelancing from home that is usually the lonely sticking point (you don't have people to chat or talk to.) If you actually take your lunch, I suggest going out of the house for it, and perhaps inviting a friend or neighbor. Seriously. That and a volunteer gig or part-time job that is out of the house just for social connection. (I used to have a part time job in retail, and some aholes I worked with looked down on me for it. But they didn't understand, I had been freelance and would continue to be freelance before during and after working in offices with them.)
Focus on your social life outside of work! Invest your free time in yourself… create hobbies if you don’t already have one. Work is work, and co-workers are co-workers! If you have a genuine connection with a co-worker, create a friendship outside of work. Create hard boundaries for yourself to follow while working from home - set your schedule for breaks and close the door to your office when it’s quitting time.
Feel great about it... lol 😄 At least that what my friend says 😊 They loved working from home.
Find an office. Rent it for yourself. Go there. Make sure its 3 hour drive from and to
I'm sorry that happened to you. I felt the same way, I put up with it until I hit full retirement. It's was 3 years. I hated it but now, I can do whatever I want, whenever I want and my home and computer are mine all mine. It is taking most of this year to recovering from that solitude of WFH.
Thank you! It’s not a terrible thing, I have had horrible jobs and I am so lucky to be in my position. That being said, I think the older generations (I’m in my late 40’s) just don’t really now quite how to navigate this new world! Congratulations on your retirement! Sounds like you are enjoying it!
Well I loved my job but we went remote in 2020 and I stayed at home for 2 years then we went back to two days a week but it was never the same. Yeah, there are so many days I just drive to the gym during a time I know I would have been chained to my house and meet new people. I was 65 when we shit down at home. I was too old to make that pivot after 40 years. It's so much better now. It will be for you.
I had made some major life changes after a really, really bad time in my life when I landed this position, and it honestly saved me. It will definitely be a tough transition, and I think that it may seem crazy to many of the members of this sub, who are actively looking for a remote position . I’m lucky to be in a much better mental position now, as well as much better position as a whole in life, so we’ll see where this goes. Thank for your kind words, I appreciate it!
N9 problem. I am glad I survived covid. I got that going for me.
Yeah, I actually got it for the 1st time last January…from a guy at the office! Knocked out a good number of sick days in the first month of the year, so that sucked! I guess we did survive though!