Struggling with office working

[Oldfilmsareshit]

I worked from home - like many - during the pandemic. Now we’re meant to be in the office a few days a week I’m finding I can’t bear it.

The office is too stuffy and I feel so grubby after about an hour. The chairs are uncomfortable and give me back ache, rushing in and out for drop off and pick ups, small talk, grey desks, the commute. I hate it all.

I’ve been so much more productive at home even though I’ve probably worked fewer hours. I find I get more done in bursts with short periods of rest/ distraction in between than in sitting upright at a desk all day….

I don’t know how to get over this…any tips.

Clean your desk, change the chair and the get on with it. Work is work after all. If you hate to that much change jobs?

We hot-desk. I love my job. I just don’t like office working. And I don’t work my best there.

I am the same OP. I am finding it exhausting, the polite small talk, the travel, the office clothes, getting home shattered

How often is a 'few' days a week. Is there any scope for a graduated build up, or minimum days or flexibility around doing maybe one week in and one week at home? Basically, different patterns where you are still in the office regularly but that might be easier for you to adjust back to?

Maybe find a home working job then?

Yeah it's gross we got desk too. Don't have all your nice tea and coffee, everything's a bit dusty or sticky. Commute is an hour of hot business and feels like extra work. Watched all the time even going to the loo. Keyboards are shit.

Just got to crack on with it or ask to WFH permanently I guess.

I feel the same. I’m not even really needed in the office but the whole company have been asked to return 3 days a week. I’m too distracted, it takes me over an hour to get in, paying ridiculous amounts for parking and nothing ever bloody works properly. I can’t see it changing so I’m just grinning and bearing it atm and relishing the days I have at home.

I have argued several times that unless there’s a business need for us to be in (there isn’t) then leave us stay at home, ease the costs of living and our carbon footprint but didn’t get anywhere! 🙄

Are there particular tasks that need to be done in the office? Can you plan your workload to do office tasks (meetings / teamwork etc) on office days, and other (maybe more focused / individual) tasks at home?

I dont mind getting back for a bit of normality. Having said that though, I did one day in the office last week and was completely exhausted after it. It will take a long time to get used to it again.

My plan is if I'm forced back in, look for a new job wfh. And refuse point blank to stay even one minute over my time. If they won't be flexible, nor will I.

I'm the same. It's not grubby or anything and I do have my own desk but the billions of interruptions (I sit near the kitchen) and the commute, and the fighting for a parking space, and rushing to drop kids off and making sure the dog is looked after, etc etc. it's exhausting!!

I'm part time so only go in one day a week. They and I want me to do an extra day but I'm just not prepared to travel to the office two days a week. It's crazy.

They tell us it's good for our mental health to be back in the office. It is NOT good for mine!!!!!

I hate it. I feel like it's driven by people at the top, who let's face it, probably don't have to deal with life's drudgery like we do. No childcare, laundry to do, commute on a train etc

I achieve SO much more from home and it saddens me that I may be forced into an office where I'm less productive due to nonsense interruptions, long distances to get to the toilet, people listening into my work calls and so on. I'm a less calm person in an office environment.

I'm lucky in tay office working isn't mandated for us, but I go in when my boss is in our office (he works all over the UK so it's usually maybe once every 2-3 weeks). On the days I go in, I find i am so unproductive. Not through lack of trying but people want to chatter and make small talk and there's just so much noise compared to being at home with just DP for background noise in his own separate room. I, too, feel exhausted after the commute which is so bizarre because I obviously did it 5 days a week previously.

It's really surprised me how much more I am capable of doing when at home. Surprisingly, I don't lie down and have a midday nap like I always fantasised I would wfh

@GoodVibesHere yes SO exhausted. A few hours in the office literally wipes me out. I thought I was ill the other day but Was just so tired I could barely move.

I work in a creative industry in a modern office with free food and drink and all ‘mod-cons’ but fucking hell it’s killing me. I felt genuinely wistful over lockdown the other day

I genuinely don’t understand how I commuted for an 8 hour office day before. But then before I suffered anxiety and depression - and now I don’t….

Well you have two options - learn coping techniques or find a different job.

If there is an issue with you work station then you need to ask for a DSE assessment and that could possibly address some of the other issues you have.

Do you have a locker at work or are you needing to bring everything in each time? If it is the latter have a work hot desk bag / box with what you need in?

I'm not even going to get into my office situation, but ultimately I can't change it so I have had to accept it otherwise it just chews me up. But honestly you at least have the option for a balance, you have to make the best of it.

In a way the less you are in the office the more you will be interrupted when you are. You perhaps have to accept that you will be less (output) productive on that day but that you are still benefiting from others and they from you when you are there.