Anyone else struggling to feel engaged with work since WFH?

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At the start of the pandemic everyone just got on with it and we were so busy. But now I feel in a real slump and I struggle with enthusiasm and engagement and I can tell I’m not the only one. My work show no signs of getting us back to the office. I’m feeling really low. Anyone else?

Yes. I have quite a lot of autonomy in my role, which is normally good, but while WFH I feel invisible a lot of the time. Very hard to stay motivated.

I’m exactly the same re autonomy. It’s lonely.

Yep. My company closed the office completely during first lockdown so we are all working from home permanently now. I’ve just met up with some colleagues and all of us are looking for jobs with hybrid working, we all feel completely demotivated. Some of us have been with the company for 20+ years so they are going to lose a lot of experienced staff.

@Iheartmysmart yes hybrid would be absolutely fine. 3 days in office 2 at home. But the lack of social contact and the transactional nature of endless Teams meetings is grinding me down. There isn’t any balance. Work just isn’t enjoyable any more.

I’m due to go back to the office very soon for at least some of the week, which should help. I think a lot of people are reluctant to go back to the office though so it will be a long time until office working is the norm again I think.

Yes, same. Hybrid would be fine with me too. But I am totally zoomed out. And the only social interaction I have with colleagues is small talk at the start of meetings.

I hate running virtual meetings too. It’s like your talking to yourself the whole time, I find there is so little interaction compared to face to face.

@purplemunkey

Yes. I have quite a lot of autonomy in my role, which is normally good, but while WFH I feel invisible a lot of the time. Very hard to stay motivated.

Completely this. I'm so fed up its unbelievable, no sign of going back to the office yet even for hybrid working

Surely productivity is going to start to badly suffer. Creativity too.

I also think there is far less loyalty and sense of belonging

We have recently adopted a hybrid way of working. My wfh days are so much more productive. In the office there are so many distractions. The other day it was 11.30 before I felt like I did a proper bit of work.

If my job was permanent wfh I'd quit.

I understand that @Polkadotties as I used to feel that way sometimes in the ‘olden days’. However, I’ve learned that time spent speaking with others isn’t time wasted but instead builds rapport and relationships, something that is sorely lacking.

We have had a few new joiners during the pandemic and without exception every single one is struggling.

Yes, same. I have zero motivation or enthusiasm and every tiny task feels overwhelming. I never used to be like this and hate how unproductive I seem to have become!

I'm the opposite. I have hated every minute of being back in the office and find myself click watching and in a slump. I'm much less productive as well...

For me it’s more that WFH has stripped away all the ‘jazz hands’, ‘look over here!’ distraction around the actual work, and what’s revealed is that I hate my actual work. It was hard to see when there was a bastard commute to enrage me, or something new in the canteen, an exciting unexpected fire alarm, team birthday cakes, potential post-meeting scrummage over the leftover bhajis, etc.

Being at home is a revelation of: oh, FUCK this is boring and my real life is vastly better, how in the world can I find a way to do less of this boring laptop bollocks and more of the big long walks and jam-making (without being a 1950s housewife).

Another thing - the lack of boundaries between work and home. Home no longer feels like my sanctuary because work is always there. I’m lucky enough to have a spare room to work out of but I’m still using the same loo, kitchen etc. Also gained weight due to being so sedentary. Yes I know I can go for a walk but that low wfh energy has seemed to permeate to life in general

Haha yes this sums it up for me too! I have also realised that my work is extremely dull and I hate it. As you say, at least being actually in the office provided some distractions

Yes, I bloody despise it.

I hate that work has now invaded my home. At least I could walk out the door and try to forget about it until the next day. Now it’s always just THERE

Yes! I feel like you. We could wfh before covid but I preferred going in at least 75% of the time.
We are slowly going back to hybrid working but I want to get to at least 50% time in the office. The work is so dull on its own. I need people and a work environment!

Yep, totally agree. I feel completely invisible. What makes it worse is that there is a group that didn’t want to work from home so have been going in and there’s a clique formed which makes the rest of us even more invisible.

I am the same too - I was ok(ish) for the first year, but I am so bored now, I am have always been very self driven, but somehow I just can't be bothered. I used to like the effortless social side of work, turn up in the office and chat or not.

I used to work around 50:50 home vs office before, but now DH has taken over the home office, so I am in our bedroom, which I hate as well.

Our office is open but most seen very happy to wfh and I dont think many will be back - we will downsize office in near year, and I will look for a new role i think. Although its hard as my old split used to be perfect.

Yes I'm on mat leave but hated fully WFH. Realised a lot of my job was dull dull dull and without being in the office I got given less to do.

Hello OP,

Look in the mirror - I think you'll see me!
I could have written this, everything you describe mirrors my feelings.

It was fine at the start, I kept busy as most of my colleagues were furloughed. But now I just feel monotony.

I have also noticed we are losing long-term staff throughout the business - there's no real bond or sense of loyalty any more.

I want my daily life back! And home to feel like home, not a place I can't get away from.

Yes. I'm busy but the extra ideas and stuff I would normally come up with are gone. I was really happy at home but now want to go back on for at least a day a week. I need a change of scene.

Office and WFH can both be distracting.

When I avoid distractions I work better from home.

Open plan offices are just shit for concentration if you struggle with noise.