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?

@squiddylama and that’s fine, and why flexibility is good, so you can choose. But why should it be the offices are still closed off to the rest of us because some don’t want to reinstate the childcare they would have had pre covid?

My workplace started going back to work one day a week in August, and 2 days a week in September.

I asked to continue working from home (currently pregnant and classed as high risk of covid). The working at home didn't bother me, but now everyone is back to the office, I've totally got FOMO despite it being my choice to stay home.

However, a few colleagues have thrown in the towel as they didn't want to go back to the office. I think very much you have 2 camps with the situation.

We have to go in twice a week. On one of my days last week I did nothing that I couldn’t have done from home. It also took me over an hour and half each way due to traffic for what should have been a maximum half hour journey.
I cannot see the point of going to work just for ‘bums on seats’.

YANBU at all, totally agree wfh full time after all this time sucks.

If this becomes a major shift in working patterns for society as a whole, I would think generally there will be even more mental ill-health.

Yep fed up with it. Our office is now open but I'm the only one from my team who's keen to get back in so havent seen anyone really on the days I've been in. Definitely considering a career change to a non office based job if things continue like this.

Totally hear you. Haven't been in an office since December 2019.
My only spare space in the house is now my office and I hate it. Work is always just there and there's no escape.
I enjoy my job but I am fucking hating wfh. Its making me totally miserable.

[quote Blankspace4]@squiddylama and that’s fine, and why flexibility is good, so you can choose. But why should it be the offices are still closed off to the rest of us because some don’t want to reinstate the childcare they would have had pre covid?[/quote]
I'm not saying it shouldn't be flexible. I think it should be whoever wants to go in can and whoever wants to wfh (dependent on performance etc) should be allowed to. Forcing either way isn't fair

Loving every second of it! I feel so much more engaged with my work team - we're normally split site with only me in one building and the others 200 miles away, but having daily catch ups is great.

@WhateverHappenedToMe

Loving every second of it! I feel so much more engaged with my work team - we're normally split site with only me in one building and the others 200 miles away, but having daily catch ups is great.

Daily catch ups sound a bit much.

Are others having check in / catch up calls amongst teams?

We’re sticking with the hybrid approach we’ve had for years. Work where you want - home, office, clients, coffee shop, airport etc. It works so no plans to change it

I feel the same. I used to wfh one day a week and would happily do 2/3 days wfh but I need social interraction and to physically see my team now. I don't have a home office so am at the kitchen table and if I want to use it to eat at (which I want to), i have to clear my stuff every evening. We have already resorted to only eating at the table at weekends but I don't like that as dinner time is the only time my kids talk to me!

My dp started a new job 6 weeks ago and is really struggling as he hasn't been able to meet anyone to build relationships/socialise. He lives alone so is feeling very isolated. The job was sold as 'mostly wfh but 1/2 days a week in the office. Turns out hardly anyone goes to the office so it's not worth the £100 hour's commute on the train to be sat there alone. He is looking around again.

Totally agree with you, the novelty has now worn off. I want to be amongst my colleagues, we used to get on so well and I really looked forward to going into the office.
We have been given the option to go into the office however much or little we want and the whole team maybe in once or twice a month.
I plan to go into the office at least twice a week regardless of whether the rest of the team are there or not. I just need the change of scenery and some humans to talk to.

… I read the thread title as «since experiencing WFH, I lack motivation to work from the office», which is exactly how I feel!

I now see that OP and most posters lack enthusiasm when WFH.
Well here is the opposite view:
I have been fully WFH since March 2020, starting this week we have to do 3 days in the office… I’m devastated.
Since knowing I’ll have to spend 2 x 45min in public transport + pay for the privilege my motivation has dropped completely.
The tube was crowded in the morning, awful way to start your day.
I left my desk on the dot - when at home I usually work 1h after my finish time as I don’t waste time commuting. When leaving I found myself thinking «I’m not doing overtime, if they want us in the office, give and take and all that».

To be clear, my work can 100% be done remotely (IT, team spread in different countries so even in the office we work remotely from eachother, all meetings have video etc).

I don’t mind interacting on Zoom, we do spontaneous «coffee breaks» for a quick video chat, same as what would happen in the office. But there is noise and people walking around. Listening to the chit chat from a team next to me is never going to be a positive.
I’m just sad and frustrated.

I’m in the mid afternoon slump right now. Ugh. So fed up.

@LovelyLovelyWarmCoffee

… I read the thread title as «since experiencing WFH, I lack motivation to work from the office», which is exactly how I feel!

I now see that OP and most posters lack enthusiasm when WFH.
Well here is the opposite view:
I have been fully WFH since March 2020, starting this week we have to do 3 days in the office… I’m devastated.
Since knowing I’ll have to spend 2 x 45min in public transport + pay for the privilege my motivation has dropped completely.
The tube was crowded in the morning, awful way to start your day.
I left my desk on the dot - when at home I usually work 1h after my finish time as I don’t waste time commuting. When leaving I found myself thinking «I’m not doing overtime, if they want us in the office, give and take and all that».

To be clear, my work can 100% be done remotely (IT, team spread in different countries so even in the office we work remotely from eachother, all meetings have video etc).

I don’t mind interacting on Zoom, we do spontaneous «coffee breaks» for a quick video chat, same as what would happen in the office. But there is noise and people walking around. Listening to the chit chat from a team next to me is never going to be a positive.
I’m just sad and frustrated.

I'm supposed to be back in at the end of next week. I feel exactly the same. An hour each way on a crowded train, standing around on platforms. Why?! Cos the management won't allow us to go fully WFH despite us hitting targets and then some over the last 18 months.

Have you had any type of staff social during this time? So an opportunity to see and reconnect with colleagues?

Do you feel inclined to if not, or do you feel like you can't actually be arsed?

No there haven’t been any staff socials. I only started just before the pandemic so it’s possible there have been informal ones but because I have no social network to speak of there, none that I have been included in. It makes me so sad as I’ve always had an excellent work-social life and have made lasting friends in some jobs. After over 18 months in role there’s literally no one I’m friendly with and the role is quite solitary other than ‘transactional’ Teams meetings. It’s a head office type job so if in the office there would be plenty of opportunity to interact informally

@LovelyLovelyWarmCoffee

… I read the thread title as «since experiencing WFH, I lack motivation to work from the office», which is exactly how I feel!

I now see that OP and most posters lack enthusiasm when WFH.
Well here is the opposite view:
I have been fully WFH since March 2020, starting this week we have to do 3 days in the office… I’m devastated.
Since knowing I’ll have to spend 2 x 45min in public transport + pay for the privilege my motivation has dropped completely.
The tube was crowded in the morning, awful way to start your day.
I left my desk on the dot - when at home I usually work 1h after my finish time as I don’t waste time commuting. When leaving I found myself thinking «I’m not doing overtime, if they want us in the office, give and take and all that».

To be clear, my work can 100% be done remotely (IT, team spread in different countries so even in the office we work remotely from eachother, all meetings have video etc).

I don’t mind interacting on Zoom, we do spontaneous «coffee breaks» for a quick video chat, same as what would happen in the office. But there is noise and people walking around. Listening to the chit chat from a team next to me is never going to be a positive.
I’m just sad and frustrated.

Exactly how I feel.

I’ve started going into the office a day every few weeks, like most of my team. It’s weird because we have to be R……E……A……L…..L…………….Y spaced out. I miss conspiring and silly giggling and rude jokes. I asked to go in because I was like you, finding it really hard to be motivated. And I just felt really lonely! I think a couple of days a week would be ideal (I’m full time). I don’t think it’s healthy being on your own all the time. Are you going to be able to go in at all in future?

I'm back in the office almost full time through choice but no one else from my team is and it's so depressingly lonely that I updated my CV this afternoon with the intention on finding somewhere that I can work with actual humans, in person.

I know it suits some to wfh full time but it really, really doesn't suit others.

Also don't you think it's weird that pretty much every other sector has either been working throughout anyway, or now back to relative normality.

When you think of people working in shops, schools, festivals etc and how we can all go about our business and mixing in daily life and then you have the other end of the spectrum office workers that can't even get a spaced out desk in a non busy office.

What's the delay with it?!

No, I love WFH. There are obviously bits I miss, but on balance, life is so much better WFH.

I totally get why some struggle though. OP, if your employer isn’t interested in returning to the office, could you arrange a meet up with colleagues to make it more bearable in the mean time and hope it gives you a little spark?

I would not be able to wfh I get easily distracted. I work in social care and have Been told i got 2 weeks of online training to do at home and I'm dreading it.

I’ve started to become desperate to go back on some level. I do have a nagging doubt as I’m high risk, but I’m seriously lacking in motivation now WFH and starting to worry as I keep giving myself ‘little breaks’ during the day and worry about my productivity.
The company has said we’re not going back into the office in any material capacity until after winter.I am mindful that even then we will be really spaced out and not particularly sat with close colleagues from same dept as it will be hitdesking. We’ve lost something very important to how we socialise and interact with colleagues.

It is becoming quite lonely and difficult. Our workplace is cancelling photocopy contracts and things so I don't think we will be going back to the office any time soon. We are a small team. Our manager left a few months ago and whilst she wasn't great, she did keep in touch with us throughout the day on the group chat. New manager rarely does that now so it can feel lonely. Another collegue has just announced she's leaving as she find wfh difficult. It's a real shame to be losing good staff over this.