If you WFH do you feel lonely?

[Notmeagainn]

Im in the process of handing my notice in weighing out the pros and cons. My current role is extremely lonely the only person I talk to is my manager and some of the managers I support. We are all WFH so never really see anyone.

The company I am about to join seem more of a “team” it’s not that I’m desperate for a friend it would just be nice to have someone else to talk to apart from my manager. This role is also WFH.

Im trying to figure out whether it’s the company/team I work for or is it just me and I’m not particularly out there and I’m going to end up in the same situation.

Which makes me question if you WFH do you feel lonely? Or whether you have a certain setup to avoid this?

I hated it - in the first lockdown my once sociable role that involved a lot of travelling became very solitary and desk based.
I rent a local hot desk office on a ten day a week package - quite cheap because it's supported by the local council. Great location, very sociable, lots of community events and mostly a nice bunch of people.
I'm now in a hybrid role and spend half my time in the 'work office', the other half in my hot desk office,

I work hybrid and find it lonely but also useful. Being in the office is also lonely now. People come in different days and it’s not how it was pre-covid. The social side has completely broken down, and people seem different, more closed off. It’s very sad.

Yes. Even though I don't have to, I go in every day.

I LOVE working from home and hate being in the office. I don't feel lonely as I am in Teams meetings all day and can catch up with anyone whenever I want.

I am a massive introvert though, so....

Not one bit, though we have two calls in the morning on various things every day. Was 100% now come to an office twice a week.

I am reasonably in control of when many meetings are so can plan to have them remotely when there is no benefit to being face to face.

I WFH 4 days and gave for the past year. Previous roles had zero WFH (bar Covid)
I love it and the time it allows with my son and husband but it definitely gets lonely, my team meet one day but there is very little interaction otherwise ( fortnight teams catch ups etc)

I do get a little jealous hearing my friend with her busy workplace friendships and drama but I know she envies my role a lot also so it's give and take.

I wouldn't change it though and my home life as improved so much! I might start nipping out to cafes to work does anyone do that??

Yes, very lonely even if I'm used to it

I don’t feel lonely but I am in the office one day a week (usually though there is only ever another one person in on the day I go in 😂), but I do make plans in the evenings to do things and see friends - I live with dh and the dc and I’m rarely in the house by myself thanks to self employed dh being home more often than at work! And dc2 with her half empty college timetable…
I also always get out every day for a walk and manage to get some spinning and swimming sessions done during lunch breaks etc so I keep pretty active too.
Do feel like I make more of an effort to meet up with friends etc though now I’m home so much.
But on balance, no I don’t feel lonely.

Sometimes.

I think it must help a lot if you already have family and especially if you knew colleagues in person before wfh completely. I also wonder how those starting working life for the first time manage. I know a few who wfh completely, they don’t even go away on holiday and they seem to have no interest in the outside world. I think hybrid really can help but it does depend on working alongside others who are in your department. The insecurity of not having a proper workspace only adds to the loneliness and I wish employers weren’t so blinkered.

I started in my job three years ago so I've mostly known the people I work with through video calls. I work hybrid (one day in the office) but the majority of the team will work different days, and most of the people I work with directly are remote around the country.

I don't really feel lonely. At one point I worked in a role at a company where I didn't work with anyone in my office, I was just sharing the space with them. I would say this feels similar in that there's no real connection with the people I see every day.

No, I don't. Even when I went into the office before Covid, I'd often be on my own, so moving to wfh was very similar, just with no commute & better amenities!
DH also wfh so we meet up at lunch & speak to each other when we want/are able. We sometimes go out for lunch together.
& I do most of drop offs & pick ups, & get to chat to friends there.
I'm not sure I'd like working in an office anymore with so much noise, distractions etc.

this is something I think about a lot. I used to live in London and work in the office pre Covid. I loved the lunchtime chats and evening drinks etc. but then moved to the countryside and was commuting in which was not sustainable. Really expensive train or long drive.

post Covid I specifically applied for my job as the company is flexible and no one has to do to the London office. So. No commute and total flexibility was what I wanted.

but. I do feel lonely. I talk to people on video calls all day long but haven’t met them other than the Christmas party. No one goes into the office ever so no point suggesting it.

i still am grateful for being able to sort the house and DC out every day. Sleeping in and in winter not commuting 2 hours a day. But I miss the chat and feel sad for the longer term thought I won’t make friends from work anymore. Not like it was…

God no, I love it! Would never go back and I used to love office life!

No, I don't feel lonely at all. I might be a bit weird though as I didn't feel isolated or lonely during COVID lockdowns either. Enjoy my own company and I've always tended to be quiet at work to concentrate. We do have office days every few months where they hire a space so we can all work together and I do enjoy it when we do, but much prefer home working

Hybrid working is fine but I'd be happier with more WFH. I like the peace and quiet, and I'm better able to concentrate on bigger pieces of work. I moved from 3 office days and 2 WFH to 4 office days and one day WFH after a new manager set different expectations. Yes, in some ways it's nice to be on site with people but the combination of an extra day commuting and working in an open plan office isn't filling me with joy.

Yes.

I'm the same as you. Love it!

I don't. I WFH 4 days and have one day off from my job to do freelance work which is in person, but when that ends I have no qualms in just working from home.
I'm single (dp but don't live together) no children just me and the dog. Have lodgers on and off but not sharing lives.

But I'm an only child and love my own company. I have a great local pub and go to the gym although I'm mostly alone there don't socialise much just do my thing and go. Mum pops in several times a week.

I feel lonely at times because I'd like to live with a partner, but not because of working from home. When I didn't, I was very stressed and burnt out because ultimately I'm a loner.

Everyone is different OP. What works for you or me won't be what works for someone else.

I wfh 60% of the time and nope, I don’t feel lonely. Me and my colleagues are close bunch of people and regularly call each other on Teams for a chat. I would hate to work from home everyday though

Totally agree. But I’m a lone wolf and generally don’t enjoy human contact.

I think that's a very good description of me too.

I worked from home for 4 years. Loved it at first, by the end I was so lonely and it really exacerbated my anxiety as I was alone with my thoughts so much of the time. I'm also quite introverted and a bit awkward and it really fed into my hermit tendencies and made me start to lose confidence in interacting with new people, because it's a skill I find hard anyway and I wasn't using it. That's the point when I realised I needed to look for a role closer to home where I could go into the office.

I am now in a hybrid role. It's very flexible so I can still be around for my DC, but I also get 2 days a week in a big office and my home feels like my home again, not my workplace. I've found being back in an office again quite hard at first, it's surprised me how tiring it can be, but everyone has been lovely and I'm starting to really enjoy being able to get out of the house some days, a reason to put "proper" clothes on, and the opportunity to have a chat with other people that aren't my family. I wouldn't go back to solely home working again, I don't think, but equally I wouldn't want to be in the office full time again either.

I work mainly from home. I’m in an isolated role which I would find a bit lonely. I go in once or twice a week and I’ve joined a running club. That saves me. I have also taken to working in the library one morning a week. It’s just nice to get a fresh surrounding.