Working from home really getting me down now

[Honeysucklelife]

Anyone else? I’m very lucky in that I’m not having to juggle home schooling as well as full time home working, but my job is so intense (rarely have a lunch break due to endless meetings) and I’m getting so down about the lack of social interaction.

Don’t get me wrong I am enjoying the lack of a commute, easier to get jobs done round the house, more time with DH etc but I don’t think I ever realised before how much things meant to me - casual chat with colleagues at our desks, popping out for a coffee together, actually walking around to meetings etc rather than sitting in one place.

What’s getting me the most is we have pretty much been told we will be working like this until next year, so I know I have at least 6 months if not longer of this ‘new normal’.

Anyone else? I just feel like I’m in an endless hamster wheel and there’s no light relief. I do try and (socially distanced!) see friends/family at weekends but evenings I often end up working late.

[EnlightenedOwl]

Ours have gone ahead with major IT upgrade bet no one can log in tomorrow

[Ethelfleda]

I feel the same way OP. Many people on MN seem to think we are crazy for feeling this way. My commute was only 20 minutes though. And I used to WFH half the time anyway. I liked the balance of both.

[TazSyd]

@joan04

I agree. I made good work networks in my 20s by socialising with colleagues. I also benefitted from face to face training and work shadowing, it concerns me that new starters won’t have that.

[joan04]

I saw a lot of the headlines today were the government looking to encourage people back to offices sooner rather than later due to the situation in retail and hospitality looking dire due to no one visiting high streets and town centres.

I'm not encouraged by the comments sections in a lot of these articles, it seems 90%+ people want to remain working from home indefinitely and to be honest, despite this thread, it seems to be the majority opinion on MN. The company I work for is also veering this way and is exploring the break clause we have in the lease and my boss is one of those who would be quite happy never to return to the office so is very much leading the way on that.

Do people think this could be a mistake for a lot of companies? It might seem a good idea now but many people particularly the younger generations and those by themselves might look for a company that has a physical location so that they can get social interactions. I know there are a lot of homely people and those who have the money to afford home offices and nice work set ups but a vast majority of people live in one bedroom flats. Senior managers who make the decisions don't seem to realise this.

Too many people thinking that what suits them will suit everybody. Examples given in the latest edition of Private Eye of people who are finding it massively difficult to function from home for a variety of reasons.

[BBCONEANDTWO]

Hugs to you all for working from home - I'm so lucky not to have had to do that. Hope things improve for you all soon.

[FizzFan]

I hated it too, staring at a wall in my conservatory. Then I was made redundant which was equally crap! It was a thought having to do it for an indefinite period though

[JaceLancs]

I don’t have a spare bedroom and my dining room only fits the dining table and chairs so I have had to make one end of my lounge into an office for DS and I
I bought a big desk which we share and 2 office chairs, there are box files and paperwork everywhere plus printer scanner etc - I hate it!
My lovely chill out room now just reminds me of work the rest of the time
It wasn’t as bad when we had good weather as I would relax at the end of the day outside
Today it’s wet and windy and I’m hiding out in bedroom on Mumsnet
Only upside is it’s making me go to bed earlier with a good book!

[Imaystillbedrunk]

I'm really resenting working from home. I have spent a long long time recovering my mental health after a previous employment destroyed it. One of the ways fixed it was never allowing work to encroach on my home life. Now it feels like there is no escape.

My two year old hums the Teams ring tone whilst playing with his toys, knows all my colleagues names. This isn't what I wanted, but I know we'll be back to the office at some point, so that it my focus

[Youngatheart00]

Great tips @swimkiwipanda!!!

[NothingIsWrong]

I cannot read people on Teams. It's exhausting. A 1 hour meeting wipes me out. I really need to be back in the office for some hours and soon.

[swimkiwipanda]

^I have ADHD and have picked up all these things from coaches/own practise.

[swimkiwipanda]

Music - change it depending on the day.

Monday motivation, Tuesday ambient noise for concentration, Weds epic claissical, Thurs power rock, Friday disco, you get the idea.

Plan your day. 3 top priorities and other tasks/meetings.

Sunday - 1 hour to review last week, what went well, what to improve, still to do, scan your week ahead. Helps with Sunday dread.

[swimkiwipanda]

Think about all the people who worked from home pre lockdown. There are MORE things you can do now to make it bearable as everyone is in same boat.

Weekly zoom coffee/quiz or lunch break

Use a co-working room like focusmate (50min session, forces you to have a break)

Have a no-email day once a week 'I have limited access to email today. If your enquiry is urgent etc or I will respond as soon as I can'.

Accountability buddy at work- send a start and END day email, forces you to sign off

I have done it for a long time and its a love / hate relationship, comes and goes in phases.

[Frenchlady14]

I've been WFH since March now and I totally get what you are saying. I didn't mind it at first (dd grown up so no home schooling and I'm separated). I do miss the social interaction and just a different view - I'm facing the window to my garden but that is what I look at all day every day. I've started feeling really lethargic and demotivated - strangely tired even though I feel I am sleeping longer without the commute. Some days feel like wading through treacle and I get suddenly tearful and overwhelmed. I've lost my team and am holding up a huge account by myself and so constantly feel like there are three other more urgent things I can be doing at any given moment. Not in the UK so takeaways have never been available. I am fed up of anything that I make to eat - fed of all my music that I put on in the background - starting to hate my dining room where my 'office' is. I do see friends at the weekend, but weirdly the weekend seems shorter that it ever has and the weeks seem longer than they ever did.

I start to get the Sunday evening dreads - haven't had that for a long time.

I'm lucky to still be working but I would give anything for a two-week furlough just now.

to all of you that feel the same way with no end in sight!

[Miserablemoan]

It’s crap. Dh is at home working ridiculously long hours and appearing for perhaps 5 minutes at lunchtime.
Kids are back at school now thankfully so I can concentrate but it’s so boring without anyone to bounce ideas off or chat to.
It’s not much better Jon the occasional days I’ve been into work either-staffroom closed & tiny bubbles means we have to eat lunch alone and we are expected to be off the premises ASAP so still no time for chat!
I spend too much time on social media just trying to get some connection to people.
I never realised I liked people so much!

[thatmustbenigelwiththebrie]

I love working from home. I really do not want to go back. Even though I don't see anyone alll day I much prefer it. I am not a fan of chatting and small talk. I much prefer the peace and quiet and being able to do jobs during the day like putting a wash on.

I don't even have a long commute (a mile walk) but even with that I hated being out of the house all day. I love being in the house and am dreading the day we are summoned back.

I work in a university so it's very busy and crowded and there are thousands of people traipsing around everyday. I think it will be a shock.

[Uhoh2020]

The only good thing about wfh is you can be bra-less and in your Pjs that's it nothing else. I miss face to face interaction and leaving the house. It feels like theres no separation from home and work life. Trying to look after the dc at the same time has been the hardest especially with a demanding job and very unsympathetic management. I have been told I'm facing redundancy in the coming months honestly I'm hoping Its sooner than later.

[AlecTrevelyan006]

I don't mind working from home, bit the Christmas party is going to be a bit shit.

[Milomonster]

Yes struggling massively as a single parent. I’m finding it very hard to go out even though we are allowed, social skills have atrophied, lethargic. I’ve asked for a month off work over summer hols so that I can dedicate time to dc. Fully intend to leave the country in that period.

[annabel85]

@Sallycinnamum

Our organisation sent out an agile working survey last week.

Although most want to continue working from home the vast majority want to return to the office for at least 3 days a week.

I'm a big wfh advocate as I've been doing it for years but full time is awful. I'm missing the social interaction and we all feel out of the loop at the moment.

I suspect more people will want to return to their office despite all the stuff I keep seeing in the press about office based working being over.

I much prefer WFH as an introvert, I hate open plan offices, but I don't think it's a full time solution for most people.

3 days in the office, 2 at home would be ideal. Now extroverts struggling WFH 5 days a week know how we feel stuck full time in noisy/busy offices full of other people.

[bestbrowsintown]

I hate working from home, I also have my 3yo at home. Thankfully I'm part time.
I don't think I'll be back anytime soon either as I'm pregnant.

[Shemakeslists]

I own the business and so still have access to the office, but for a few weeks didn’t bother going in, as team all furloughed. I really hit a wall - no energy, losing interest, no motivation. Not like me at all! Constant interruptions from family, and them bickering in the background didn’t help either. Urgh. So now I come into the office a few times a week and feel better. I really do understand how hard it is to wfm with no change of scenery and it won’t be efficient when the team come back from furlough.

[cstaff]

I really miss the chit chat with colleagues or just having a laugh with someone as you make a coffee. I guess the social aspect of the office is what I'm getting at. You can't really have a laugh or slag someone by email. It doesn't have the same affect and then it is there forever .

[whereorwhere]

I love it