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.

[Youngatheart00]

Great tips @swimkiwipanda!!!

[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

[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!

[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

[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.

[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.

[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.

[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.

[EnlightenedOwl]

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