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Original poster

Working from home

70 replies

Hallelujah2020 · 21/01/2025 20:45

I’m a people person but a job has come up that I’m skilled at but it’s working from home

Do you find it isolating?

OP posts:
starpatch · 21/01/2025 20:46

Yes

brassandswitch · 21/01/2025 20:48

Yes and no. Depends if you have pets? I enjoyed it before I had pets (been doing it two and half years) but once we got our dog, I realised how hard it actually was being on my own all the time. Couldn't WFH now without a pet or some type of company x

driedapricots101 · 21/01/2025 20:50

Yes but I build in social time each day - gym/ lunch/ dog walk.. it's hard to keep focus too if not set up in a dedicated 'work' space at home. Benefits outweigh all that though!

NewNameFor2025 · 21/01/2025 20:52

It had a devastating effect on my mental health, I did not expect it at all.

CC222 · 21/01/2025 21:06

I worked from home for 4 years and absolutely loved it but I had become a total recluse without realising it. I've now been working in a new job for 9 months, Monday to Thursday in the office and Fridays from home. I find Fridays a real struggle now and kind of hate it most weeks, but also appreciate being able to catch up on some chores during lunch... But I couldn't work from home full time again now that I've got used to the social side of being in the office, it's been hugely beneficial for my mental wellbeing...

NigelHarmansNewWife · 21/01/2025 21:08

I've only been able to wfh since a week before the first pandemic lock down. I definitely prefer hybrid working. I worked from home for a week earlier this month as we were snowed in and I didn't like it much. The flexibility of hybrid working is great.

NewYearNewName25 · 21/01/2025 21:08

I’m the opposite to a lot of the PP.

I thought I’d hate it. I absolutely love it and you couldn’t drag me back to an office regularly without paying me a LOT of money.

Bloom15 · 21/01/2025 21:16

Yes and I have become a hermit.

I enjoy that I can suit myself to a certain degree and am able to drop and collect DS. But I do sometimes feel very isolated and talk the ear off DH when he comes home.

7plusthinking · 21/01/2025 21:35

WFH is a great if you have kids and don't really care about social work life and can balance things like school runs, even using after school is reduced as you have no commute time other than getting to school.

Also deliveries getting tradespeople to check and repair things, etc.

If you live in a big city like London, its a god send, I spend 3 hours round trip commuting on my office days.

I'd HATE it if I was in my 20s though, I loved office life back then, always out drinking in the week , leaving do's and birthdays are crap with WFH , they were brill pre-covid and when I was young.

ThatsNotMyTeen · 21/01/2025 21:37

I’ve been wfh since the pandemic. I’ve enjoyed it to a point and it’s been handy being at home for all the home stuff but yes I’m now finding it isolating and world shrinking. I’m moving to a hybrid role 2 days in the office 3 from home in a couple of months

Plump82 · 21/01/2025 21:37

I've worked from home 4 years now and absolutely love it. Have from the first day. On the odd occasion I do need to go in, I don't mind it but I do wonder how I ever managed to get work done!

Hello39 · 21/01/2025 21:41

Yes, and I am an introvert!

Some things would help:

A nice bright dedicated home office.
Access to a suitable co-working space/ hub for when you just need to get out of the house.
Hobbies for after work that are out of the house / social (and the freedom to do that, I.e. you are not stuck at home supervising homework

Screamingabdabz · 21/01/2025 21:43

I love it. But I love peace and my own company.

PennyApril54 · 21/01/2025 21:48

It can be. It can make you feel cut off from the world. There are also many major benefits.
Is there an option of any office time? That would be good. Also you need to put some thoughts into planning your day to give structure etc .

hairalert · 21/01/2025 21:59

Yes op, I was just about to post a thread about this looking for advice. I'm an introvert and I rapidly feel like I'm losing social (work social -problem solving, plate spinning) skills working from home. The team is very cliquey so I can go weeks without replies/messages/interactions. I'm utterly depressed.

hairalert · 21/01/2025 22:00

NewNameFor2025 · 21/01/2025 20:52

It had a devastating effect on my mental health, I did not expect it at all.

Same here, awful. Did you leave?

hairalert · 21/01/2025 22:06

7plusthinking · 21/01/2025 21:35

WFH is a great if you have kids and don't really care about social work life and can balance things like school runs, even using after school is reduced as you have no commute time other than getting to school.

Also deliveries getting tradespeople to check and repair things, etc.

If you live in a big city like London, its a god send, I spend 3 hours round trip commuting on my office days.

I'd HATE it if I was in my 20s though, I loved office life back then, always out drinking in the week , leaving do's and birthdays are crap with WFH , they were brill pre-covid and when I was young.

This is a great point.

Greenbottle123 · 21/01/2025 22:10

I love it but I only work three days a week. I’m always doing something out of the house on the other two days. I’m not sure I could be isolated 5 days a week

molymo · 21/01/2025 22:21

I think it is isolating but for peri-menopausal me that is perfect! I would have hated it in my 20s- 30s though and am glad to have had the social office time then.

Having a dedicated office space makes a huge difference for mental health - i didn't for the first year of wfh and worked from the dining room, but now have a separate office of my own. It is better to be able to 'leave' work and close the door on it. The danger is letting it become living at work rather than working from home. If you don't have a spare room then be imaginative with room dividers etc. some of my colleagues have garden offices now.

The benefits are huge - I'm always here for DD leaving and coming home (old enough that don't need to collect her any more). No commute time or cost. We don't need a second car. Get loads done in work hours and can relax on my own sofa in my lunch break or have a walk. Or even put on a load of washing or the dishwasher (mentioning that on wfh threads usually results in being told how much you are taking the piss!) it takes me 2 minutes! Never worrying about missing a delivery. I'll never go back now (yes my contract is fully remote).

Tisthedamnseason · 21/01/2025 22:23

No. But I'm not a people person.

If you are, I suspect it would be isolating.

Is there scope to go into the office if you wanted to? My company is hybrid now but some people go in 5 days a week because they want to.

WiseLurker · 21/01/2025 22:25

No I don't find it isolating at all.

I have an excellent social life with people that I actually want to spend time with, I'm a member of clubs and partake in hobbies that help me meet people with mutual interests.

When I'm working, I'm working. I don't want to talk to Barbara from accounts about her plans to weed the garden over the bank holiday, I don't give a shit. I want to get my work finished and clock off to do things I actually enjoy.

Orangeandgold · 21/01/2025 22:26

I work from home part time but also have a business which I work on the other days - so working from home is so convenient. I also have a child.

I find that I miss the social element when I WFH full time. So figure out where you’re getting your social dosage from.

Agree with PP, working from home is great if you have a need to. But if you don’t, hybrid is nicer.

needtomoveon123 · 21/01/2025 22:29

I love it. I'm in my 40s, have school aged children so it is brilliant for that and also a dog (rescued as I worked from home). I do try to arrange activities during the evenings and/or weekends sometimes for the times the children are with their dad so I do see people, but I am an introvert so it suits me perfectly.

SoMuchCoffeeMakesMeDizzy · 21/01/2025 22:31

I work from home. I make sure I leave the house at least every other day. It does make you feel isolated to a point. I make sure to chat with colleagues via teams, that helps too. The benefits of working from home far exceed the downsides in my opinion.

obsessedwithfreshbread · 21/01/2025 22:36

I don't my find it isolating I find it freeing as I've got my commute time back, I usually log off at 5 so can straight on with tea, rather than getting in at 6-7 depending on traffic.
I've then got time to go the gym, walk the dog, etc before I'd normally have been home. And still have the option to jump back on for an hour if I need to finish something off.

However.... I've worked with my colleagues for years, so will still have those non-work chats that we would've done in the office just now by Teams but in a new job where I didn't know anyone then I probably would feel very differently.

If you know you are a people person then being in that environment will probably be much better for you - good luck