How do I stay engaged at work in 2025?

[boxoftoads]

I love my career, its been my passion for 30+ years. I have spent many years since graduating back in further education while I work full-time to keep up with advances in my field. I love talking to school kids about what I do and it has a real-world impact on people. However, in the five years since Covid I have been left feeling really disconnected.

Before the pandemic I travelled a lot, five or more major overseas trips a year wasn't unusual. I met collegues face-to-face and presented at conferences around the world. While I dont really enjoy being away from home, I loved the energy of meetings, working on something tangible and seeing ideas being generated.

I chaired a committee within my professional body, and I loved meeting academics, research students and others.

None of this exists any more. The seminars have turned into Webinars and dull, faceless Teams calls. I now push virtual post-its around a Slack board, tick boxes in MS Project and less and less videos are turned on.

I no longer have to renew my CPD hours every two years, its been moved to a five year model so there is less pressure to keep things interesting.

I am well aware of the overall benefits to the flexible, working from home model.

However, I am sick to death of books, podcasts and a sandwich for one at lunch time. My colleagues are not that far away but are rarely talked into meeting up. A lot of lockdown dogs need walked at lunchtime 😉 Its a struggle to organise the Christmas night out. I even miss shopping for new work clothes and shoes. I now have quite a stack on Vinted.

What do I do to stay engaged? My job is well paid, the work itself is interesting and I am busy. It just seems that I jump from one online call to the next, to a webinar (yawn), to sitting in silence while I work from the spare room/office.

Simply thinking out loud here. Feel free to ignore me.
I wish there was some way to job share with people that would love this set up. Some sort of way to share out the off sites/ travelling/ meet ups/ retreats etc to those in the office that loved it.

I am and I know so many ND people who would relish this set up. Although Its absolutely valid for you to not enjoy it. Yet so many company's seem so rigid and stuck. Actually some flexibility means more productive workers.

Maybe other local people who wfh would enjoy creating their own office together. I see you're rural so maybe not a option.

I am in a very spcialist role and there is only one of me in the company, so it’s hard to find a colleague that I can compare myself to. I love the work, just doing it in silence all day long is exhausting.. So you didn’t have colleagues that you could compare yourself to pre WFH fully?

you live just 20 minutes from your office. Take the initiative and suggest a day when the colleagues you are close to maybe all come in and then you go out for lunch.

where there is a will, there’s a way. What you describe sounds like a very dull and lonely existence

Sorry, I’ve been away for a few days with some friends.
The company I work for is very solvent, very busy etc. I am rural to those who asked, it’s single track roads for most of the journey.

Think huge manufacturing site in the middle
of nowhere or nuclear power plant on the coast type work place.

I have tried all the usual things of organising lunches, coffees and nights out.

Over the weekend I joked about it with the girls and we actually had a really good talk. I think I’ve been very fortunate to have the career I have had. My friends are from all over the UK and a hobby brings us together. They have a huge range of jobs. They all said the same thing, work now is a salary to them. There is not much job security out there, people feel disengaged and underpaid due to a rising COL. A lot of people are saving what they can by not travelling in every day. Work has become very transactional for those who don’t have to be there in person. Most are looking to change jobs as long as the salary matches or is more.

I do have a lot to think about. I think I’m a people and interaction type person.

Your role sounds quite similar to mine OP, I am a “band of one” at my global company. In London they just have a satellite office and when I go in often it’s just me and one or two other people. I find wfh very depressing. When I get to visit the HQ overseas it’s like a light switches on in me, it’s so invigorating being around people and discussing ideas in person, presenting on stage. Then the light slowly dims back in London.

In my view, taking a job with a bustling office and a return to work at least 3 days a week mandate is the only way to bring energy and joy back into working life. The next role I will take, the HQ will be in London. However, seeing as you are rural and it sounds like your employer is the only option for where you live it doesn’t sound like this is really an option for you so I can only offer sympathy and to let you know you’re not alone!

I wonder if part of the issue you're having adapting is because you live in a rural place? If you lived in a busier place, you could go to an exercise class in the morning, pop in a coffee shop a few times per week or go for a walk around the shops on your lunch break. It must be really lonely sitting in the house on your own all day everyday with no one to chat to.

Thank you. I connect with everything you’ve said.

I have been mulling it over and I think it’s time to make the jump. The kids are off at Uni and I am going to spend some time figuring out if I could do a commuting role.

It might be, but I have joined a gym and go as much as I can. I do spend a lot of time going to classes and meeting up with people.

I’ve even tried going for a walk before I get started to do a pretend commute 😀

I feel exactly the same OP. The odd time I do get out to meetings in person these days my brain sparks to life, new ideas flowing, motivation galore and then as soon as I’m back at my dining table desk, nothing. I do enjoy not commuting but very much miss the human contact.

I’m sorry to hear this. I know there have been lots of good ideas from other posters on the thread if you haven’t already tried them.
Work shouldn’t be just exchanging emails and teams messages. It should be about making connections and learning from others. When we spend so many years at work, it all being diluted to a ‘No updates from me’ merry go round on a Teams call to pay our bills is just a waste.