11 ms·

I would never go back to commuting to the same place every day. It's cool that he does the coworking thing, but I've been working remotely for 6+ years fulltime

I would never go back to commuting to the same place every day. It's cool that he does the coworking thing, but I've been working remotely for 6+ years fulltime (and I have other periods of 2-3 years at a time working remotely interspersed through my 20+ year career in software), and I would not give it up for anything less than a C-level role at this point. Most of the benefit to me is the lack of routine. Routine stifles my creativity. I don't want to go to the same place or do the same thing every day.

davidweatherall 7y ago
Were you sociable before going remote? - My biggest issue when I have periods of work from home from my job is getting very lonely from not speaking to anyone in person all day. But I imagine if I was a fully remote worker I would make active changes in my life to see more people every day.
- slothtrop 7y ago
  That is the harshest adjustment. I had to make accommodations as my mood plummeted immediately. I work every morning at the coffee shop which gives me some social exposure and pseudo interaction. Merely being around others, and bright light, helps. I don't have to rely on meetups much anymore, but that's a very useful tool. I particularly enjoyed pick-up sports, non-fiction discussion, etc.
- Ididntdothis 7y ago
  “But I imagine if I was a fully remote worker I would make active changes in my life to see more people every day.” That’s one of the biggest improvements in quality of life when I work remotely. I find working in an office (especially open space or cubes) very exhausting due to noise and lack of privacy. So I come home at night totally exhausted and do nothing. When I work from home I naturally feel motivated to do something after work which I find very positive.
- matwood 7y ago
  It will force you to find social outside of work, but that's a good thing to do in general. Once you start getting out the house at what is normally work hours you'll start to meet other people who work remote. But, and this can be hard for people, you have to make an effort to be social. The default that someone works with you they will likely have to talk to you is no longer an option.
- ex_ex_nihilo 7y ago
  I am a very extroverted person and require social interaction to not become depressed. My job is a little different in that I'm customer-facing and have to travel to customer sites from time to time. I also have a family (wife and 2 young daughters), and I enjoy the opportunity to interact with them throughout the day. I have a separate area of the house that is mine, and they know not to disturb me while I'm working (which is often, but on my own schedule). To clarify: Wife is a SAHM. I also work for a Bay Area startup, which has perks in terms of flexible schedule and unlimited PTO.
- testplzdeleteme 7y ago
  I would have periods of becoming unsociable if I was heads down all the time. Practice makes perfect, you know? Becoming remote didn't change that. But traveling while being remote did. It's hard not to walk into great wall of socializing to balance out all the abstract work we do day today. Personally, I kicked started it by putting all my stuff in storage. I also started slowly by traveling within the US and moving month to month. My boss does it cool, important to note that not all remote work environments will be okay with you traveling.
- jakenberg 7y ago
  You have to integrate more socializing into your life or you will not make it in the long run. If a remote worker tells you this doesn't bother them... ask them how long they've been remote. If it's less than 5 years, it's slowly eating at them and they don't realize it yet. Even the most introverted homebodies need to do this for remote jobs IME.
  - blaser-waffle 7y ago
    +1 for this. Been remote ~5 years or so now and it's lonely. There are weeks where, outside of work calls, the only people I talk to are clerks at a checkout counter.
    - allannienhuis 7y ago
      I've found that getting involved in some type of group activity is super helpful for that. I'm into music, so I joined our local community choir. It's not necessarily the style of music I listen to on my own or like to play/perform (I'm more into guitar and folk music), but its a very social activity that gets me out of the house once a week, with people that I have some things in common. I've made some great friends and got to know a lot of people in my community that I would not have otherwise. I really start to miss it when we're off-season (long summer break), because of that feeling you get when you haven't left the house for a week or so. :)
  - remotecool 7y ago
    I've been remote for 10 years and I agree. I was traveling around Asia for the first year or so and now am married and have a son. I need socialization at least once/week or I start getting depressed.
myalphabet 7y ago
>Most of the benefit to me is the lack of routine. Wow, this is literally the exact reason I loathe remote working! I've been working remotely for almost 5 years now and I'm about to jump ship at my current job specifically so I can find a job that has a physical office to go to. I find that the lack of a routine causes a significant increase in stress in my life. It's an actual dream of mine to go back to a 'normal' job where I go into an office and sit at a normal desk with a normal work schedule, and then can just go home or to the gym at 6pm and enjoy my non-work life.
- ex_ex_nihilo 7y ago
  More power to you! Everyone should find his own preferences and strengths and lean into them, imo.
- deleted 7y ago
  [deleted]
- barkerja 7y ago
  Personally, I find having a space dedicated to work helps tremendously with this. When I am in my "office" at home, I am working. When I leave the office, I am not working. Having that separation helps me "leave work" when it is technically at the same location. It does also require a good bit of discipline because it is easy to slip back into work at any point in the day. Many argue that you should "work when you feel like it" but I personally find that leads to burn out. If I can keep a regiment that I don't deviate much/at all from, I am mentally healthier.
  - jakenberg 7y ago
    > work when you feel like it == burnout city yes because most of us don't know how to turn that off! Mental health must become a priority when working remote. Separation is a key way to stay ahead of the degradation. Even if you're not a person who tends to go outside, you HAVE TO when you work remote. Lack of face to face interaction will eat you very slowly over the years. It can't just be with your usual people either. You need to have a level of unexpected interactions with other humans to stay a happy person. I'm not a psychologist, but I've had this happen to me and any other colleague I know who worked remote. It's a very real thing – respect it.
Lucadg 7y ago
I work from home, a bar or coworking and I mix this with work trips abroad lasting 3 to 10 days where I get my share of social interaction. It also makes me appreciate time with my family more. Balance is the key. It's very subjective and varies but I find it not too hard to attain. P.s. I've been working remotely for 18 years now.
- nsxwolf 7y ago
  I've been working remotely the same amount of time. I used to work remote for a local Chicago company and there were plenty of opportunities for social interaction. Now I'm working remote for a Bay Area company and it's pretty isolating. My wife's Christmas party is a highlight of the year.
  - 1996 7y ago
    When the spouse work-related social meetups become the highlight of the year, something is wrong. Some parts of the world can be isolating. You may want to talk to your wife about moving back to a more civilized place.
    - nsxwolf 7y ago
      Chicago is a pretty civilized place.
      - 1996 7y ago
        Exactly my point. A place where people can easily socialize, regardless of job or social status. OP, talk to your spouse and try to go back there!
        nsxwolf 7y ago
        We live in Chicago. I work remote for a Bay Area company.

davidweatherall 7y ago

Were you sociable before going remote? - My biggest issue when I have periods of work from home from my job is getting very lonely from not speaking to anyone in person all day. But I imagine if I was a fully remote worker I would make active changes in my life to see more people every day.

slothtrop 7y ago
That is the harshest adjustment. I had to make accommodations as my mood plummeted immediately. I work every morning at the coffee shop which gives me some social exposure and pseudo interaction. Merely being around others, and bright light, helps. I don't have to rely on meetups much anymore, but that's a very useful tool. I particularly enjoyed pick-up sports, non-fiction discussion, etc.
Ididntdothis 7y ago
“But I imagine if I was a fully remote worker I would make active changes in my life to see more people every day.” That’s one of the biggest improvements in quality of life when I work remotely. I find working in an office (especially open space or cubes) very exhausting due to noise and lack of privacy. So I come home at night totally exhausted and do nothing. When I work from home I naturally feel motivated to do something after work which I find very positive.
matwood 7y ago
It will force you to find social outside of work, but that's a good thing to do in general. Once you start getting out the house at what is normally work hours you'll start to meet other people who work remote. But, and this can be hard for people, you have to make an effort to be social. The default that someone works with you they will likely have to talk to you is no longer an option.
ex_ex_nihilo 7y ago
I am a very extroverted person and require social interaction to not become depressed. My job is a little different in that I'm customer-facing and have to travel to customer sites from time to time. I also have a family (wife and 2 young daughters), and I enjoy the opportunity to interact with them throughout the day. I have a separate area of the house that is mine, and they know not to disturb me while I'm working (which is often, but on my own schedule). To clarify: Wife is a SAHM. I also work for a Bay Area startup, which has perks in terms of flexible schedule and unlimited PTO.
testplzdeleteme 7y ago
I would have periods of becoming unsociable if I was heads down all the time. Practice makes perfect, you know? Becoming remote didn't change that. But traveling while being remote did. It's hard not to walk into great wall of socializing to balance out all the abstract work we do day today. Personally, I kicked started it by putting all my stuff in storage. I also started slowly by traveling within the US and moving month to month. My boss does it cool, important to note that not all remote work environments will be okay with you traveling.
jakenberg 7y ago
You have to integrate more socializing into your life or you will not make it in the long run. If a remote worker tells you this doesn't bother them... ask them how long they've been remote. If it's less than 5 years, it's slowly eating at them and they don't realize it yet. Even the most introverted homebodies need to do this for remote jobs IME.
- blaser-waffle 7y ago
  +1 for this. Been remote ~5 years or so now and it's lonely. There are weeks where, outside of work calls, the only people I talk to are clerks at a checkout counter.
  - allannienhuis 7y ago
    I've found that getting involved in some type of group activity is super helpful for that. I'm into music, so I joined our local community choir. It's not necessarily the style of music I listen to on my own or like to play/perform (I'm more into guitar and folk music), but its a very social activity that gets me out of the house once a week, with people that I have some things in common. I've made some great friends and got to know a lot of people in my community that I would not have otherwise. I really start to miss it when we're off-season (long summer break), because of that feeling you get when you haven't left the house for a week or so. :)
- remotecool 7y ago
  I've been remote for 10 years and I agree. I was traveling around Asia for the first year or so and now am married and have a son. I need socialization at least once/week or I start getting depressed.

myalphabet 7y ago

>Most of the benefit to me is the lack of routine. Wow, this is literally the exact reason I loathe remote working! I've been working remotely for almost 5 years now and I'm about to jump ship at my current job specifically so I can find a job that has a physical office to go to. I find that the lack of a routine causes a significant increase in stress in my life. It's an actual dream of mine to go back to a 'normal' job where I go into an office and sit at a normal desk with a normal work schedule, and then can just go home or to the gym at 6pm and enjoy my non-work life.

ex_ex_nihilo 7y ago
More power to you! Everyone should find his own preferences and strengths and lean into them, imo.
deleted 7y ago
[deleted]
barkerja 7y ago
Personally, I find having a space dedicated to work helps tremendously with this. When I am in my "office" at home, I am working. When I leave the office, I am not working. Having that separation helps me "leave work" when it is technically at the same location. It does also require a good bit of discipline because it is easy to slip back into work at any point in the day. Many argue that you should "work when you feel like it" but I personally find that leads to burn out. If I can keep a regiment that I don't deviate much/at all from, I am mentally healthier.
- jakenberg 7y ago
  > work when you feel like it == burnout city yes because most of us don't know how to turn that off! Mental health must become a priority when working remote. Separation is a key way to stay ahead of the degradation. Even if you're not a person who tends to go outside, you HAVE TO when you work remote. Lack of face to face interaction will eat you very slowly over the years. It can't just be with your usual people either. You need to have a level of unexpected interactions with other humans to stay a happy person. I'm not a psychologist, but I've had this happen to me and any other colleague I know who worked remote. It's a very real thing – respect it.

Lucadg 7y ago

I work from home, a bar or coworking and I mix this with work trips abroad lasting 3 to 10 days where I get my share of social interaction. It also makes me appreciate time with my family more. Balance is the key. It's very subjective and varies but I find it not too hard to attain. P.s. I've been working remotely for 18 years now.

nsxwolf 7y ago
I've been working remotely the same amount of time. I used to work remote for a local Chicago company and there were plenty of opportunities for social interaction. Now I'm working remote for a Bay Area company and it's pretty isolating. My wife's Christmas party is a highlight of the year.
- 1996 7y ago
  When the spouse work-related social meetups become the highlight of the year, something is wrong. Some parts of the world can be isolating. You may want to talk to your wife about moving back to a more civilized place.
  - nsxwolf 7y ago
    Chicago is a pretty civilized place.
    - 1996 7y ago
      Exactly my point. A place where people can easily socialize, regardless of job or social status. OP, talk to your spouse and try to go back there!
      - nsxwolf 7y ago
        We live in Chicago. I work remote for a Bay Area company.