(Worth saying before I give my perspective that I agree with all the comments suggesting that YMMV and that, for a lot of people, COVID has been anywhere betwee

(Worth saying before I give my perspective that I agree with all the comments suggesting that YMMV and that, for a lot of people, COVID has been anywhere between a serious inconvenience/frustration and a complete disaster. Everything below is a very personal view with incredibly limited general applicability.) It's interesting, because the way I feel about working from home has completely changed, and I suspect will continue to change as this pandemic progresses. Previously I'd work from home for a day or two tops, and didn't really enjoy it. Didn't like the lack of company, especially not as I live alone, and found myself becoming easily distracted if I tried to work from home for longer periods. I've now been working from home continuously since 16th March. Whilst loneliness and difficulty of focus were problems to begin with they've substantially passed, and I'm finding my ability to focus has improved. I've come to appreciate the quiet and (ironically given what I said a couple of paragraphs back) lack of distraction. I can get up and move, or do something mindless if I need some time to get away from my screen and think without running into anyone. I can also make a cup of coffee without it turning into a 10-minute project where I have to queue/make smalltalk/empty and refill the coffee machine, and whatever else can distract and delay. In general, if I'm frustrated by a situation at work, it's easier to get some mental and emotional distance from it, which is helpful for clarity of thought and better decision-making. I've managed to set boundaries and regular hours for working that I rarely stray beyond, and I find myself more creative and energetic in the evenings. Not everything is perfect: - Lots of video calls and meetings becomes draining, and we've had to learn to change our ways of working somewhat to deal with this. - Related: I find that preparation for meetings is even more valuable now because it helps to keep them shorter. - I also prefer to have difficult conversations face to face in a way that video calls don't really substitute for. - I miss my family and friends, and am missing out on my newborn nephew's first months as he grows and develops. Again, video calls go some way to helping (and I'm certainly grateful to have them - imagine what this would have been like 15 or 20 years ago), but they're obviously not a complete substitute. - I've got flabby around the middle: did a virtual black tie dinner for a friend's birthday last night and couldn't do up the trousers of my tux properly - thankfully the cummerbund saved the day, and video calls cover a multitude of sins. I'm getting back into an exercise routine but clearly I need to do more. Still, right now, I don't want to go back to the office, and this is even taking into account that my commute is generally less than 30 minutes each way. Who knows? In another month I may feel differently. Only time will tell.