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This is a great response, thanks for sharing. I think over-communicating actually is a trait that the most successful remote workers share. I like the accounta

This is a great response, thanks for sharing. I think over-communicating actually is a trait that the most successful remote workers share. I like the accountability point you made as well: you don't want to send your boss an empty email at the end of the day. I think I'll give this a go. Why do you think your performance dropped with WFH? Is it the social isolation bit?

Jtsummers 6y ago
I moved in January, so I had 2 months in the new job before we were sent home. I knew only one person socially (and barely a second, his wife) in this city. We had just gotten settled into the home enough that I was ready to go out and join a local gym (BJJ or similar) and find local game shops to get back into my hobbies and meet people. My wife and I had just joined a church and were joining a social group (group dinners with other parishioners) to meet people there. Then we were sent home. My tasking was very light and we had limited access for the first few weeks so I couldn't really do anything useful. Between the social isolation and the low level of work in those few weeks, it killed my momentum. I hadn't actually become part of the team here yet (not the fault of any person, just the timing). All of that, plus my tendency toward anxiety problems, just mounted and my focus and motivation were lost. When things started opening back up with a limited return to work I was still outside any of the development teams in most ways. I was in the office every 3rd week, and the people I had been working most closely with (due to social distancing requirements and the size of cubicles) were there the other 2 weeks. Then I started really falling behind, and when I finally got my head cleared up a bit I took a while to get moving properly again. I'm mostly back on track now, finally had a good talk with the boss. It was also very hard to finally call him (I hadn't seen him in person in months because of the rotation) and say, "Hey, I've had crippling anxiety for a couple months and restarted therapy. I'm getting better but I'm behind." That was anxiety inducing on its own. But like getting started on work, once we spoke it went well (that's been my experience throughout my career when this has happened, now three times over the last 15 or so years).

Jtsummers 6y ago

I moved in January, so I had 2 months in the new job before we were sent home. I knew only one person socially (and barely a second, his wife) in this city. We had just gotten settled into the home enough that I was ready to go out and join a local gym (BJJ or similar) and find local game shops to get back into my hobbies and meet people. My wife and I had just joined a church and were joining a social group (group dinners with other parishioners) to meet people there. Then we were sent home. My tasking was very light and we had limited access for the first few weeks so I couldn't really do anything useful. Between the social isolation and the low level of work in those few weeks, it killed my momentum. I hadn't actually become part of the team here yet (not the fault of any person, just the timing). All of that, plus my tendency toward anxiety problems, just mounted and my focus and motivation were lost. When things started opening back up with a limited return to work I was still outside any of the development teams in most ways. I was in the office every 3rd week, and the people I had been working most closely with (due to social distancing requirements and the size of cubicles) were there the other 2 weeks. Then I started really falling behind, and when I finally got my head cleared up a bit I took a while to get moving properly again. I'm mostly back on track now, finally had a good talk with the boss. It was also very hard to finally call him (I hadn't seen him in person in months because of the rotation) and say, "Hey, I've had crippling anxiety for a couple months and restarted therapy. I'm getting better but I'm behind." That was anxiety inducing on its own. But like getting started on work, once we spoke it went well (that's been my experience throughout my career when this has happened, now three times over the last 15 or so years).