3 ms·

The work-from-home has been a massive stress-reliever for me. I don't like cities, but most tech jobs are in cities. I get to live in a nice quiet suburb now. I

The work-from-home has been a massive stress-reliever for me. I don't like cities, but most tech jobs are in cities. I get to live in a nice quiet suburb now. I loathe commuting in any form, and now I don't have to do that. There used to be work-from-home jobs, but they were the exception, and it was hard to be treated as a normal, engaged team member. Now nearly everyone in tech works from home, and even after the pandemic, it's going to be more widely accepted. It's tragic that is took a pandemic to get to this point, but it's the best thing that ever happened to my career. I'm burned out from the lack of social contact, though. I don't mean coworkers; I'm glad I don't have to interact with coworkers beyond Zoom. I mean the lack of family-and-friends get-togethers; the inability to pop down to the pub for a quick beer with friends; the lack of new friendships made because of the distancing; having to treat everyone and everything as though they're radioactive; the constant doomscrolling. Everything non-work-related is stressful and hollow. Work from home would have made my life better under other circumstances. I'd have gained all the commute time back; I'd be living near family, friends, and activities that I enjoy; I'd be far from cities that I dislike. I have some of those things, but in this perverse alternate reality, I feel like I'm being teased and can't have it. One of the biggest downsides to the past year is the lack of vacations. I took a week off for a break, but spent it at home doing nothing. There's no way I'm getting on a plane before I'm vaccinated, nor going to a restaurant or bar, and I'm not keen on staying in a hotel.

scamper 6y ago
Yes to everything you just said. Except, as a recluse by nature, I don’t miss friends or family (I didn’t spend time with them before). The changes in my life due to the pandemic have been an absolute godsend, and I’m thriving. I live in fear that the extraverts will take over again once vaccinations are a thing, and we’ll “forget” the quiet oases we’ve discovered away from the commute, the office, and the absolute communal everything that they crave. I don’t want things to change. (Except all the deaths. Let’s do see to that.)
- calvano915 6y ago
  Now now, we can't go having an economy with a large part of skilled labor. It must return to majority exploited service sector and low wage and benefit workers. Else how can those skilled enjoy what's left of a middle class lifestyle!? /s I also hope for a life that has less requirements for my physical presence for pointless activities/niceties work-related or otherwise.

scamper 6y ago

Yes to everything you just said. Except, as a recluse by nature, I don’t miss friends or family (I didn’t spend time with them before). The changes in my life due to the pandemic have been an absolute godsend, and I’m thriving. I live in fear that the extraverts will take over again once vaccinations are a thing, and we’ll “forget” the quiet oases we’ve discovered away from the commute, the office, and the absolute communal everything that they crave. I don’t want things to change. (Except all the deaths. Let’s do see to that.)

calvano915 6y ago
Now now, we can't go having an economy with a large part of skilled labor. It must return to majority exploited service sector and low wage and benefit workers. Else how can those skilled enjoy what's left of a middle class lifestyle!? /s I also hope for a life that has less requirements for my physical presence for pointless activities/niceties work-related or otherwise.