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I sympathize. I became stir crazy working at home 6-9 months into the pandemic. I like having an office as a separation between my work and home lives. I like b

I sympathize. I became stir crazy working at home 6-9 months into the pandemic. I like having an office as a separation between my work and home lives. I like being at a place designed for working where other people are working. I like the change of scenery. Most surprising was I realized I actually get a lot out of having a commute. In the morning it’s time to think about what’s coming up for the day and in the evening it’s time by myself to unwind before walking in the front door. When my company went fully remote and closed our office we gave people the option of getting a coworking space. I took advantage, I wasn’t sure I’d use it at first but figured it was worth a try. After a couple days I never looked back. Shortly after a friend who works remotely for a different company decided to share it with me and we got a bigger space. With the changes combined I noticed an immediate and marked improvement in my mental health. For us, it’s great. We have a lot of the social benefits of being in an office even through we don’t work together. We also have strong relationships with our coworkers as our companies build remote-first cultures. To me it’s the best of both worlds and I’d have a hard time working all alone again.

nickm12 5y ago
Wow. This sounds just like me. Remote work really started getting to me around Jan 2021, at which point I started taking hour long walks every evening as a way to clear my head. This worked up until a point, but after another 6 months and getting vaccinated, I knew I had to have a change. For the last 6 months I've been biking into my office, which is nearly empty. I spend my mornings in a coffee shop and afternoons at my desk with a big monitor and keyboard. Per our building rules, I need to be in a closed office alone to work without a mask, but it's all worth it. There are a few other people who come into the building and we all sequester in offices. It's weird, but I'm loving this lifestyle. My work-from-home setup was actually pretty nice, but I really need to get out of the house and have a place that means "work" to my brain. It also feels good to come home at the end of the day. I still miss my coworkers. Would love to get back to a world where we could have in-person meetings again and all the rest, but I'm getting the sense that I'm in the minority. FWIW, I consider myself a "social introvert". I like to socialize, but it's a draining activity (like playing sports) and I always need some alone time at the end of the day to recharge.

nickm12 5y ago

Wow. This sounds just like me. Remote work really started getting to me around Jan 2021, at which point I started taking hour long walks every evening as a way to clear my head. This worked up until a point, but after another 6 months and getting vaccinated, I knew I had to have a change. For the last 6 months I've been biking into my office, which is nearly empty. I spend my mornings in a coffee shop and afternoons at my desk with a big monitor and keyboard. Per our building rules, I need to be in a closed office alone to work without a mask, but it's all worth it. There are a few other people who come into the building and we all sequester in offices. It's weird, but I'm loving this lifestyle. My work-from-home setup was actually pretty nice, but I really need to get out of the house and have a place that means "work" to my brain. It also feels good to come home at the end of the day. I still miss my coworkers. Would love to get back to a world where we could have in-person meetings again and all the rest, but I'm getting the sense that I'm in the minority. FWIW, I consider myself a "social introvert". I like to socialize, but it's a draining activity (like playing sports) and I always need some alone time at the end of the day to recharge.