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What I don’t like about working at a remote job

priconceptions.com

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Re: What I don’t like about working at a remote job

#41

Post by slothtrop »

akmarinov wrote: post #19

They should get a dog - it forces you to wake up at a certain time - you get some exercise in - you go outside and have micro social interactions - if you take them out at a certain time after work, it’ll come let you know that it’s time, so you won’t overwork - they’re great antidepressants - great for company when your partner is gone 4AM to 7PM

Counterpoint: they require a lot of care and attention, and expense. You can't easily just pick up and go, you now need someone to look after the animal, every time.

You can get exercise and social contact besides (although on the latter point, animals can provide some comfort, but they don't sub for a social life). I think the valid reason for wanting a dog is wanting a dog, and tolerating if not enjoying the lifestyle that it requires. There are a lot of owners out there who think they want a pet, and then they end up neglected or at a shelter (or the owner does their job, but regrets their choice).

Re: What I don’t like about working at a remote job

#42

Post by priconceptions »

Thank you for all the comments here! I’ve seen a lot of helpful suggestions here that I will definitely try. I think the problem is that I just started a job where I have a lot of autonomy over my time, which is amazing and exactly what I want. I am just finding it a bit hard to adjust after switching from a job where I barely had any control over how I use my time.

I think it will take time and some experimentation to get used to this freedom. These are just ramblings where I’m trying to identify what’s making me feel sad and how to fix it.

Again, thank you everyone for the great suggestions!

Re: What I don’t like about working at a remote job

#43

Post by mathgeek »

rubicon33 wrote: post #31
_s wrote: post #27

Working from home, or remotely is not for everyone - neither is being in an office. Some folks thrive in an office environment, they value the things it provides - a schedule, a time, a reason to get up and out, socialising with others, being out in the world. It comes at a cost of time and a bit of freedom; you don't really get to choose the hours or where this happens, neither the folks you interact with. Others pr…

I’ve found the best option to be a hybrid. 2 days remote, 3 in office.

Important to note again that this is the best option _for you_.

Re: What I don’t like about working at a remote job

#44

Post by twobitshifter »

nonameiguess wrote: post #9

Guy sounds like he lives alone and is depressed. I have exactly none of these problems. Go to sleep by 8:30, wake up around 3 every day, no alarms, no explicit schedule, no planning. It's just habit. I don't need to find stuff to do. I keep the house clean. Keep my car clean. Complete renovation projects. I don't find it takes much mental energy at all to work out every day. What the heck else am I gonna do waking up…

just a couple of things about making assumptions: * The author of the post is a woman * The author mentions her partners job towards the end of the post so we know she is not single and lonely

Re: What I don’t like about working at a remote job

#45

Post by priconceptions »

orzig wrote: post #4

As the world opens up, working from home doesn’t have to mean living from home. A lot of structure and friendship can come from self-selected groups and activities, not just those who the organization put on your team. The author mentions a lack of willpower to implement solutions, and I totally get it, so if there’s just one thing I would strongly suggest getting a personal trainer, which several people described ch…

This is a great idea! I’m having trouble advancing with my fitness too so this will probably put me in a better state physically and emotionally. Thank you!

Re: What I don’t like about working at a remote job

#46

Post by rTX5CMRXIfFG »

javajosh wrote: post #15

A lot of us are in the same boat, and I see some good advice here. But the pattern I see in the OP's observations is the lack of motion . The repetitive motion from home to work, work to home, is like breathing on a different time scale, and as annoying as the travel itself is, you are at least moving through the world . And when you're at work, you are with people who are facing the same mundane challenges of where…

There’s no mention of motion in the post but as someone who did WFH for 2+ years before the pandemic, I can attest that even café hopping falls within the author’s first bulletpoint, which is that everyday is exactly the same. It’s expensive, too, since you can rarely just sit in a café without ordering anything.

Re: What I don’t like about working at a remote job

#47

Post by wokwokwok »

It’s not an unfair set of points and this one rings true harder than most:

> It’s extremely hard to be friends with your co-workers. You have to go out of your way to reach out and be available. Friendships don’t happen “organically” like they do in the office

…because, most people seem to think they can just on their asses all day, don’t post on slack, don’t talk to anyone other than on standup and just get work done.

So many tickets done.

So totally miserable.

I’ve seen first hand so many times the last couple of years. There’s only so much you can do to reach out to people and give them the opportunity to engage.

…but they have to be proactively social.

Some people don’t like that, but it’s the reality of working remotely.

Also, get a standing desk. :)

Sitting all day is bad for you, and it forces you to take breaks.

Re: What I don’t like about working at a remote job

#49

Post by civilized »

Remote works best for people who already have their lives stuffed with meaning and structure and don't need any help from the office on those fronts.

OP might have resonated with me a decade ago, but now I have a wife and kids. I don't need office socialization to give my life meaning. I have my eight hours of work to do and then I have my life to get back to. I definitely don't need to lose two hours a day commuting.

There were days in my twenties where I had no idea what to do with the day, and on many of those days I ended up doing nothing. I haven't had a day like that for the greater part of a decade.

Re: What I don’t like about working at a remote job

#50

Post by solarmist »

The problem I’m seeing is the people who see work as:

* completing tasks

vs

* who see work as a piece of their life

People _need_ social interaction (this is an indisputable fact of being human) and remote work divorces the social from the productive for the first time in history (there are jobs where you are isolated for periods like oil rig workers, but this is on a completely new scale).

There aren’t any proven methods to manage this, so your experience is largely dictated by your social reserves and social skills/circle (outside of work).

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