Counter balance: I have also been WFH for the past several years. I enjoy it and prefer it to working in an office.
The thing is, WFH is not for everyone. Some people will thrive in it, and some will not, and that's OK. Don't try and force yourself into a pattern that doesn't suit. Once the pandemic is over, revert to the work environment you enjoy most.
In the meantime, if you feel lonely, try always-on voice comms with your teammates while you all work as usual, mostly the audio will be quiet, but it does allow for people to spontaneously ask questions, or bounce ideas, is if you all were still in the office.
I second this. I've worked from home for about 11 years now, pre-covid everything was fine. Met up with friends a couple of times a week, and the odd organised social.
A little more awkward nowadays with lockdowns and such, which has me a little twitchy.
On-prem Skype for Business lets you do this. But tbh any of the gamer orientated voice-comms platforms would work if you don't have that sort of thing as part of your work platform.
Hot take from someone who has worked in open offices (and remote) the past few years.
Offices aren't healthy for many.
Lost time from commuting, increased carbon footprint, high distraction, and low control over the environment are disadvantages not shared with a properly configured home office.
Working remote does not need to be working from home also. Coworking spaces are a thing and I’m my experience can bring the best of both worlds, a groups of people who have their heads down 90% of the time but really make the other 10% fun when everyone joins in the conversation about the new sandwich shop on the corner
I think a lot of it boils down to whether you're living in a place with other people or you're alone in an apartment. A family or roommates can give enough human interaction that it's not an issue at all. But many people have most of their human interaction through work and associated activity (commute, lunches, dinner after work, etc.), and the isolation is stifling.
As an introvert with a medical condition, a wife and three kids at home, remote working is the best thing that's ever happened in my career, and I can't see myself working in an office unless there were some incredibly good incentives (and closed individual offices).
But many people have most of their human interaction
through work and associated activity (commute, lunches,
dinner after work, etc.)
I think that is very unhealthy though. Obviously it's not something that can be changed easily or immediately (especially during this pandemic) but I would urge anybody reading this to steer away from this mode of existence whenever possible.
I have made amazing, lifelong friends through workplaces, but depending on one's workplace for human interaction is fraught. Workplaces are generally unhealthy places to varying degrees.
This is capitalism. I am not anti-capitalism, but the reality is that capitalism is all about extracting value from labor. Making friends at work is a bit like chunks of fruit befriending each other as they're fed through a juice presser.
As an introvert with a medical condition, a wife and
three kids at home, remote working is the best thing
that's ever happened in my career,
The thing is, WFH is not for everyone. Some people will thrive in it, and some will not, and that's OK. Don't try and force yourself into a pattern that doesn't suit. Once the pandemic is over, revert to the work environment you enjoy most.
In the meantime, if you feel lonely, try always-on voice comms with your teammates while you all work as usual, mostly the audio will be quiet, but it does allow for people to spontaneously ask questions, or bounce ideas, is if you all were still in the office.