[watercooler_guy]

The part about being able to focus at your girlfriend’s place is interesting, because I experience the same thing. When someone is sitting near me and working at the same time as me, I don’t go on all my usual distraction tangents, I actually get stuff done. I think it’s a subconscious fear of being seen as weird or unproductive by someone I care about, when we’re both supposed to be working. Maybe having a “work chaperone” is the solution for us?

[theduemmer]

I'm curious whether it's this "work chaperone" concept, but I'm not sure. Until recently, I had two other people working in close proximity to me, before they both quit. I definitely got that weird unproductive feeling when I was off-focus, but it was decidedly negative. Think a fear of punishment or embarrassment vs. the positive feeling that I had today. But at the same time, coworkers and SOs are very different in terms of relationship and motivation.