Thoughts on working from home (July-Sept).

[oak]

In the next few months I'd like to post here about my thoughts, feelings, and experience about both working from home, returning to a commute, and office "life".

As a Gen X person, there are several "first in the history of humankind" changes coming or here for the world of work that I will see in my career*: outsourcing, automation, and AI. As if that is not enough, now we have millions of people working from home for a year and a half. I thoughts on why they want us back in the office, thoughts I'll share soon.

In the meantime, I just want to plant a stake here in the forum and in my mind to post soon about work from home, commuting, and "the office". Three different things, my friends.

* Using the word "career" has two assumptions, both of which I have good reason to doubt if they apply to me: first, for my own wellness and quality of life I am actively in the process of choosing jobs over a career; second, it is very much in question if jobs/careers will be available for the next twenty years of my working life due to AI, but I am getting well ahead of myself!

Lost of forum love. I'll post soon. In the meantime, thanks for listening.

[oak]

Edit:

After posting a long post, I reconsidered.

I think I’ll take the next few months to really ask what my long term career plans are: I’m very happy now, and 25 years of the rat race seems… not great.

Thanks for listening!

[oak]

Hi friends.

My work from home ends a week from today.

This week I plan to:

1. Finalize the logistics of commuting, especially that difficult first day.

2. Come up with a medium-term plan (1-2 years) to get back to WFH employment.

3. Discuss #2 with my counselor on Friday. I'm inexplicably drawn to the idea of "narrative": working backwards from 1.5 years from now, what life will look like if I achieve my goals.

Because while commuting will be a daily PTSD-reminder, in other aspects I can make the most of this experience.

I'll post here at the end of this week, after I discuss my plan with my counselor.

[manuel_moe_g]

The narrative idea sounds interesting because you are such a good and thoughtful writer.

[oak]

Thank you, Manuel Moe!

In fact, my counselor recommended, in passing, "future templates"; I'm not sure what they are, but I am highly motivated to try them tomorrow (Sunday).

I say that because Monday is the biggest day: the first day back at the office.

Success will be showing up at the office, more or less on time.

There will be plenty of upset, travail, and wasted time and energy in commuting for the following 1.25 years following from Monday morning, which I can post about ongoing, but I have to endure Monday morning first.

For now, just showing up on time on Monday will be enough.

One last Saturday thought

I also hasten to add that I have many more mental and emotional and professional resources than I did the last time I worked in an office, in March 2020. My career was headed nowhere, with little movement or hope or verve. I'm happy to say that I have more hope and energy and fight in me now. I'm glad I survived all that, back then.

I'll post tomorrow, regarding mental health plans for the big day and the following week!

[oak]

Friends!

Anxious as I am for the commute and parking (ugh!), I have written and printed a timeline document for the next week regarding specifics about how I can make the most of this in-office experience.

I have nearly-daily activities after work to break up the week and get me out of my head, including: salsa and (maybe) martial arts classes, a counseling session, visiting my parents (maybe), and taking an overnight trip to go to a swing dance over the weekend.

While commuting will be a continual sorrow, 90% of my anxiety for ending WFH centers on my first commute and parking tomorrow. In other words, if I can make it to 8:30 Monday morning, sitting in my office, that will go a long way to giving me emotional and mental health breathing room.

Posting here is a big part of my mental health. I'll post Monday night with an update!

[snoringdog]

Hello Oak,

A couple of suggestions, if I may?

1. Remember to remind yourself that "It's going to be a good day today" upon awaking, and don't neglect am self-care routines due to possible anxieties.

2. When you're on the road, remember that many people are tired, distracted, and stressed, and this affects their behavior on the road.

3. Use the time to listen to relaxing or invigorating music, your choice. Or maybe catch up on a few podcasts

Wishing you well!

[oak]

@Snoring Dog: thank you for your advice and encouragement! Per your suggestion, I fired up the excellent Libby app, and listened to the iconic Stephen Covey audiobook 7 Habits. It is so good, and so rich. I could only listen to ten minutes, it is so rich and filling.

Three days into back in the office:

Bad news: There will sadly be many opportunities to have my driving PTSD activated time and again the coming months.

Good news: Other than that, I have to admit the office is awesome, and probably what I needed.

I just have so many more resources than I did previously. I don't know how 2015-era me made it: he had so many things coming against him. I had so many burdens.

I'll post now and then with updates, but I made it through my first day, difficult as the transition is, very well. I'm glad we stick together.

[oak]

Hi friends. A brief update three weeks in.

1. The transition itself.
2. The macro: nearly empty office, no "culture".
3. Losing five hours a day: the most important hours.
4. The broad plan for the next year.

1. The transition itself.

This went surprisingly well. I have many more resources (mental, social, and courage-wise) then I did in the bad old days of commuting.

Frankly, I had a pretty good plan, and luck was on my side.

2. The macro: nearly empty office, no "culture".

The promised "culture" ("everyone's in this together! Can't wait to see everyone back at the office!") totally did not happen. To the surprise of no one.

Any who could get an exception to work from home (read: "Let me work from home two days a week or I'll leave") did, and I support them.

My office is like a ghost town: it is only us comparatively new employees. Even our meetings are via Zoom. I use Excel and Acrobat for 90% of my job. While this experience has not been particularly burdensome (exception below), there is zero reason for me to be in the office. The ballyhooed "culture" obviously hasn't happened.

3. Losing five hours a day: the most important hours.

During WFH, I had zero commute minutes a day, and an hour at lunch to do important stuff. Now I have a two hour prep/commute each way, and a lunch at my desk.

Sadly, these five hours a day are the most valuable: when I'd work on me the most: sleeping, accomplishing stuff during lunch, and yoga/dancing right after work. Instead, this precious resource, my time, is being sacrificed at the altar of profits for commercial real estate.

I am not forgetting or forgiving this: I am tolerating it, for now. Which directly leads to...

4. The broad plan for the next year.

My main goal for 2021 is to go a long way to curing or mitigating my sleep apnea.

Then I can have the mental acuity to build my skills in early and mid-2022 so I can make a career move in late 2022.

This assumes they don't offer a reasonable two days a week WFH. I'd be glad to come into the office three days a week.

If my current employer won't offer that to me, I leave in late 2022.

[manuel_moe_g]

A sound plan. We are cheering you on, Oak!