I Never Thought I’d Say This, But I Hate Working From Home…

Last updated by Katie M.

Work has always been a synonym of repression for me because it takes up so much of our precious time. Let’s be honest, a 9-5 job with a horrendous daily commute often means that work is sadly our sole occupation. So, when the Covid-19 pandemic struck over a year ago, and we were all ordered to stay home, I found it hard to hide my joy in front of my distraught coworkers; although thankfully my acting talents saved me. You can probably already tell, but going into the office every day was nothing less than torture for me. Yet, all these months later, I’ve realized that I despise working from home and would do anything to sit in my uncomfortable office chair once again!

I Never Thought I’d Say This, But I Hate Working From Home…
Contents:

You don’t know what you’ve got til it’s gone…

I’ve always dreamed of working remotely, but sadly it’s not all it’s cracked up to be. I used to envision myself with my laptop poolside soaking up the rays whilst typing away, yet the reality couldn’t be any more different. Before my working days were filled with noisy coworkers, overbearing toxic managers, bad coffee and pointless meetings. Yes, as sad as that might sound, that was my life 5 days a week… Now, my life is a lot different and even less fulfilling than beforehand. I feel as though I’m constantly cooped up in my tiny apartment and totally cut off from the world. Who’d have thought I’d miss real life conversations with my coworkers or my old routine of waking up early, doing my makeup and running like a mad woman to the subway? I certainly didn’t! I’m living what I thought was my dream, but ironically it's become my worst nightmare.

>>> Read; So what if I hate working?!

Working from home has had a negative impact on my mental health

I certainly wouldn’t classify myself as one of the most sociable people out there, but I can’t deny that being a remote worker definitely limits our social interactions. Isolation can be very hard to deal with because as humans, even as shy ones, we need contact with people. We need to tell people about the ridiculous purchase we regret making on Amazon last weekend, or about the new series we’re currently binge-watching on Netflix and how cute the main character. All of this alone time confined between my four walls is nothing other than oppressing and depressing. If truth be told, I’ve never felt this down and dejected before. What seems ironic is that we’ve never been so connected before, yet paradoxically, I’ve never felt so disconnected. Quite frankly, Zoom meetings just don’t cut it and I want my old life back. 

Bored girl

If this experience has taught me anything, it’s that we shouldn’t take things for granted.

My work-life balance is totally off…

I’ll be honest, I’ve never worked this much in my life and my body is suffering because of it. The aches and pains are creeping in, and I'm not even past the 30 mark, plus my sleep pattern is totally out of control and this is causing me to have panic attacks… For some reason, being at home makes us feel like we need to prove ourselves even more. We feel like we have to be more productive, more efficient and more hands on. In short, we overinvest and this can have serious consequences on our health. Not being under the constant observation and supervision of our manager means we want to impress them more and prove that we can be independent. In my case, that means eating in front of my laptop at lunchtime, finishing way later than I should and even signing in on the weekends too. My job is taking over my life, and it’s quite frankly unhealthy!

>>> Discover the golden rules to successfully working virtually

Remote working gets my blood pressure rising

The benefits of working from home may seem attractive, but that’s when everything runs smoothly. When you add internet connectivity issues to the isolation and lack of stimulation of the situation, you’ll soon feel a ball of anger form in your stomach. Gone are the days when you could traipse over to the tech team and complain about IT issues, now you’re on your own in the big wide world of tech, which if you’re anything like me, you’ll know nothing about! I'm no Steve Jobs, after all… Now, I’ve never been a particularly lucky person, but once one problem crops up, a tsunami of them seem to follow and this makes me feel completely out of my depth.

Interruptions are my worst enemy

I used to think that certain noisy coworkers were my bad, but I soon realized that I was naive to think like this. My apartment block is like Times Square on a Saturday evening, yes, that's right, I can hear absolutely EVERYTHING and people are SO loud! From the sound of vacuuming, to my neighbor’s kids yelling at each other and fighting, and not to mention the woman who lives upstairs and her Zumba class; concentrating on my tasks is a real challenge. It’s probably not very neighborly to want to bang down people’s doors whenever they start to make the slightest bit of noise, but trust me, I think about doing it at least once an hour.

>>> Learn how to be assertive at work

This brings me to my next point, which is procrastination

Procrastination is the worst thing to have to deal with. When we are in the comfort of our own homes, everything distracts us, and we always seem to find something better to do. Whether we decide we need to clean from top to bottom, or rearrange our winter closet, everything draws us in. Although I’ve upped my working hours, I can’t be productive every second of the day, which evidently means I have to make up for my lapses of concentration late at night. You’ve guessed it, my days seem unending, and my social life has suffered because of it. I’m sad to say it, but my job has become my life and my poor organization skills are at the root of this problem. The truth is, no one ever prepared us for this full time lifestyle, and few of us are disciplined enough to be able to succeed in it in the long term.

>>> Discover why working from home is even more tiring than in the office

Why is it so hard to work from home?

Working from home (WFH) has become commonplace in many companies as part of the anti-Covid measures. But many employees suffer from this imposed situation, which has now become a daily occurrence. Whilst many people love it, others can’t bear the idea of working at their dining tables for 8 hours a day, and the main reason is that they don't feel as if their efforts are rewarded. Plus, they are legitimately afraid of becoming demotivated and in some cases cast to the side. There is a feeling of being relegated, that one did not choose to WFH. Employees are no longer at the heart of the company and the organization of work, they feel dispossessed of their place, and it’s therefore difficult to work effectively under these conditions. There is also the fact that employees can no longer express their emotions or their aggressiveness. Face-to-face meetings allow for the resolution of micro-conflicts, which cannot be done remotely since the only means of communication are virtual.

Editor’s advice: Approach your day methodically and structure your routine

Working from home doesn’t necessarily need to be something you hate with a passion! To fall back in love with this privilege that lots of people dream of, you need to learn to be less harsh on yourself. You’re only human, after all, so you can’t pull off superhuman things. To make your days easier, set yourself achievable goals and plan out a timetable that will help you stick to your tasks. This technique will stop you from feeling guilty about your methods and will teach you to organize your schedule better. You’ll soon see just how much you do and will learn to be proud of your efforts!

🤗 Understand yourself, accept yourself, be happy... Let’s do it here and now!

#BornToBeMe


More interesting content:

Article presented by Katie M.

Discover the world through my eyes.

Comments

The novelty of WFH wore off after about 1 month for me. Now I try to go into the office as much as possible but the office is empty / at 10% capacity - still depressing! Can not face this for the next 40 years of my life - will be looking to change career path to something more social or move to a company that requires 4/5 days in the office and I'm sure many other young people will be on the same boat..

Read our latest articles here:

Is Flirting Cheating, Or Just Harmless Fun?

The question of faithfulness and the boundaries regarding this notion often crop up in relationships, and aren't just exclusively reserved for new couples. We all have different opinions on what constitutes betraying our partner's trust, but does flirting really make the list? After all, we all like a few spicy thrills in our lives, regardless of whether we're taken or not. Making eyes at George, another parent at my kid's school, when I drop them off in the morning is part of my daily routine, so is that really classed as being unfaithful or not? The answer is simple: it depends!

7 Sex Tips for Women - Transform Your Love Making

Sex should be enjoyable and sensual, not something we do reluctantly to please our partner every so often. It needs to be something that makes us feel good as well as satisfy our desires. Many of us struggle to enjoy those complicit moments beneath the sheets because we are battling body image issues, for example, or aren't 100% comfortable in ourselves. Our advice will help you overcome your sexual barriers, because after all, everyone deserves amazing climatic experiences in the bedroom.

7 Golden Rules To Working Effectively From Home

Working from home probably sounds like a great idea, but with all the distractions, is it really a good recipe for productivity and efficiency? At home, when I'm not tempted to snack or scroll on Instagram, there is always something else that monopolizes my attention. But, like millions of others, I have to adapt to and master this new way of working. Between disturbances and temptations, how can I be well-structured in my home office? Well, I'm about to share all of my success secrets with you!

I'm Too Scared To Fall In Love; How Can I Overcome This Fear?

In love, things are never really certain and just when we think things are going well, they often seem to derail. That being said, when you consider that one in two marriages ends in divorce, it's no wonder that reluctance to fall in love is becoming an increasingly common phobia amongst people. This fear hides deep-seated anxieties and can become very painful and penalizing... To overcome your worries and cast them aside once and for all, you need to understand where they originate from.

Standing Up To A Narcissist Is Possible If You Follow These 9 Steps

If you’re anything like me, you’re no doubt sick of being manipulated and humiliated by the narcissistic vampires that surround you. Enough is enough! The time has come for you to stand up for yourself! No matter who is making you feel bad about yourself; you need to flip the tables and take back the power. Psychological abuse has deep and lasting impacts, but turning the page and moving on is the healthiest thing any victim can do. Here are 9 essential tips on how you can defend yourself against a narcissistic pervert.

10 Signs Of A Bad Friendship - These Should Alarm You!

Our instincts are often renowned for always being right, and we certainly know the signs of a bad relationship when we see them. Although, that being said, we do at times end up ignoring our gut feelings and only realize how toxic they are when it's too late. Just like in relationships, there are red flags we can't ignore in our friendship group if we want our rapport to remain healthy. Read on to discover the 10 signs that you need to update your girl group and ditch certain members of it.

How To Break Up With Someone You Live With - 5 Tips To Go About It

Have you decided to end your relationship, yet you want to do it in the kindest way possible? If you are in this situation, you must go about it in the right way, regardless of what's gone on or who is to blame. Breakups can be brutal, and you don't want to inflict pain and suffering on your partner, right? But you can't exactly let yourself be unhappy for much longer either, and need to move out. Letting someone down gently is a tough balance to enact, and it involves asking yourself the right questions to make the separation as painless as possible. If you want to be able to walk away from your partner in the smoothest possible way, you're in the right place.

Can A Narcissist Become Obsessed With Someone?

Now, narcissists are known for demonstrating a worrying lack of empathy along with deviously manipulative traits, oh, and before I forget to mention it, HUGE egos too. Yes, that’s right, they love spending hours looking in the mirror and being told how fabulous they are. To put it in other words, people with this personality disorder are firmly in love with themselves, to the point of being totally obsessed with their so-called perfection, but the question is, can they put their self-admiration aside enough to become preoccupied with someone else?

Do Narcissists Enjoy Kissing?

Kissing is a deeply intimate act, and although in popular culture it is often classed as only being worthy of first base, it does in fact go way beyond that toxic evaluation. We’ve no doubt all had at least one lingering kiss that we’ll never forget; one which left all of our senses tingling and hungry for more. Well, that memorable smooch left us reminiscing because it was sincere and meant something. In short, it encapsulated love and romance, which are two things that narcissists are quite simply incapable of feeling.

8 Dangerous Mind Games That All Narcissists Play

People with narcissistic personality disorders love playing games because it reinforces their sense of control and validates their need to pull the strings. Now, the idea of playing games may seem fairly harmless and innocent, but the truth could be further away from the reality when these manipulative personalities are involved. Indeed, narcissists are always one step ahead of the rest of us, which makes it difficult to recognize when they are toying with people. So, to open your eyes to what they are truly capable of, discover the lengths they’ll go to, to remain on top.

Wengood's favorite tunes 🎵

How to detect a narcissist


"Be yourself; everyone else is already taken." 

- Oscar Wilde


How to soothe an anxiety attack