Working From Home. Torture

[Woodrow Wilson]

85Carrera said:

Woodrow Wilson said:

I'm an outdoorsy, pseudo-gentleman, amateur jack of all trades (a poor man's polymath). Maybe had a major war broken out when I was younger I could have joined SOE or the LRDG.

If you’re half the pseudo-polymath you claim to be, you should have plenty of interests to occupy your time; if you’re not, bad luck. I’ve got a very tedious role at the moment on st money (well below my usual rate, but fortunately it looks like I can dump it soon for something both more interesting and more lucrative) but it’s that or nothing (for now) and I’ve got got lots of car and garden projects done, cycled and run loads and read a load of books, so I do the needful, then do what I want. I don’t lose time and money to commuting so what’s not to like?

As for joining the SOE, etc if you can’t hack a bit of working from home, I suspect you would have been more use in the Wrens than on the front line, but we can all dream, eh?

I do have plenty (too many?) of interests, physical and technical, that I juggle with family life. I'm certainly not somebody who sits around during my time off.

The working from home has combined with a job/career I've long disliked, but become stuck in. "work" has long been endured, but I work hard at my interests, just nothing that I could see as a future source of income.

"Torture" was a little hyperbolic and "a polymath....joining SOE" was a little tongue-in-cheek.

[anonymous-user]

As your main issue seems to be the isolation of working from home alone, then why not aim to find others in the same boat (wfh isn't for everyone) and work around each others houses on a rota or even use one of the "free conference rooms" that pubs and other places are now providing in the hope you buy food/drink there. That is what I would do. Good luck.

[anonymous-user]

lyonspride said:

Lord Marylebone said:

I have mentioned in a couple of threads that I would much rather be back in offices again.

I understand where you are coming from.

Truth, I hated office work, but it's very easy money compared to what other people do on the same wage, and in most companies you're treated like you're invaluable.

Worked in a big automotive component plant, the maintenance guys did continental shifts, running around a factory the size of a football pitch, carrying out often dangerous work on 3 phase equipment/machinery, getting 18k plus a small shift allowance, whilst the basic/general office staff were earning 22k and honestly did next to nothing all day.

For me, it wasn’t an Office Vs Other job type of thing. I’ve always worked in an office at a desk.

It was more the fact that I enjoy working in offices and not so much working from home all the time. Currently my life seems to consist of working from home constantly with only occasional ‘out and about’ which I find very tedious.

[g7jhp]

On a positive I used to commute 1h 15mins or longer each way round the M25 everyday.

I had cut back to 2-3 times per week.

Since March I've worked from home so I decided to keep using my commute time for exercise.

I have cycled 6,100 miles in that time. Circa 250 miles per week and about 2 hours each morning

I start my work feeling great as I'm buzzing from the exercise.

[anonymous-user]

anonymous said:

[redacted]

This.

Normal people enjoy regular social interaction. Humans are a social species. Over the centuries we have developed things to facilitate our need for social interaction such as pubs, clubs, societies, gatherings, functions, parties, and suchlike.

Since Covid, I now work from home 99% of the time and I find it very tedious and somewhat frustrating.

Prior to Covid I worked from home maybe 25% of the time maximum.

Yes, working from home saves me some time and money.

But I lose the following:

Physically getting out and about to offices and sites, and seeing things.

The ability to ‘network’ and discuss upcoming work/assignments with others.

Enjoying travelling around the country.

Enjoying seeing new places.

Professional and social interaction with colleagues, clients and other people.

Having ‘a laugh’ and a good time with those people I interact with during work.

The regular office discussion with others about how to efficiently deliver the task in hand and solve problems.

The social aspect of food/drinks at lunchtimes with colleagues and other professionals.

The social aspect of food/drinks after work and in the evenings/weekends with other professionals, businesspeople, and colleagues.

And so on...

[fastraxx]

You can do some of that virtually but it’s not ideal IMO

[Uggers]

Lord Marylebone said:

This.

Normal people enjoy regular social interaction. Humans are a social species. Over the centuries we have developed things to facilitate our need for social interaction such as pubs, clubs, societies, gatherings, functions, parties, and suchlike.

Since Covid, I now work from home 99% of the time and I find it very tedious and somewhat frustrating.

Prior to Covid I worked from home maybe 25% of the time maximum.

Yes, working from home saves me some time and money.

But I lose the following:

Physically getting out and about to offices and sites, and seeing things.

The ability to ‘network’ and discuss upcoming work/assignments with others.

Enjoying travelling around the country.

Enjoying seeing new places.

Professional and social interaction with colleagues, clients and other people.

The regular office discussion with others about how to efficiently deliver the task in hand and solve problems.

The social aspect of food/drinks at lunchtimes with colleagues and other professionals.

The social aspect of food/drinks after work and in the evenings/weekends with other professionals, businesspeople, and colleagues.

And so on...

These are all valid points. My wife works from home and she cannot wait to get back to the office. She hasn't seen anyone from work since early March and I spend long periods away with work. Leaving just her and our 13 year old son (typical teenager) So I can fully understand why she wants to go back.

I also cannot wait for her to go back to the office and then I can get my office back

I'm not able to WFH thankfully, and I'm very glad that I work with a group of 5-6 guys all the time. In many respects that is the social fix I need to keep myself half sane during this (can't believe I'm going to say it) new normal

[anonymous-user]

fastraxx said:

You can do some of that virtually but it’s not ideal IMO

I do Zoom/Facetime with colleagues a couple of times per day just so we all keep up to date and so on, but no, it really isn’t ideal.

[fastraxx]

Lord Marylebone said:

I do Zoom/Facetime with colleagues a couple of times per day just so we all keep up to date and so on, but no, it really isn’t ideal.

A few of us around same grade / team just call each other impromptu all the time which helps and sometimes is about nothing - really helps it pass and often have same banter or better as we assume no one is listening !

[Chicken_Satay]

anonymous said:

[redacted]

I'm pretty much the same. Not a fan of WFH.

[Dog Star]

g7jhp said:

On a positive I used to commute 1h 15mins or longer each way round the M25 everyday.

I had cut back to 2-3 times per week.

Since March I've worked from home so I decided to keep using my commute time for exercise.

I have cycled 6,100 miles in that time. Circa 250 miles per week and about 2 hours each morning

I start my work feeling great as I'm buzzing from the exercise.

I started off going for a mountain bike ride before work or at lunchtime - it's mountain bike nirvana here. This was great with the beautiful sunny weather until the start of June, when "summer" started; here in Rossendale (Lancs) "summer" is a deluge, and it simply never stopped raining after that. It would require more motivation than I have to be able to get up and go for a mountain bike rain in the pouring rain and mud and 7am. So that was the end of that. Was nice while it lasted.

[Woodrow Wilson]

Dog Star said:

I started off going for a mountain bike ride before work or at lunchtime - it's mountain bike nirvana here. This was great with the beautiful sunny weather until the start of June, when "summer" started; here in Rossendale (Lancs) "summer" is a deluge, and it simply never stopped raining after that. It would require more motivation than I have to be able to get up and go for a mountain bike rain in the pouring rain and mud and 7am. So that was the end of that. Was nice while it lasted.

Running is a bit more practical and sustainable for daytime exercise. I quite like running in the rain (with a cap to keep it out of my eyes). No bike to lube (and maybe wash) afterwards either.

Working from home. Still tedious.....

[Stuart70]

mike74 said:

The workplace isn't a social club.

If someone's only issue with WFH is that they don't get to spend their time indulging in (or inflicting) banal small talk to their colleagues throughout the day then they need to deal with their issues of being overly needy and uncomfortable in their own company.

Work is for employers to get activity completed that they require in order to achieve their goals.
Work for the employee fulfils a much more complex range of needs: money, satisfaction, community, socialisation etc.

Any employer who fails to recognise this is failing.

Does that resonate at all?

Edited by Stuart70 on Wednesday 30th September 13:00

[Frimley111R]

Spoke to my SiL who is climbing the walls now they've made her WFH again. Her OH is out at work and she is hating it.

[Fast Bug]

The past 6 weeks or so I've been going in to the dealership once a week, it was nice to catch up and actually see people. They've not decided that us field based guys shouldn't come in. I get that, but wfh all the time is grating now. It's not helped that customers don't want to see me either, so I'm home all day every day. Work is busier than ever, and I have a job so I'm grateful. First world problems I guess, but I do miss seeing someone other than my wife and kids!

lyonspride said:

T1547 said:

lyonspride said:

I just think it's a sad state of affairs when people waste their prime years chasing this elusive "career", only to get kicked down, sacked or made redundant, then it's rinse/repeat and suddenly they're in their 50's wondering what happened.

A friend of mine, his father was a parts manager at a dealership in his 40's, he thought he was on his way up the ladder, but after 10 years he realised he'd have to move to get that promotion, he moved to another vehicle dealership close to home, same role, they took everything they could get (knowledge/experience etc) and then let him go, he went to another dealership and they did the same thing, then in his 50's and around 3 years unemployed he opened a market stall and started selling collectibles (a hobby of his), 2 years later he's got 3 shops, several staff, and he's not doing too badly.

What is the next step up the ladder for a Parts Manager?

Kind of seems like, if not a dead end job, a job with limited opportunities. No disrespect to any Parts Managers intended, just genuinely interested what bigger career path lies ahead from that role.

Well it does make you wonder, he was basically going nowhere, he wasn't going to go any higher in the dealership because those positions are always filled by salesmen, so he was stuck with the same old pay, driving 2 hours to work and 2 hours back each day.

My first full time job was in a parts department, even at 18 I could see being parts manager was a dead end job which is why I jumped in to sales aged 20.

[38911]

TrackDays29 said:

I'd be happy to have a job. Lost mine back in March, ruined by Lockdown. No chance of work any time soon, and I am quite literally crawling the walls.

Really struggling with anxiety/depression at the moment, and I've noticed myself losing interest in the things I used to enjoy. Hate to admit that I might have to get some help.

All the best to anyone else feeling the same.

Without in any way wanting to sound patronising to anyone in this situation, the secret to preventing a decline in your mental health, is to maintain a routine. Get up at the usual time (as if you were still working), wash shower dress shave etc. Have a daily routine that includes some time checking latest job sites - but time-box it to an hour or so. Include a set lunch break to stop you chomping crap through the day. Get exercise and have a time slot for hobbies, and force yourself to do them. Limit exposure to time-magnets like internet and TV or hours will turn into days into weeks into months. And have a set time box for "worry" subjects - just 30 mins a day - and then try and park the subjects. Also look at starting an own-business - even if it's just buying and selling on eBay. Or take up some local volunteer work. It will help you regain a feeling of purpose.

Hang in there.

[anonymous-user]

38911 said:

Without in any way wanting to sound patronising to anyone in this situation, the secret to preventing a decline in your mental health, is to maintain a routine. Get up at the usual time (as if you were still working), wash shower dress shave etc. Have a daily routine that includes some time checking latest job sites - but time-box it to an hour or so. Include a set lunch break to stop you chomping crap through the day. Get exercise and have a time slot for hobbies, and force yourself to do them. Limit exposure to time-magnets like internet and TV or hours will turn into days into weeks into months. And have a set time box for "worry" subjects - just 30 mins a day - and then try and park the subjects. Also look at starting an own-business - even if it's just buying and selling on eBay. Or take up some local volunteer work. It will help you regain a feeling of purpose.

Hang in there.

This is good advice.

[M22s]

scottri said:

I can't help with the stty job (I don't even have one and its turning out to take longer than i thought to get one) but i have worked from home for about the last 10 years. Take advantage of it, its easy to just sit there all day and complain it's crap (its really not!) Go for a walk before work, have a bike ride at lunch time, go for a pub lunch with a mate, sit in the garden and BBQ something good for lunch. Call people/friends at work just to have a 'catch up' - not all the calls/meetings need boring agendas. Get boring stuff done like food shopping during your lunch etc. Free up time on a night to do something you enjoy.

Seems to me that many people new to WFH are taking it to literally and like it's lock down again. If you know other people working remotely go and work along side them? Book a week in a holiday rental and go check out the area outside of working hours. Portugal has the same time zone as we do... Go for a decent coffee/lunch at a independent local and spend some of the money you are probably saving.

Some great advice here. I work a longer day but my work life balance is so much better! Being able to fit in some life admin around my work schedule gives me a mental break from working and time back at the weekends.

That said, I do miss the office.

[Chicken_Satay]

I'm severely bored now. Lots of stuff to be getting on with but I find that because I'm sat at home I easily get distracted/find myself too relaxed.

It's also started to get cold again which means using my own heating, so more cost in addition to the already existing wear and tear on my carpets by being in the house all the time. Other fixtures and fittings will also be wearing out quicker than they would otherwise be so I'm thinking of expensing a new kitchen mixer tap, a few light switches, a cistern ball valve, and possibly some floor polish for the wooden floor in my hallway.

I was planning to be back in the office last week but the new rules ended that hope

[fastraxx]

Chicken_Satay said:

I'm severely bored now. Lots of stuff to be getting on with but I find that because I'm sat at home I easily get distracted/find myself too relaxed.

It's also started to get cold again which means using my own heating, so more cost in addition to the already existing wear and tear on my carpets by being in the house all the time. Other fixtures and fittings will also be wearing out quicker than they would otherwise be so I'm thinking of expensing a new kitchen mixer tap, a few light switches, a cistern ball valve, and possibly some floor polish for the wooden floor in my hallway.

I was planning to be back in the office last week but the new rules ended that hope

Do you think they will pay that? Try and see some positives: no work wear, no commute costs, no pricks at your desk...