back to school

[ironymaiden]

i went to the office this week - Monday, Tuesday, and today. going in is completely optional, and very few people are taking advantage of it. i decided to see what it was like.

it was super clean and dust-free. it looked for all the world like i had left on Friday and not 18 months ago. the real signs that time had passed were that the two cafes in the lobby are gone without a trace remaining, and there are something like three new buildings outside. (my office is in the same neighborhood as Amazon and the growth rate is phenomenal. i was sad to note that you can no longer see the local dog park from our lounge.)

pros:

• the bus is not full and traffic is light
• i have at least my half of the floor to myself. no distractions!
• coffee and reduced but larger-than-expected assortment of snacks and soft drinks
• the fancy laptop dock
• phat internet pipes
• immaculately clean everything
• no noise outside or C breaking my flow for dumb shit

cons:

• masks required if you are not alone in a room (which is all the time since i don't have an office)
• i have at least half the floor to myself. no friends.
• motion-activated lights time out and turn off if i don't leave my desk
• i still have a hard time passing up the basket of full-sized candy bars
• only one door to the lobby is unlocked and it makes my walk like 30ft longer

i was productive, and the commute really is a difference maker: on the way in slowly starting to think about work stuff on the bus ride, walking up the hill and waking up my body; on the way out shedding work thoughts as i walk down the hill, reading and chatting with C about dinner on the ride home. when i walk through the door i'm fully home and decompressed. for two nights i left my work computer at work! (apparently just knowing that it's in reach weighs on me.)

part of being at the office is people and there aren't people since we're not able to spend time together yet. that's hard. but wow do i need to get out of the damn house, it's definitely improved my mood.

Comments

[annofowlshire]

Although the Mr bemoans the drive to and from Enting’s nursery (as we are both remote at the moment), he does note that on days he doesn’t end up going for whatever reason, he finds it harder to shut off work thoughts. He may not love the “commute” but it does put a physical end cap to his workday.

I’m lucky enough to have a small single purpose office (it used to be a boiler closet LOL), so at 5PM I shut the laptop, turn off the light, and close the door and that’s that until 9AM the next morning. Since I’m 100% remote indefinitely it’s important to me to be able to physically walk away from my work. (Mr will be hybrid working, probably starting next year.)

[buhrger]

if knowing that work-'puter is in reach weighs on you, then leaving it at work sounds like an excellent thing! :-)

[novel_machinist]

Getting out really does a world of good. Busses here are pretty good too!

[helvetica]

LOL the motion activated lights one is brutal- the computer labs at my school are like that so I have to wave my arms around like a weirdo every 10 minutes or so or accept working in the dark.

I like a happy medium of a few people in the office. It's been pretty quiet at my space but it's not bad, less than 15 people on any given day I'd say. I agree about having a work computer in reach weighs on me. I had being only a couple steps away from work and the separation of work/home has been good for my mental health. Take care! :)

[yourlibrarian]

An interesting look at the shift back. I was always at home anyway and I know one friend plans to stay home and one other wishes she could permanently, but I know there are also those who would like to go back into an office, even if only part of the time.

[varina8]

Interesting recap! I've found my transit excursions far less stressful than I expected because of the masks and fewer riders. I get the need to get out of the house, too.

I'm not sure how I feel about another winter of relative isolation. I'm trying to improve my nest and also get out for a little while each day.