Why I Miss Working in an Office, Even As an Introvert
Remote work life isn’t what I thought it’d be
Truth is, I’ve always wanted to experience the life of working remotely. As an introvert, it seems so appealing to be able to work from the comfort of my own home, away from office politics and drama. I loved the thought of being able to work the hours I wanted in my pajamas all day, and most importantly, no longer having to endure a painful daily commute.
But something about working remotely just hasn’t felt the same. Of course, I want to acknowledge the fact that we’re trying to work remotely during a global pandemic which causes many uncertainties, hardship, and ambiguity for people. But this experience has given me the opportunity to reflect on the things truly I miss about working in a physical office.
Working in an office made me feel like I was a part of something
I can’t quite describe it, but working in an office with other people and having team meetings made me feel like I was part of something. It felt like I had somewhere I belonged and was needed. But working remotely has for the most part felt isolating. In many ways, I miss hearing laughter in the breakroom and people saying hi to each other and asking about each other's weekend. I was lucky to work in a very supportive environment, and I miss being able to feel the positive energy of my office. Now, it’s hard to tell how my co-workers are doing, and I feel more disconnected from the culture of the company.
Video chats are well… awkward
Even though technology allows us to communicate through chatting or video calls, the experience doesn’t feel the same and certainly does not replace actual human interaction. Video chats can be awkward and conversations don’t flow as smoothly. In team conference calls, I often find myself starting to speak at the same time as someone else, or things just get cut off due to bad connection. I realized I took for granted the ease of being able to just go up to my co-workers to ask a question and collaborate without technical issues getting in the way.
The separation of work and home
The one thing I really miss the most about being able to work in an office is the separation of work life and home life. This is something I didn't realize would hit me so badly until I actually started working from home every day. I felt like the office created a space that allowed me to focus and be more mentally engaged with work. And once I left the office for the day, I was able to leave my work there and not think about it when I got home. But with work and home colliding, I find it really difficult to disconnect. It’s difficult balancing work and life when the place you usually relax is now where you also work most of the time.
While there are certainly perks to working at home, I must say that this experience has really taught me that there’s a lot of great aspects of working in an office. If things were to re-open, I’d actually find myself appreciating the experience a lot more. And even though I don’t mind having more flexibility of being able to work remotely when needed, I am excited to return to my desk at the office by the window and see my colleagues again, even as an introvert.
