---
I returned to my office building today. It was the first time I've worked there since 2020-03-31, over a year ago now.
The wing in which I work has about sixty cubicles, but only one coworker joined me. He has worked in the office continually since the start of the pandemic and has been the only one in my wing to do so. Our wing is also next to the mail room, so I could heard carts moving past us throughout the day--a welcome change from the sound of the air conditioner and neighborhood traffic at home. The cubicle walls dampen sound pretty effectively, so even before the pandemic the office was fairly quiet, but the lack of noise today was noticeably different.
I was quite excited to return to my cubicle. I am a very habitual person, and I am the type of person who needs a reason to get cleaned up and presentable for the day. I've found that physically leaving the house and going to a dedicated work space is good for my psyche and increases my productivity--and I found that out by not being able to go anymore. I've read that some people who worked from home pre-pandemic got around these kinds of issues by going through the motions of leaving the house. They would get up, get dressed, go out for breakfast or coffee, and return home to start work. Lockdowns and the closure of many dining rooms at the beginning of the pandemic ruled out this option for me, so I never developed that habit.
I intend to return to the office full-time as soon as my manager clears it. His own boss has suggested to leadership that my team switch to full-time remote work, but it seems more likely that the rest of the team will switch to a hybrid model, for example working two days a week in the building and three at home. I informed both of them that I didn't want to do that, and they agreed to make an exception for me.
---
[Last updated: 2024-10-06]