I feel really miserable working from home. Cannot get anything done.
1. Main problem is lack of social interaction. I now realize most of my work projects started in casual coffee conversations with people from other groups. Now there's nothing like that, and planned meetings never work that way.
2. Also, I really miss my commute. I had 15km of bike lanes in the forest every day, that were essential to reset my mind and start thinking about the new day. In the evening, the way back home was a useful disconnect.
Over here (Singapore), we were out of the office for several months, and while it was annoying, I didn't feel too bad about it. At least I could sleep in in the morning.
My biggest problem was because I work a lot with people in Europe which meant that I ended up working very late every night, since there was no natural way to stop in the evening.
Now that we're back in the office 50% of the time, I realise just how much nicer that is. You really get isolated when working from home, and one doesn't really notice it until you actually come back.
Re: commute: would going for a walk or ride before and after work help? I’ve found myself biking far more during the pandemic because I can hop into a Zoom call just minutes after finishing my ride.
Yes, that's what I try to do. Unfortunately in France we are limited to a disc of 1km radius around our homes, which is a purely urban area in my case.
Good question. Since I never worked from home before, in my mind it is exactly the same thing. When the lockout ends I'll be the first to go back to the campus. Also, most of our students are yearning to resume the in-person classes. For me, doing math has always been a matter of several people scribbling together on a blackboard.
1. Main problem is lack of social interaction. I now realize most of my work projects started in casual coffee conversations with people from other groups. Now there's nothing like that, and planned meetings never work that way.
2. Also, I really miss my commute. I had 15km of bike lanes in the forest every day, that were essential to reset my mind and start thinking about the new day. In the evening, the way back home was a useful disconnect.