I much prefer remote work. The office environment was toxic to me. It helps that I have a set schedule and don’t set my entire life around my occupation. It’s always been a paycheck for me.
I prefer remote, commuting to work zapping my energy and often stressed me out, then I had to deal with the toxic work environment (stressed me out) and dealing with mess on the phones with customers (stressed me out), working remotely allows me to subtract 2 stressful event the toxic work environment and stressful commute allowing only one headache customers over the phone which I can handle even better now that I have more energy or I can go find something that is non phone then my life will be perfect
Same I work from home. My office shut shut down. It’s a dream for me. I still text my work friends so I get the “water cooler” time without the constant distraction.
Just take a step back to get a big picture macro view and think about how messed up and crazy it is how North American work culture has normalized sacrificing your personal life and mental health to work 60-80 hours a week. Don’t let any employer convince you that this is normal or healthy. Work is done for the purpose of paying your bills and if you are further along in your life journey it can also help fulfill a larger mission. That is it. Don’t forget to actually live - aka spend time with loved ones, create amazing memories, and express yourself through hobbies
In shareholder capitalism, work is done to add value to the company and thus the value of shareholder portfolios. The bottom line is money. Your life means nothing. This is America.
@@kevin6588 not implying. Stating directly. The people above us - the ones in charge; your CEOs, presidents and executives; all think like this. And we as a society reward this sociopathic behaviour. So we have to ask ourselves, "if we're so 'good', why do we hold such little power over our lives?" There's no way out until you figure out a way to stop playing the game and still sustain yourself. Or cry outrage and feel righteous by shaming those without shame. Your choice.
@@kevin6588 and I don't disagree with you. I'm simply stating that not enough people care. It's the same story over and over again. It's this system we are born into. Our only option is to get out.
I find learning about other people’s experiences to be eye opening. I am having the opposite experience working from home. Also work in tech and typically worked 60-80 hours a week for the past 13 years of being in tech. Mental health was not great. Feel much more balanced and connected since starting to work from home.
Same for me. Physically working in an office was killer for me in terms of my mental health. I’m now much more relaxed and happier working from from home. I have a comfortable space, and no one bothers (or sneaks up on) me.
My job also did this. I was wfh before the pandemic and the more you get done, the more they give you to the point that 80 hours a week still wasn’t getting it all done. I had to walk away to keep my life.
Mine did the exact same thing. One person left on disability early in the pandemic. I got their jop plus mine. I toughed it out for 18 months and finally got a new job. Enjoying my 2 week vacation between jobs.
@@FreedomofSpeech865 Actually I got 2% and I told my boss I deserved more. They said "the company is not likely to change it's position" so I hired a career coach. 4 months later I got 5k raise but was already decided on leaving. My new company seems a lot better and I got a big signing bonus and full remote.
She seems like she is just a workaholic, and always has been since a young age. It's like shooting yourself in the foot. Work at your own pace, set clear boundaries.
This is very important. I would not answer calls from my boss after 5. They would ask the next day why I didn't answer and I just said cause it was after 5. I'm glad I set boundaries cause some of my coworkers had to log in and work during the weekends for free.
Fair enough but it’s also much harder to set boundaries wfh. It’s very easy to take more breaks during the day, see meetings add up and then realising at 6pm you still have lots to do. My work has also increased our targets/expectations while wfh knowing fully that people will need to work overtime to achieve them. The difference is that in the past we would be paid overtime for staying longer in the office but with wfh you’re paid the same.
@@isabelleb.3653 WFH shouldn't mean working all the time. There should be a cut-off time when work messages aren't handled, except for emergency cases.
My bf recently went from working 3 weeks straight. Then finally got a weekend to rest. Then he worked 80hrs in 5 days and found out he would have to work on the weekend bcuz someone decided to move up their deadline for no reason. He got angry bcuz he wanted to relax and go on a trip with me. I feel like he overworks himself so much and he’s only 27. He does get paid well but is it really worth it at the end...?
It kinda sounds like the pandemic had the exact opposite impact on people's mental health.... At least for the featured people.... Like their jobs had already ruined their mental health and the pandemic pushed them to address that and now they're setting better boundaries for work.
I'm a software developer and have been working from home for 16 years. It's not a lifestyle everyone can handle. My wife had to do it last year and she hated it.
I agree. I actually have been doing it on and off for five years on small gigs. I am going full-time with it this year and quitting my regular work job. For me, the commute wasn't the problem because my work is about a mile away. Mine has to do with money.
I find it very interesting your wife hated it but you did not. What did she struggle with? I am doing some market research on the struggles faced by remote workers. Would you or your wife be interested in an research interview for ~30mins? I am designing some resources to better solve these struggles (e.g. loneliness, burnout, work-life balance, workspace setup, etc.) to help remote workers focus more on professional development, travel, and family.
@@sonderexpeditions 2-3x a week is perfect, it’s a better balance. 5d in office is a lot, but 5d at home is a lot too, hybrid is way better. Eventually people will develop cabin fever. Hence why when I was wfh 5d a week, I literally left the house at every chance I had after work and especially on the weekends.
I love WFM. I'm working more hours at home, but saving 2-3 hours a day on the commute, which ends up more or less evening out. In return, I get to spend more time with family (the people that actually matter to us in life), eat and cook healthier, and get fitter (with my previous commute, there was no time to sneak in regular exercise into the day). It's important to schedule in your own breaks throughout the day and get enough sleep to make the new schedule work. Your employer will never watch out for you no matter how much overtime you do, you have to take initiative to protect your own sanity in the corporate world.
I quit my job two weeks ago due to the hours and stress. You can only work 14 hour days five days a week for so long before your performance drops. I was asked if I was happy and I told my employer no I was not. We parted ways; I haven't slept this well in months even without a job.
Onsite means daily pointless meetings, dealing with jerks, constant interruptions. I’ve been working from home since 2010 and I wouldn’t go back onsite if the company was across the street. And onsite usually means two hours a day of commuting.
For me it's the oposite. Since WFH i went from 20% in meetings to 60% in meetings. Most of my day is Zoom calls and I have to work overtime to get my actual work done.
@@wintersonnet Are those Zoom meetings necessary? I understand that it is likely not up to you to decide to have the meetings, I’m just wondering if most meetings are simply a way to make sure people are working, or are they crutches for people who can’t stand working alone at home, or are they busywork for people whose job is to watch other people do their job? I found that a lot of people at my workplace who wanted to have constant online meetings didn’t have enough of their own work to do, so every interaction that could’ve been an email or waited until the weekly meeting turned into a daily gabfest and the people doing the actual work couldn’t get anything done.
The core issue is the Protestant work ethic, that working for the sake of working. We need to move beyond that and adapt to a more European work prospective . to ultimately become better human being and improve our productivity.
People who don't have a giant inheritance are not working for the sake of working. We literally have to work to pay the bills and live. Us Europeans have pretty similar struggles with work life balance, similar financial issues and not much more room from the employers to focus on "becoming a better human being" rather than churn out work.
There is a connection between trying so hard in school and overworking yourself once you get out that needs to be more prominent. I'm sure she was very happy succeeding, getting straight A's, and graduating quickly .. And that's great for her, it just leaves out the expectations that go into it and how your brain gets used to performing at unhealthy levels just so you can make a teacher happy, a parent happy, and as we saw, a boss happy. Glad she could afford a therapist and seems like she learned her lesson in time management, but the messages about overachieving are still being pushed to kids and these conversations need to be more widespread instead of people thinking "young people are just lazy" or "hard work isn't for everyone"
Great connection made here. Once an over achiever always an over achiever, I’ve seen many over achievers in school that were constantly stressed and frankly not very happy and it stayed with them through their professional lives post graduation. Frankly those type of people weren’t very smart, rather focused on the process and (showing their work) to make teachers and later on bosses happy by proving they were working hard rather than the end means. And most of the time the end goal didn’t require as much work as they put in. Going through much stress for nothing, while others were achieving the same goals with much less work and far less stress.
Working from home improved my mental health dramatically. It sounds like overwork and lack of boundaries are the main issues here rather than working from home.
These are great points! I am doing some market research on the struggles faced by remote workers. Would you be interested in an research interview for ~30mins? I am designing some resources to better solve these struggles (e.g. loneliness, burnout, work-life balance, workspace setup, etc.) to help remote workers focus more on professional development, travel, and family.
I am the IT systems administrator for one of the largest non profits in the US. Remote work has been a true blessing for me. I can't imagine working inside an office ever again. The pandemic allowed us to become serverless and we are entirely on the cloud which I can administer and maintain from anywhere in the world.
@@fritzdeuces When we say serverless, we mean we are no longer dependent on on-prem servers that require physical offices. In other words: Private Cloud vs Public Cloud.
Everyone is different but as for me i was no longer able to drive because I lost that sense of normalcy and got social anxiety which I never had an issue driving or being social pre covid
I have worked remotely for over 5 years and I love it, would never go back to working at a corporate office. You might want to set up your office desk outside of your bedroom if possible because that will separate your sleep from your work and make a great difference on your sleep patterns.
I found that working remote helped/improved my mental health. I finally feel like I have a better balance of what is truly important in life vs what is just passing circumstances. Goodluck to this lady, it seems like she just needs to learn to prioritize better, but we have different perspectives and life experiences, so we’ve come to different conclusions. Therapy helps y’all, give it a real honest try.
ricecristi ... where do you find legit remote jobs to work from home? I keep checking internet and find many but don't know if they're literally legit or not. How to get started? That's the thing! Something where you don't need a college degree. How did you get started?
I am so glad that Katherine was able to work through this and came out on the other side where she places value on other things besides work. I think a lot of us were there at one point...especially while trying to prove yourself. I remember a time where we could wake up at 6 AM, commute from 7-8 AM, work or attend meetings from 8 to 5:30 PM while barely sneaking out for 15 minutes to eat, and then apologizing for leaving at 5:45 PM and promising to sign on and be available as soon as you get home. I remember the looks I'd receive as if I somehow wasn't doing my part on the days I opted to leave work after 9 hours--not factoring in the hour it took to get there and the hour it took to get home. That should not be the goal! I was so burnt out from that period that I've never had the energy to do it again. Your life, your time, your health (mental, physical and emotional) all matters...usually more than whatever title is printed on your business card. Most jobs are no longer the life-long commitment they used to be. We should start acting like it.
It seems like she's on a path to burnout due to her personality and her company's culture. That has not been my experience at my job. I love working remotely.
I agree - also a good boss will not promote this type of work culture. Like if this is how the staff are feeling, it is their job as a manager to make things more manageable. If not, then they are not doing their job.
@@Jeremy-sj3pr yep, overachiever and most likely a perfectionist. Those traits usually go in hand in hand. I empathize with her. And it’s important to recognize that you even have those tendencies so you can create boundaries for yourself and others. Seems liked therapy has helped her with that
Honestly can't imagine working 60+ hours a week, local or remote. I work a 9-6 with roughly an hour commute back and forth, and that's enough to have my body screaming in pain every morning.
She's an overachiever... Not the best example of a work from home person. I know plenty of people who now work from home and 6 oclock comes and their done, a work email comes in at 601pm oh well, they take care of it the next day. I am glad to see she finally set some boundaries at the end.
I have a different experience, I really enjoy working at home. I have ADHD and the over stimulation of a workplace environment and constituently being under surveillance and around others is really distracting and draining to my emotional health. Working at home has really improved my work life, before the pandemic i was miserable and i hated all jobs. Now i love being at home where i am not distracted and i can do my job and i really love it.
I would absolutely love to see this series explore the cohort of people who worked from home full-time before the pandemic, either self-employed or as employees, and deeply investigate the differences in both remote-first people and remote-first companies from their counterparts, what changes the pandemic wrought on us, if any, and what lessons we might have for the rest of the workforce.
Having lost both my parents last year, what stands out to me is how fortunate she is to have both of hers in her life. Priceless. Smell the roses. See the blessings you have. Act accordingly.
@@jessicabrady5693 I'm sorry if it came across that way, but that wasn't my intention at all. I just saw the good fortune she has in having both of her parents.
Sounds like she’s salaried. I’m still working hourly with overtime offered being rare. So you better freaking believe that I’m not staying on a second more than I have to.
Pre-pandemic I worked at home on Monday and Friday - during the pandemic I just wanted to shut the office/spare bedroom door and make it disappear on the weekends - it was just too close a connection. It seems younger workers have a harder time setting boundaries since many managers are more than willing to take advantage. I had one manager tell me I could work the same commute hours I was saving - no, that is NOT work/life balance. Thanks for sharing.
My work ethic decreased since wfh. I've noticed people get so defensive when people complain about wfh. It's not for everyone. I'm in tech too and I feel so detached from everyone.
Same. I work remote and can go into the office but I don’t get to communicate with co workers and rarely get in person customers so it gets very lonely for me
Opposite for me. I've been working from home for about 20 years plus traveling for work with occasional trips to an office for meetings. Much prefer it to dressing up every day, going into an office where the other personnel don't work in the line of work that I do (my department is dispersed around the world with no more than 2 - 4 of us, at most, at any one site). Half the time, the other person in my department at my site is out traveling. So, we're pretty much alone, anyway. So, I don't gain anything by sitting at the office. My boss calls at any time of day - I took a call at 8pm last night. So...working from home and being able to use my lunch break to fix a lawn mower or run an errand works out great.
Agreed! I am doing some market research on the struggles faced by remote workers. Would you be interested in an research interview for ~30mins? I am designing some resources to better solve these struggles (e.g. loneliness, burnout, work-life balance, workspace setup, etc.) to help remote workers focus more on professional development, travel, and family.
Who could stand an office environment? Chained to a bland cubicle for 9 hours a day, cliches that feel like high school, no time for self-care, long commute, surrounded by coworkers who could care less about you. Yeah, no thanks.
I really have mixed feelings about working from home. I do see the benefits of it, especially being that one can get up and take breaks or do other things without constantly being beholden to a supervisor nagging at them to get back to work. But I also do sometimes find it exhausting. Getting out of bed, walking ten feet to my desk which is the same desk that I work/draw/play video games at, with the only time I get up being to cook my meals or go to the bathroom. The days just seem to blend together into this grey mush and I feel both under and overwhelmed somehow. It's hard to find anything worth doing when everything just feels the same, same room, same food, no friends or coworkers to talk to besides to get updates on work. I'm sure that work from home is good for a lot of people and I do think that offices should at least have it as an option for workers, but I think I need to have a hybrid model where I go into work a few days a week to ground myself and feel connected to my work.
Working from home gave me the freedom to adjust my work-life balance the way I want in ways that fit me. If I need a 1:30 nap, or if I want to go grab breakfast I don’t have to feel bad about walking in with a starbucks cup. Everything is just so much more relaxed. I feel HUMAN
WFH for the win! Would you be interested to talk more about your remote work experience? I am doing some market research on the struggles faced by remote workers and need remote workers to interview. I am designing some resources to better solve these struggles (e.g. loneliness, burnout, work-life balance, workspace setup, etc.) to help remote workers focus more on professional development, travel, and family.
Something I think they need to consider here is a sense of validation from the employees who are struggling versus the amount of ask those who are struggling. I work in tech as well, and when I was in an office I constantly felt like I had to hide part of who I was, felt worse about my boundaries, and was not thriving. I started working from home before the pandemic, and while it was rocky, I am healthier for it.
I work in tech and home office is a blessing. productivity went up 30% because there are less interruptions and noise. mental health has never been better before. Also I save 2,5 hrs of commuting everyday. I use that time to do sports and for cooking and relaxing
Being in an office was draining. Maybe bc I am an introvert, but the constant interruptions, background noise, and bland setting disrupted my work progress. My energy was already depleted just from the frustrating commute. I don't mind working an extra 2 hours or so or an occasional weekend because I can go at my own pace. I can spend time with my floof, go for a light jog in the middle of the day, or take an extremely long nap. WFH is amazing if the environment is right. It also helps that my company is accommodating, respects boundaries, and shifts the work load accordingly.
I think it was the best decision to move out of her parents house. I also moved back to my parents so I could save money on rent. But after a couple months it was unbearable, it’s just not the best idea to live with your parents when you’re an adult.
Yes that part. Your parents will always see you as a child and it gets in the way of a lot including work at times. So many times my mother thought it was appropriate to barge in my room during the work day to offer me breakfast when I’m already with a client😂 also they complain about not seeing you whilst in their house. Better to move out and just limit it to the daily 20 minute phone and visits during the holidays because the infantilization will damage mental health more than anything
As a HR professional and Hybrid worker I have had to support workers in different environments. I worked 16 hours a day in person when I was in the hotel industry. Exhausted and my health was affected. I did soul searching and decided to step away from hospitality after 20 years. I am now living in seattle loving my current employer and work environment. Boundaries have to be set in person and remote work to live a healthy life.
I used to work in the hospitality industry too, now that I look at it I think that’s why I have such health problems, RA, Ankylosing Spondylitis, etc, they used to work us to a pulp! At my current job I even cut back working only 36hrs for my own well being, luckily I get to work from home. But I’m not about to lose myself for any company anymore.
That’s why I learned to work from my own pace. My job doesn’t offer overtime but you can overwork yourself if you end up doing back to back cases and don’t take breaks. I make sure to take breaks in between and I aim to just reach the goal my job set for me instead of overworking myself to reach beyond the goal they set for me everyday. Also I’m an introvert. I don’t thrive around people and I was tired of working at a toxic environment and dealing with traffic everyday. I personally love remote work. I get so much chores done now as well as more time to myself.
I'm so happy to see this. Everything online is about people who don't want to work from home, but I hate it. And I KNEW I couldn't be alone! I can't wait to put my work BACK into an office and OUT of my home.
I truly am so much happier going into the office. It's fine for me to work from home 1 day a week but the routine of commuting in and being around people and getting a walk in downtown- it's just so much better for my mental health than working by myself in my apartment every day all day. It creates some boundaries between home and work.
Wow this video and Katherine's experience have had a profound impact on me. I am currently off sick due to burnout and I have/had the exact same mindset as Katherine initially. I'm working on it with my therapist now too and really hoping to feel better about my work when I return with healthy boundaries set. Odd thing for me is that its not working from home but returning to the office and all its distractions that overwhelmed me and made me have to take time out.
I feel her pain. She's young, and will learn what she wants out of work and life and like most of us, will strive to seek out a better fit. All good, Katherine, keep your head up :)
I lived this at work for twelve years, constant calls, long hours, impossible work load, never catching up. My new job has office hours, which was quite adjustment. I worked a week at home and while it saved travel time, 24/7 in the same place got weird so I was fine with being the essential on-site worker (at the office) The line between who we are and our job us indeed blurry and I think this pandemic has pushed everyone to look closely at that. Working at home, working on-site with the pandemic and even suddenly not working for a long period of time can do that; couples have failed or grown stronger, families have reshaped their lives/routines/priorities and this may be a not-so-bad thing
Different people have different experiences. Some people prefer WFH, some WFO, and it’s ok ♥️ Personally, even though I am happy that I don’t need to drive for 2-3 hours daily anymore (we are still in a lockdown-ish), I do/did have breakdowns now and then by WFH.
Your physical reality is often the reflection your mindset. Katherines situation didn't improve till she changed her mindset and developed healthy boundaries for her work life.
I love working from home! I can sleep in, save on gas, have a nice hot meal that can be smelly/garlicky , be in comfortable sweat pants, blast music, and have my kitty on my lap while I work.
All I can just see is that when something is promoted as being trendy and revolutionary and blah blah blah, everyone buys into it and some people end up realizing that it's not really that glamorous. Working from home isn't for everyone, working from the office isn't for everyone, it just requires balance and how happy you are with your job. This crowd mentality of deciding to do something just because everyone is doing it, without actually thinking about its consequences is killing us as individuals. If you feel that your job isn't going well for you and you want a different path, SAVE UP for a few months, do your research on what you'd like to do, get qualified enough, and make sure not to burn bridges in case of the future, then give it a shot, If it doesn't, go back to your former career. Just because your neighbour started working from home and travelling to luxurious locations doesn't mean that it'd go that smoothly for you. Aaaagh, sometimes we humans are just too dizzy.
Yes exactly! A lot of these pro-WFH people act like it’s the best thing for everyone. They want to speak for everyone else without realizing they are doing it. I like WFH but I feel like 5d a week is overkill. Eventually people will develop cabin fever, hence why I prefer hybrid.
Its up to you to decide if this type of work is worth it or not. After doing jobs with 10-11 hours i decided that its not worth it. My last job i started to have panick attack going on for a month. I decided that i want to have a life outside of work. Whats the point of earning money if i cant spend it bc im always at work? I couldnt even see my friends so no social life. Now i prefer to work part time even if i dont make a lot of money but my health and well being comes first. But you need to make that decision. Of course your company will never say to you, work less. They dont care abt your well being but how much you can produce.
Same, the title resonate profoundly with me. College, work, the home environment, all of that destroyed my mental health. Toxic environment in my house, lack of consistency in my routine and double the workload. People was insanely cruel when assigning tasks for home office and College also, altogether destroyed my life.
I started working from home a few years before the pandemic, and I definitely was burned out. I thought it was ok the first few years, but once the pandemic hit my mental health started to get worse. I finally realized my current job is not for me which is why I decided to go back to school to change my career to something that has more of an impact on humanity.
I tottaly relate to her experience. I also had to start working with a therapist dissociate my selfvalue/identity from work. It's a work in progres, but it feels good to see what the end result can be. I'm still feeling super guilty when I'm not working (therefore I'm unable to really rest etc.). We'll get there.
Setting boundaries on your work hours is extremely important. Working more hours does get more work done, but that ends up becoming the norm. Then if others in the office also do the same, it puts pressure on those who have set their boundaries to break them.
I couldn't agree more with setting boundaries. Would you be interested to talk more about your remote work experience? I am doing some market research on the struggles faced by remote workers and need remote workers to interview. I am designing some resources to better solve these struggles (e.g. loneliness, burnout, work-life balance, workspace setup, etc.) to help remote workers focus more on professional development, travel, and family.
So... you mean remote work in ISOLATION DURING A PANDEMIC destroyed your mental health? That sounds about right. But more so, it sounded like her company took advantage of her and workers like her during the pandemic. My experience was very different and positive. I personally don't care about making the most money possible if it means working myself to death. So no, I don't have the highest salary possible as far as engineers in tech go. But I have a decent work-life balance. And I personally think that's way more important. The end of the workday is the end of the workday for me. Period. Non-negotiable. If I want to stay a little late to finish something, I leave early another day. It's balanced in that way.
She’s in sales, my sister is in sales as well, the metrics and constant anxiety of losing your job were once curled by the amazing percs of these tech jobs. Now it’s just wake up, prospect, chase leads. I work a sector in government and while it’s challenging I much enjoy working from home.
I have worked having an office in my home starting 1991, 30yrs. At first it was hard if I worked all day at home. I was required to be at the client's most of the time which gave me the chance to, shower, get dressed, and interact act with people. I live alone so it was no problem. I bought to a 2 bedroom townhome and had a separate room as my office. I could close the door at the end of the day. Then in 1998, I worked 100% in the office. I think the pandemic made it more confining because i could only go and bring things home. No activities like clothes shopping, eating out with friends until after fully vaccinated. I got together with my close friends in the park for a picnic recently the first time this year. It was the best thing ever. It's harder to focus on work because all my neighbors are working from home and they interrupt my days now.
Yes! I think things will be much different once the pandemic ends. Like being able to go to movies and things more. I love the idea of remote work. Like working from a coffee shop. Just not always working from my bedroom.
I watched a minute and twenty-five seconds and already I know this video is about the insane way employees are treated in the US, not about remote work. It’s about being treated as slaves. Which is what we all are. Slaves in varying degrees. Slaves to money which society decided is more important than good air, good water, good food, good shelter, good living, and humanity. No. It’s more important to make the stockholders profit before the world is uninhabitable by humanity.
As a remote worker who often rolls straight out of bed and sits and the computer from 4AM and spends all day here: These are her choices. She can still get up at 5AM and to the gym and start working at 8. Yes, remote work is a different set of stresses, but there has _always_ been more work than there are hours to do it. Your boss isn't going to tell you to sign off. You have to discipline yourself to step away from the keyboard.
I got switched to WFH in the beginning of the pandemic. I learned that alot of my coworkers that lived alone hated it, they missed the socialization and for some of them (like the older folks), the socialization is all they have. I am loving it as i live with family so i have no worry of not having socialization. I have the whole house to myself during the day and get to do chores, make my meals stress free.. i get it’s not for everyone but damn is it working for me.
That’s true! Once the pandemic started, I relocated from Dallas, TX to my hometown of El Paso, TX working from home and it has been very affordable moving back.
Boundaries are a great way to unplug! Would you be interested to talk more about your remote work experience? I am doing some market research on the struggles faced by remote workers and need remote workers to interview. I am designing some resources to better solve these struggles (e.g. loneliness, burnout, work-life balance, workspace setup, etc.) to help remote workers focus more on professional development, travel, and family.
I'm working from home too since the pandemic started. In the beginning, it was working more than I used to work at the office, simply because I didn't want the employer to think I was taking advantage of working remotely. I wanted them to see the productivity, it took a little time to say no, I can't keep working at that capacity, the burnout was approaching, the employer piling on more facets of work. Now, I strictly stick to a schedule, getting up, getting dressed I think helps mentally, not sitting in pajamas all day, sectioning off the break and lunchtimes, also getting out of the house at least every other day, for a drive or walk. And most of all, logging out no later than 5:30. I also think age plays a role, at 25 you are still proving yourself. If you are older, you care less about the prooving and more about maintaining the knowledge and experience that you bring to the workplace.
Setting a schedule and sticking too it is a great tactic! Would you be interested to talk more about your remote work experience? I am doing some market research on the struggles faced by remote workers and need remote workers to interview. I am designing some resources to better solve these struggles (e.g. loneliness, burnout, work-life balance, workspace setup, etc.) to help remote workers focus more on professional development, travel, and family.
I work from 6am til 3pm M-F and I get all federal holidays off! I don’t miss the toxic chatty Kathy’s, Karen’s or Ken’s in the office. I get more work done and I’m so much happier! I don’t know how people can be miserable working from home unless they have no social life outside of work.
Really insightful piece on the new work environment. 100 years from now this will be the norm and the future generations will look back where it all started.
I love working remote. You need to work on setting boundaries. Wake up early go do exercise also don’t forget about your personal life. In the office I was always getting interrupted, plus commuting takes a toll on mental health. Take your lunch break. Schedule in your lunch in outlook in case you get too busy due to the demands of your job. Overworking should not be idolized you are too young for that.
Your workstation shouldn’t be in your bedroom. When working from home, there must be a boundary between work and home life. If you’re constantly looking at a workstation, it’s like you never leave work. The best part of ending my work day is closing the office door and not looking at that stuff until the next work day.
I just ran across this video and was introduced to work enmeshment / career enmeshment. This has been me for the past 20+ years and C-VID took my structure away. I had a schedule and structure, wake up at 4:45, drive to CrossFit, workout and shower, drive to work and arrive at 7:00 then leave work by 5. I would have never expected that this schedule would have been so important to me. I no longer work out, I don’t care about myself, and I just work. Home and Work is no longer delineated, I’m always checking my emails. If we all went back to bed, I’d be able to get back to reality. Till then, l’ll keep drinking and overeating.
I have been a remote worker since 2014. I had to seek mental health around year 3 or 4. Today, I have the tools to manage my life and enjoy working remotely.
That is incredible you were able to figure WFH out! Would you be interested to talk more about your remote work experience? I am doing some market research on the struggles faced by remote workers and need remote workers to interview. I am designing some resources to better solve these struggles (e.g. loneliness, burnout, work-life balance, workspace setup, etc.) to help remote workers focus more on professional development, travel, and family.
I prefer remote work, I know it's harder because clients think you're 24/7 available. However it avoids the toxicity of office environment which can include gossiping or toxic mates.
I would be curious to hear your thoughts on how WFH is harder. Would you be interested to talk more about your remote work experience? I am doing some market research on the struggles faced by remote workers and need remote workers to interview. I am designing some resources to better solve these struggles (e.g. loneliness, burnout, work-life balance, workspace setup, etc.) to help remote workers focus more on professional development, travel, and family.
She is going to have a BURNOUT! It happened to me, I used to work like this from 25 - 31. I now have chronic pain in my neck. I realised that if I got run over by a bus, my boss would just hire another person. Don't do it to yourself! I took my life back and invested in myself! Now I work part time and travel when possible.
I woud be curious to hear more about your burnout. Would you be interested to talk more about your remote work experience? I am doing some market research on the struggles faced by remote workers and need remote workers to interview. I am designing some resources to better solve these struggles (e.g. loneliness, burnout, work-life balance, workspace setup, etc.) to help remote workers focus more on professional development, travel, and family.
It really is a huge adjustment. Would you be interested to talk more about your remote work experience? I am doing some market research on the struggles faced by remote workers and need remote workers to interview. I am designing some resources to better solve these struggles (e.g. loneliness, burnout, work-life balance, workspace setup, etc.) to help remote workers focus more on professional development, travel, and family.
I completely hit a wall one year later from when the pandemic started. I was crying, hyperventilating begging my boss for a leave of absence. I was talked out of it. Eventually I began therapy and ultimately quit because I simply just COULDN'T DO IT ANYMORE.🤷♀️✌
I had the same shift during the pandemic. It was only after getting a puppy that demanded my attention that I finally set better work boundaries and it's helped so much.
I love WFH. My mental health has improved so much. Zero commute and working in my jammies and slippers are the icing on the cake. I am never going back to the jungle that is working in the office if I can help it. I like my peace, well-being and sanity and I intend to do everything I can to keep them intact.
Love that you love WFH! Would you be interested to talk more about your experience? I am doing some market research on the struggles faced by remote workers and need remote workers to interview. I am designing some resources to better solve these struggles (e.g. loneliness, burnout, work-life balance, workspace setup, etc.) to help remote workers focus more on professional development, travel, and family.
And yet our politics gives these companies so much influence over our daily lives and futures. But at the end of the day, a company's only goal is to make more money for those at the top. Especially if the CEO or founder feels they have had a particularly hard journey to the top, they expect everyone's to be exactly as difficult. But in an ever complicated world, it turns out to be much harder. And by only chasing the bottom line they hard no time for people's "mental health" or personal circumstances. Capitalism and industrial advancement have their benefits, but its all tied up in misery. The term "rat race" continues to hold true.
Grateful my job respects off time, even during the pandemic. When I check out and I'm done, I'm done. I did find myself working more (not necessarily productively, if anything less productive) because I lost all the social time from work that happens when you see your co-workers and chat and that was valuable for my mental health and also inter personal work relationships, which is why you see so many people changing jobs these days. It's easier when work is just work and you lose that connection with your co-workers and culture
A company that values their employees is crucial! Would you be interested to talk more about your remote work experience? I am doing some market research on the struggles faced by remote workers and need remote workers to interview. I am designing some resources to better solve these struggles (e.g. loneliness, burnout, work-life balance, workspace setup, etc.) to help remote workers focus more on professional development, travel, and family.
I find these kind of stories interesting. I think it’s less remote work and more that she is not setting boundaries for herself. I have been remote working for the last 20 months. And i have set myself a clear cut off for the day. Yes there are some days where I will remain online longer, but that cutoff allows me to separate work from home life.
It's great you found what works for you. I am doing some market research on the struggles faced by remote workers. Would you be interested in a research interview for ~30mins? I am designing some resources to better solve these struggles (e.g. loneliness, burnout, work-life balance, workspace setup, etc.) to help remote workers focus more on professional development, travel, and family.
9:31 is the key to all of this toxicity. We’ve been conditioned to tie our identity/intrinsic value and worth as a person to what we do for a living. I appreciate cultures where that’s less of a thing.
8:28 this is true, my current company is full remote and the boundaries of work hours is non-existent because the management itself is trying to complete the impossible task of pleasing everyone and getting as much work done in a day. I also always end up working way more hours than agreed, and as an employee i feel like i'm in a situation where i can't just freely say 'hey, i don't want to do this until i get severely burned out every single day'
I’ve felt constant stress since graduating high school. I have been worried about school work for 3 years now. I go to class get assigned work and then am working on that project until the next class and then I have to redo everything when our professor critiques us. I have no time on the weekends, went to 1 college party and haven’t had time since freshman year. I am miserable
I have the same experience but opposite problem. My jobs haven’t been busy, in fact I’ve such a light workload that I’m left with all of this time to fill, feeling guilt but not being able to properly switch off in case I do get a teams call. I’ve always been extremely career focused and WFH is inhibiting my ability to actually move forward. Also WFH alone isn’t fun.
I've been working from home for more than 3 years now. Sure sometimes I miss the people I would have around in the office. BUT, I get to spend more time on things I love. I save about 2 hrs of traveling and I get to nap in my lunch. It just works for me.
7:44 this is exactly how I've felt for almost 2 years now!! Even when "relaxing"'or at "lunch" or getting my kids from school is like "I should be working on X or Y task" ugh
I switched to remote work when I was pregnant, and was able to stay home and raise my kids until they were a little older, then switched with hubby. It was great!
I much prefer remote work. The office environment was toxic to me. It helps that I have a set schedule and don’t set my entire life around my occupation. It’s always been a paycheck for me.
I like both but, I am switching to remote for good due to more money.
Agreed. I'm staying remote. I have so much I could do
I prefer remote, commuting to work zapping my energy and often stressed me out, then I had to deal with the toxic work environment (stressed me out) and dealing with mess on the phones with customers (stressed me out), working remotely allows me to subtract 2 stressful event the toxic work environment and stressful commute allowing only one headache customers over the phone which I can handle even better now that I have more energy or I can go find something that is non phone then my life will be perfect
Agree I like not having to deal with office politics and not knowing my colleagues so well (unless it happens naturally)
Same I work from home. My office shut shut down. It’s a dream for me. I still text my work friends so I get the “water cooler” time without the constant distraction.
Just take a step back to get a big picture macro view and think about how messed up and crazy it is how North American work culture has normalized sacrificing your personal life and mental health to work 60-80 hours a week. Don’t let any employer convince you that this is normal or healthy. Work is done for the purpose of paying your bills and if you are further along in your life journey it can also help fulfill a larger mission. That is it. Don’t forget to actually live - aka spend time with loved ones, create amazing memories, and express yourself through hobbies
Amen!!!
In shareholder capitalism, work is done to add value to the company and thus the value of shareholder portfolios. The bottom line is money. Your life means nothing. This is America.
@@CamiloSantana you imply that money is life, if you think that way you will be in for a miserable life my friend
@@kevin6588 not implying. Stating directly. The people above us - the ones in charge; your CEOs, presidents and executives; all think like this. And we as a society reward this sociopathic behaviour.
So we have to ask ourselves, "if we're so 'good', why do we hold such little power over our lives?"
There's no way out until you figure out a way to stop playing the game and still sustain yourself.
Or cry outrage and feel righteous by shaming those without shame.
Your choice.
@@kevin6588 and I don't disagree with you. I'm simply stating that not enough people care. It's the same story over and over again. It's this system we are born into.
Our only option is to get out.
I find learning about other people’s experiences to be eye opening. I am having the opposite experience working from home. Also work in tech and typically worked 60-80 hours a week for the past 13 years of being in tech. Mental health was not great. Feel much more balanced and connected since starting to work from home.
That's enlightening
Me too. All of the petty sides of work feel muted. I am more productive at home. Commuting long hours just sucks.
@@HerAeolianHarp On the other hand, when I do commute to a physical office for monthly meetings, there's a real sense of occasion.
What is connected ?
Same for me. Physically working in an office was killer for me in terms of my mental health. I’m now much more relaxed and happier working from from home. I have a comfortable space, and no one bothers (or sneaks up on) me.
It’s not remote work that’s driving her crazy. It’s the fact that her job doubled her work load and acted like she wasn’t a human.
My job also did this. I was wfh before the pandemic and the more you get done, the more they give you to the point that 80 hours a week still wasn’t getting it all done. I had to walk away to keep my life.
Mine did the exact same thing. One person left on disability early in the pandemic. I got their jop plus mine. I toughed it out for 18 months and finally got a new job. Enjoying my 2 week vacation between jobs.
@@Bradimoose I hope they gave you a nice raise for basically doing the job for two
@@donnaboyle7513 The idea is to pave yourself so they can’t give you a ridiculously amount of year
@@FreedomofSpeech865 Actually I got 2% and I told my boss I deserved more. They said "the company is not likely to change it's position" so I hired a career coach. 4 months later I got 5k raise but was already decided on leaving. My new company seems a lot better and I got a big signing bonus and full remote.
She seems like she is just a workaholic, and always has been since a young age. It's like shooting yourself in the foot. Work at your own pace, set clear boundaries.
This is very important. I would not answer calls from my boss after 5. They would ask the next day why I didn't answer and I just said cause it was after 5. I'm glad I set boundaries cause some of my coworkers had to log in and work during the weekends for free.
So you're better than them?
It's not remote work that's the problem, it's just the insane amount of work she's trying to do.
Exactly!
Fair enough but it’s also much harder to set boundaries wfh. It’s very easy to take more breaks during the day, see meetings add up and then realising at 6pm you still have lots to do. My work has also increased our targets/expectations while wfh knowing fully that people will need to work overtime to achieve them. The difference is that in the past we would be paid overtime for staying longer in the office but with wfh you’re paid the same.
@@isabelleb.3653 WFH shouldn't mean working all the time. There should be a cut-off time when work messages aren't handled, except for emergency cases.
My bf recently went from working 3 weeks straight. Then finally got a weekend to rest. Then he worked 80hrs in 5 days and found out he would have to work on the weekend bcuz someone decided to move up their deadline for no reason. He got angry bcuz he wanted to relax and go on a trip with me. I feel like he overworks himself so much and he’s only 27. He does get paid well but is it really worth it at the end...?
@@Josy5527167 I use to work two full-time jobs for about two years. I was in my 30s. Its hard but, I loved the money to finish my master's degree.
It kinda sounds like the pandemic had the exact opposite impact on people's mental health.... At least for the featured people.... Like their jobs had already ruined their mental health and the pandemic pushed them to address that and now they're setting better boundaries for work.
I'm a software developer and have been working from home for 16 years. It's not a lifestyle everyone can handle. My wife had to do it last year and she hated it.
I agree. I actually have been doing it on and off for five years on small gigs. I am going full-time with it this year and quitting my regular work job. For me, the commute wasn't the problem because my work is about a mile away. Mine has to do with money.
This is me. I'm a software engineer and despise wfh. I'd at least like to come in 2x a week.
I find it very interesting your wife hated it but you did not. What did she struggle with? I am doing some market research on the struggles faced by remote workers. Would you or your wife be interested in an research interview for ~30mins? I am designing some resources to better solve these struggles (e.g. loneliness, burnout, work-life balance, workspace setup, etc.) to help remote workers focus more on professional development, travel, and family.
@@sonderexpeditions 2-3x a week is perfect, it’s a better balance.
5d in office is a lot, but 5d at home is a lot too, hybrid is way better.
Eventually people will develop cabin fever. Hence why when I was wfh 5d a week, I literally left the house at every chance I had after work and especially on the weekends.
@@Silenced_by_nazi_youtube hahaha this is so relatable. Any chance I can get to leave the house that I can.
I love WFM. I'm working more hours at home, but saving 2-3 hours a day on the commute, which ends up more or less evening out. In return, I get to spend more time with family (the people that actually matter to us in life), eat and cook healthier, and get fitter (with my previous commute, there was no time to sneak in regular exercise into the day). It's important to schedule in your own breaks throughout the day and get enough sleep to make the new schedule work. Your employer will never watch out for you no matter how much overtime you do, you have to take initiative to protect your own sanity in the corporate world.
Same. I can't wait for things to get back to normal so I could travel 🥰
❤
I quit my job two weeks ago due to the hours and stress. You can only work 14 hour days five days a week for so long before your performance drops. I was asked if I was happy and I told my employer no I was not. We parted ways; I haven't slept this well in months even without a job.
What job was that?
THIS. 100%.
Doing Sales?
Onsite means daily pointless meetings, dealing with jerks, constant interruptions. I’ve been working from home since 2010 and I wouldn’t go back onsite if the company was across the street. And onsite usually means two hours a day of commuting.
Wouldn’t go back if the job was across the street! You really got the point across! Giggle giggle Dash giggle giggle! All the best…
Yuuuuup.
Agreed
For me it's the oposite. Since WFH i went from 20% in meetings to 60% in meetings. Most of my day is Zoom calls and I have to work overtime to get my actual work done.
@@wintersonnet Are those Zoom meetings necessary? I understand that it is likely not up to you to decide to have the meetings, I’m just wondering if most meetings are simply a way to make sure people are working, or are they crutches for people who can’t stand working alone at home, or are they busywork for people whose job is to watch other people do their job? I found that a lot of people at my workplace who wanted to have constant online meetings didn’t have enough of their own work to do, so every interaction that could’ve been an email or waited until the weekly meeting turned into a daily gabfest and the people doing the actual work couldn’t get anything done.
The core issue is the Protestant work ethic, that working for the sake of working. We need to move beyond that and adapt to a more European work prospective . to ultimately become better human being and improve our productivity.
People who don't have a giant inheritance are not working for the sake of working. We literally have to work to pay the bills and live. Us Europeans have pretty similar struggles with work life balance, similar financial issues and not much more room from the employers to focus on "becoming a better human being" rather than churn out work.
That will never happen.
Europeans don't have it better lol
Same in Mexico. They take so many days off in the year and most are happy. Don't believe the media.
People need to stop telling others what people need, and live their own ways. That's the problem at the core of all of these problems.
There is a connection between trying so hard in school and overworking yourself once you get out that needs to be more prominent. I'm sure she was very happy succeeding, getting straight A's, and graduating quickly .. And that's great for her, it just leaves out the expectations that go into it and how your brain gets used to performing at unhealthy levels just so you can make a teacher happy, a parent happy, and as we saw, a boss happy. Glad she could afford a therapist and seems like she learned her lesson in time management, but the messages about overachieving are still being pushed to kids and these conversations need to be more widespread instead of people thinking "young people are just lazy" or "hard work isn't for everyone"
Great connection made here. Once an over achiever always an over achiever, I’ve seen many over achievers in school that were constantly stressed and frankly not very happy and it stayed with them through their professional lives post graduation.
Frankly those type of people weren’t very smart, rather focused on the process and (showing their work) to make teachers and later on bosses happy by proving they were working hard rather than the end means. And most of the time the end goal didn’t require as much work as they put in. Going through much stress for nothing, while others were achieving the same goals with much less work and far less stress.
Working from home improved my mental health dramatically. It sounds like overwork and lack of boundaries are the main issues here rather than working from home.
These are great points! I am doing some market research on the struggles faced by remote workers. Would you be interested in an research interview for ~30mins? I am designing some resources to better solve these struggles (e.g. loneliness, burnout, work-life balance, workspace setup, etc.) to help remote workers focus more on professional development, travel, and family.
Working from home destroyed my mental health
I think if you do part time remote work and you live in an apartment that's pretty furnished and in shape, your mental health will be better.
I am the IT systems administrator for one of the largest non profits in the US. Remote work has been a true blessing for me. I can't imagine working inside an office ever again. The pandemic allowed us to become serverless and we are entirely on the cloud which I can administer and maintain from anywhere in the world.
so serverless is the same as cloud-based? 🤔
@@fritzdeuces When we say serverless, we mean we are no longer dependent on on-prem servers that require physical offices. In other words: Private Cloud vs Public Cloud.
@@fritzdeuces Don't do that. You know he's tryna explain this to a non-tech audience.
@@rikachiu So it's not really serverless just virtual servers in the public cloud? 😵
Everyone is different but as for me i was no longer able to drive because I lost that sense of normalcy and got social anxiety which I never had an issue driving or being social pre covid
I have worked remotely for over 5 years and I love it, would never go back to working at a corporate office. You might want to set up your office desk outside of your bedroom if possible because that will separate your sleep from your work and make a great difference on your sleep patterns.
I found that working remote helped/improved my mental health. I finally feel like I have a better balance of what is truly important in life vs what is just passing circumstances.
Goodluck to this lady, it seems like she just needs to learn to prioritize better, but we have different perspectives and life experiences, so we’ve come to different conclusions.
Therapy helps y’all, give it a real honest try.
ricecristi ... where do you find legit remote jobs to work from home? I keep checking internet and find many but don't know if they're literally legit or not. How to get started? That's the thing! Something where you don't need a college degree. How did you get started?
I am so glad that Katherine was able to work through this and came out on the other side where she places value on other things besides work. I think a lot of us were there at one point...especially while trying to prove yourself. I remember a time where we could wake up at 6 AM, commute from 7-8 AM, work or attend meetings from 8 to 5:30 PM while barely sneaking out for 15 minutes to eat, and then apologizing for leaving at 5:45 PM and promising to sign on and be available as soon as you get home. I remember the looks I'd receive as if I somehow wasn't doing my part on the days I opted to leave work after 9 hours--not factoring in the hour it took to get there and the hour it took to get home. That should not be the goal! I was so burnt out from that period that I've never had the energy to do it again. Your life, your time, your health (mental, physical and emotional) all matters...usually more than whatever title is printed on your business card. Most jobs are no longer the life-long commitment they used to be. We should start acting like it.
It seems like she's on a path to burnout due to her personality and her company's culture. That has not been my experience at my job. I love working remotely.
I agree - also a good boss will not promote this type of work culture. Like if this is how the staff are feeling, it is their job as a manager to make things more manageable. If not, then they are not doing their job.
She seems like a people pleaser….she needs therapy tbh her issues are bigger than working remotely
@@ye23. I don’t think she’s a people pleaser, but more of an over achiever.
@@Jeremy-sj3pr yep, overachiever and most likely a perfectionist. Those traits usually go in hand in hand. I empathize with her. And it’s important to recognize that you even have those tendencies so you can create boundaries for yourself and others. Seems liked therapy has helped her with that
@@Jeremy-sj3pr she still needs therapy.
Honestly can't imagine working 60+ hours a week, local or remote. I work a 9-6 with roughly an hour commute back and forth, and that's enough to have my body screaming in pain every morning.
She's an overachiever... Not the best example of a work from home person. I know plenty of people who now work from home and 6 oclock comes and their done, a work email comes in at 601pm oh well, they take care of it the next day. I am glad to see she finally set some boundaries at the end.
I have a different experience, I really enjoy working at home. I have ADHD and the over stimulation of a workplace environment and constituently being under surveillance and around others is really distracting and draining to my emotional health. Working at home has really improved my work life, before the pandemic i was miserable and i hated all jobs. Now i love being at home where i am not distracted and i can do my job and i really love it.
sameeee especially when people discussing
ADHD has destroyed my ability to work at home. I simply can’t motivate myself without external pressure.
I would absolutely love to see this series explore the cohort of people who worked from home full-time before the pandemic, either self-employed or as employees, and deeply investigate the differences in both remote-first people and remote-first companies from their counterparts, what changes the pandemic wrought on us, if any, and what lessons we might have for the rest of the workforce.
Having lost both my parents last year, what stands out to me is how fortunate she is to have both of hers in her life. Priceless. Smell the roses. See the blessings you have. Act accordingly.
I’m sorry for your loss but that doesn’t mean minimizing other people
@@jessicabrady5693 I'm sorry if it came across that way, but that wasn't my intention at all. I just saw the good fortune she has in having both of her parents.
yes i agree. i lost my mom, still have my dad and i cant ever see me acting out with him. or even being frustrated at something. they are all we have
@@jessicabrady5693he didn't do that just told what she needed to hear
Sounds like she’s salaried. I’m still working hourly with overtime offered being rare. So you better freaking believe that I’m not staying on a second more than I have to.
That’s a tactic used. Make people salary and then ask them to do the job of 3 people and pay them for only 1.
Yes it is totally correct. Thats why freelancer or hourly rate type contracts are better
Pre-pandemic I worked at home on Monday and Friday - during the pandemic I just wanted to shut the office/spare bedroom door and make it disappear on the weekends - it was just too close a connection. It seems younger workers have a harder time setting boundaries since many managers are more than willing to take advantage. I had one manager tell me I could work the same commute hours I was saving - no, that is NOT work/life balance. Thanks for sharing.
My work ethic decreased since wfh. I've noticed people get so defensive when people complain about wfh. It's not for everyone. I'm in tech too and I feel so detached from everyone.
Same. I work remote and can go into the office but I don’t get to communicate with co workers and rarely get in person customers so it gets very lonely for me
Opposite for me. I've been working from home for about 20 years plus traveling for work with occasional trips to an office for meetings. Much prefer it to dressing up every day, going into an office where the other personnel don't work in the line of work that I do (my department is dispersed around the world with no more than 2 - 4 of us, at most, at any one site). Half the time, the other person in my department at my site is out traveling. So, we're pretty much alone, anyway. So, I don't gain anything by sitting at the office. My boss calls at any time of day - I took a call at 8pm last night. So...working from home and being able to use my lunch break to fix a lawn mower or run an errand works out great.
Agreed! I am doing some market research on the struggles faced by remote workers. Would you be interested in an research interview for ~30mins? I am designing some resources to better solve these struggles (e.g. loneliness, burnout, work-life balance, workspace setup, etc.) to help remote workers focus more on professional development, travel, and family.
@@colintaylor1064 did u complete your research,if yes, where are the results
Who could stand an office environment? Chained to a bland cubicle for 9 hours a day, cliches that feel like high school, no time for self-care, long commute, surrounded by coworkers who could care less about you. Yeah, no thanks.
I really have mixed feelings about working from home. I do see the benefits of it, especially being that one can get up and take breaks or do other things without constantly being beholden to a supervisor nagging at them to get back to work. But I also do sometimes find it exhausting. Getting out of bed, walking ten feet to my desk which is the same desk that I work/draw/play video games at, with the only time I get up being to cook my meals or go to the bathroom. The days just seem to blend together into this grey mush and I feel both under and overwhelmed somehow. It's hard to find anything worth doing when everything just feels the same, same room, same food, no friends or coworkers to talk to besides to get updates on work. I'm sure that work from home is good for a lot of people and I do think that offices should at least have it as an option for workers, but I think I need to have a hybrid model where I go into work a few days a week to ground myself and feel connected to my work.
Same here!
This is exactly how I feel!
Working from home gave me the freedom to adjust my work-life balance the way I want in ways that fit me. If I need a 1:30 nap, or if I want to go grab breakfast I don’t have to feel bad about walking in with a starbucks cup. Everything is just so much more relaxed. I feel HUMAN
WFH for the win! Would you be interested to talk more about your remote work experience? I am doing some market research on the struggles faced by remote workers and need remote workers to interview. I am designing some resources to better solve these struggles (e.g. loneliness, burnout, work-life balance, workspace setup, etc.) to help remote workers focus more on professional development, travel, and family.
Something I think they need to consider here is a sense of validation from the employees who are struggling versus the amount of ask those who are struggling. I work in tech as well, and when I was in an office I constantly felt like I had to hide part of who I was, felt worse about my boundaries, and was not thriving. I started working from home before the pandemic, and while it was rocky, I am healthier for it.
I work in tech and home office is a blessing. productivity went up 30% because there are less interruptions and noise. mental health has never been better before. Also I save 2,5 hrs of commuting everyday. I use that time to do sports and for cooking and relaxing
Being in an office was draining. Maybe bc I am an introvert, but the constant interruptions, background noise, and bland setting disrupted my work progress. My energy was already depleted just from the frustrating commute. I don't mind working an extra 2 hours or so or an occasional weekend because I can go at my own pace. I can spend time with my floof, go for a light jog in the middle of the day, or take an extremely long nap. WFH is amazing if the environment is right. It also helps that my company is accommodating, respects boundaries, and shifts the work load accordingly.
I think it was the best decision to move out of her parents house. I also moved back to my parents so I could save money on rent. But after a couple months it was unbearable, it’s just not the best idea to live with your parents when you’re an adult.
Yes that part. Your parents will always see you as a child and it gets in the way of a lot including work at times. So many times my mother thought it was appropriate to barge in my room during the work day to offer me breakfast when I’m already with a client😂 also they complain about not seeing you whilst in their house. Better to move out and just limit it to the daily 20 minute phone and visits during the holidays because the infantilization will damage mental health more than anything
As a HR professional and Hybrid worker I have had to support workers in different environments. I worked 16 hours a day in person when I was in the hotel industry. Exhausted and my health was affected. I did soul searching and decided to step away from hospitality after 20 years. I am now living in seattle loving my current employer and work environment. Boundaries have to be set in person and remote work to live a healthy life.
I used to work in the hospitality industry too, now that I look at it I think that’s why I have such health problems, RA, Ankylosing Spondylitis, etc, they used to work us to a pulp! At my current job I even cut back working only 36hrs for my own well being, luckily I get to work from home. But I’m not about to lose myself for any company anymore.
That’s why I learned to work from my own pace. My job doesn’t offer overtime but you can overwork yourself if you end up doing back to back cases and don’t take breaks. I make sure to take breaks in between and I aim to just reach the goal my job set for me instead of overworking myself to reach beyond the goal they set for me everyday. Also I’m an introvert. I don’t thrive around people and I was tired of working at a toxic environment and dealing with traffic everyday. I personally love remote work. I get so much chores done now as well as more time to myself.
I don’t think working remote is the problem here… she just didn’t know how to say ‘no’. Young workers often fall into this vicious cycle
Working from home is not something we were prepared to do, so we're learning from the little experience we're getting
I'm so happy to see this. Everything online is about people who don't want to work from home, but I hate it. And I KNEW I couldn't be alone! I can't wait to put my work BACK into an office and OUT of my home.
I truly am so much happier going into the office. It's fine for me to work from home 1 day a week but the routine of commuting in and being around people and getting a walk in downtown- it's just so much better for my mental health than working by myself in my apartment every day all day. It creates some boundaries between home and work.
Go back and have fun! I enjoy working from home.
Me too, I can't stand this hermit lifestyle. I was healthier working in the office and my mental health was better.
Working from home? Or living at your job? I guess it’s a matter of perspective.
She needs to watch Joshua Flukes channel. This type of stuff is literally ALL he talks about lol
I love watching him. Especially his little skits...lol.
Wow this video and Katherine's experience have had a profound impact on me. I am currently off sick due to burnout and I have/had the exact same mindset as Katherine initially. I'm working on it with my therapist now too and really hoping to feel better about my work when I return with healthy boundaries set.
Odd thing for me is that its not working from home but returning to the office and all its distractions that overwhelmed me and made me have to take time out.
I feel her pain. She's young, and will learn what she wants out of work and life and like most of us, will strive to seek out a better fit. All good, Katherine, keep your head up :)
I lived this at work for twelve years, constant calls, long hours, impossible work load, never catching up.
My new job has office hours, which was quite adjustment. I worked a week at home and while it saved travel time, 24/7 in the same place got weird so I was fine with being the essential on-site worker (at the office)
The line between who we are and our job us indeed blurry and I think this pandemic has pushed everyone to look closely at that. Working at home, working on-site with the pandemic and even suddenly not working for a long period of time can do that; couples have failed or grown stronger, families have reshaped their lives/routines/priorities and this may be a not-so-bad thing
Different people have different experiences. Some people prefer WFH, some WFO, and it’s ok ♥️ Personally, even though I am happy that I don’t need to drive for 2-3 hours daily anymore (we are still in a lockdown-ish), I do/did have breakdowns now and then by WFH.
Your physical reality is often the reflection your mindset. Katherines situation didn't improve till she changed her mindset and developed healthy boundaries for her work life.
I am just extremely lonely working from home. Some days it is so unbearable.
Remote work is not the problem. Having an inability to set boundaries is. If your company is that horrible, there are other options.
Exactly
I love working from home! I can sleep in, save on gas, have a nice hot meal that can be smelly/garlicky , be in comfortable sweat pants, blast music, and have my kitty on my lap while I work.
Facts
All I can just see is that when something is promoted as being trendy and revolutionary and blah blah blah, everyone buys into it and some people end up realizing that it's not really that glamorous. Working from home isn't for everyone, working from the office isn't for everyone, it just requires balance and how happy you are with your job. This crowd mentality of deciding to do something just because everyone is doing it, without actually thinking about its consequences is killing us as individuals. If you feel that your job isn't going well for you and you want a different path, SAVE UP for a few months, do your research on what you'd like to do, get qualified enough, and make sure not to burn bridges in case of the future, then give it a shot, If it doesn't, go back to your former career. Just because your neighbour started working from home and travelling to luxurious locations doesn't mean that it'd go that smoothly for you. Aaaagh, sometimes we humans are just too dizzy.
Yes exactly! A lot of these pro-WFH people act like it’s the best thing for everyone. They want to speak for everyone else without realizing they are doing it.
I like WFH but I feel like 5d a week is overkill. Eventually people will develop cabin fever, hence why I prefer hybrid.
Its up to you to decide if this type of work is worth it or not. After doing jobs with 10-11 hours i decided that its not worth it. My last job i started to have panick attack going on for a month. I decided that i want to have a life outside of work. Whats the point of earning money if i cant spend it bc im always at work? I couldnt even see my friends so no social life.
Now i prefer to work part time even if i dont make a lot of money but my health and well being comes first.
But you need to make that decision. Of course your company will never say to you, work less. They dont care abt your well being but how much you can produce.
Thank u for creating the awareness on Loneliness and Remote work
I want a job that is hybrid or completely remote to get a break or stay away from toxic coworkers. I think I would love it.
You can still meet toxic coworkers online. But, in my professional opinion, I prefer toxic coworkers online than toxic coworkers in the office.
@@qatarworldcupwinnermessi that’s true
I would love ❤️ the same thing
Same, the title resonate profoundly with me. College, work, the home environment, all of that destroyed my mental health. Toxic environment in my house, lack of consistency in my routine and double the workload. People was insanely cruel when assigning tasks for home office and College also, altogether destroyed my life.
I started working from home a few years before the pandemic, and I definitely was burned out. I thought it was ok the first few years, but once the pandemic hit my mental health started to get worse. I finally realized my current job is not for me which is why I decided to go back to school to change my career to something that has more of an impact on humanity.
I used to think I prefer remote work, but all days are the same, from bed to desk to bed, it's draining me. I feel like I'm loosing my live
i totally feel this.
I tottaly relate to her experience. I also had to start working with a therapist dissociate my selfvalue/identity from work. It's a work in progres, but it feels good to see what the end result can be. I'm still feeling super guilty when I'm not working (therefore I'm unable to really rest etc.).
We'll get there.
Setting boundaries on your work hours is extremely important. Working more hours does get more work done, but that ends up becoming the norm.
Then if others in the office also do the same, it puts pressure on those who have set their boundaries to break them.
I couldn't agree more with setting boundaries. Would you be interested to talk more about your remote work experience? I am doing some market research on the struggles faced by remote workers and need remote workers to interview. I am designing some resources to better solve these struggles (e.g. loneliness, burnout, work-life balance, workspace setup, etc.) to help remote workers focus more on professional development, travel, and family.
So... you mean remote work in ISOLATION DURING A PANDEMIC destroyed your mental health? That sounds about right. But more so, it sounded like her company took advantage of her and workers like her during the pandemic.
My experience was very different and positive. I personally don't care about making the most money possible if it means working myself to death. So no, I don't have the highest salary possible as far as engineers in tech go. But I have a decent work-life balance. And I personally think that's way more important. The end of the workday is the end of the workday for me. Period. Non-negotiable. If I want to stay a little late to finish something, I leave early another day. It's balanced in that way.
She’s in sales, my sister is in sales as well, the metrics and constant anxiety of losing your job were once curled by the amazing percs of these tech jobs. Now it’s just wake up, prospect, chase leads. I work a sector in government and while it’s challenging I much enjoy working from home.
I have worked having an office in my home starting 1991, 30yrs. At first it was hard if I worked all day at home. I was required to be at the client's most of the time which gave me the chance to, shower, get dressed, and interact act with people. I live alone so it was no problem. I bought to a 2 bedroom townhome and had a separate room as my office. I could close the door at the end of the day. Then in 1998, I worked 100% in the office. I think the pandemic made it more confining because i could only go and bring things home. No activities like clothes shopping, eating out with friends until after fully vaccinated. I got together with my close friends in the park for a picnic recently the first time this year. It was the best thing ever. It's harder to focus on work because all my neighbors are working from home and they interrupt my days now.
Yes! I think things will be much different once the pandemic ends. Like being able to go to movies and things more. I love the idea of remote work. Like working from a coffee shop. Just not always working from my bedroom.
I watched a minute and twenty-five seconds and already I know this video is about the insane way employees are treated in the US, not about remote work. It’s about being treated as slaves. Which is what we all are. Slaves in varying degrees. Slaves to money which society decided is more important than good air, good water, good food, good shelter, good living, and humanity.
No. It’s more important to make the stockholders profit before the world is uninhabitable by humanity.
It's not just in US. I live in Eastern Europe and my WFH experience was identical to hers.
Slaves to the man. With the gold🙄🙄🙄🙄🙄🙄🙄🙄🙄🙄🙄🙄
As a remote worker who often rolls straight out of bed and sits and the computer from 4AM and spends all day here: These are her choices. She can still get up at 5AM and to the gym and start working at 8. Yes, remote work is a different set of stresses, but there has _always_ been more work than there are hours to do it. Your boss isn't going to tell you to sign off. You have to discipline yourself to step away from the keyboard.
I work from home and I don't turn my computer on until 9 am and it's off at 5pm sharp.
The world: I work to live.
US millenials: I live to work.
And to make things worse we’re the most underpaid generation in history (Gen Z too)
I got switched to WFH in the beginning of the pandemic. I learned that alot of my coworkers that lived alone hated it, they missed the socialization and for some of them (like the older folks), the socialization is all they have. I am loving it as i live with family so i have no worry of not having socialization. I have the whole house to myself during the day and get to do chores, make my meals stress free.. i get it’s not for everyone but damn is it working for me.
That’s true! Once the pandemic started, I relocated from Dallas, TX to my hometown of El Paso, TX working from home and it has been very affordable moving back.
As a remote worker I have found that I definitely have to set bounds on work and just ignore the people who don't have bounds until the next work day.
Boundaries are a great way to unplug! Would you be interested to talk more about your remote work experience? I am doing some market research on the struggles faced by remote workers and need remote workers to interview. I am designing some resources to better solve these struggles (e.g. loneliness, burnout, work-life balance, workspace setup, etc.) to help remote workers focus more on professional development, travel, and family.
I am on year 5, and now I'm struggling to keep going. I really don't know what to do atp.
I'm working from home too since the pandemic started. In the beginning, it was working more than I used to work at the office, simply because I didn't want the employer to think I was taking advantage of working remotely. I wanted them to see the productivity, it took a little time to say no, I can't keep working at that capacity, the burnout was approaching, the employer piling on more facets of work. Now, I strictly stick to a schedule, getting up, getting dressed I think helps mentally, not sitting in pajamas all day, sectioning off the break and lunchtimes, also getting out of the house at least every other day, for a drive or walk. And most of all, logging out no later than 5:30. I also think age plays a role, at 25 you are still proving yourself. If you are older, you care less about the prooving and more about maintaining the knowledge and experience that you bring to the workplace.
Setting a schedule and sticking too it is a great tactic! Would you be interested to talk more about your remote work experience? I am doing some market research on the struggles faced by remote workers and need remote workers to interview. I am designing some resources to better solve these struggles (e.g. loneliness, burnout, work-life balance, workspace setup, etc.) to help remote workers focus more on professional development, travel, and family.
I work from 6am til 3pm M-F and I get all federal holidays off!
I don’t miss the toxic chatty Kathy’s, Karen’s or Ken’s in the office.
I get more work done and I’m so much happier! I don’t know how people can be miserable working from home unless they have no social life outside of work.
I starting working from home
Really insightful piece on the new work environment. 100 years from now this will be the norm and the future generations will look back where it all started.
I love working remote. You need to work on setting boundaries. Wake up early go do exercise also don’t forget about your personal life. In the office I was always getting interrupted, plus commuting takes a toll on mental health. Take your lunch break. Schedule in your lunch in outlook in case you get too busy due to the demands of your job. Overworking should not be idolized you are too young for that.
Thank you Katherine. I am into the situation and mental state you mentioned. Your story helped me a lot. Thanks and love from India 🇮🇳
Your workstation shouldn’t be in your bedroom. When working from home, there must be a boundary between work and home life. If you’re constantly looking at a workstation, it’s like you never leave work. The best part of ending my work day is closing the office door and not looking at that stuff until the next work day.
I just ran across this video and was introduced to work enmeshment / career enmeshment. This has been me for the past 20+ years and C-VID took my structure away. I had a schedule and structure, wake up at 4:45, drive to CrossFit, workout and shower, drive to work and arrive at 7:00 then leave work by 5. I would have never expected that this schedule would have been so important to me. I no longer work out, I don’t care about myself, and I just work. Home and Work is no longer delineated, I’m always checking my emails. If we all went back to bed, I’d be able to get back to reality. Till then, l’ll keep drinking and overeating.
I have been a remote worker since 2014. I had to seek mental health around year 3 or 4. Today, I have the tools to manage my life and enjoy working remotely.
That is incredible you were able to figure WFH out! Would you be interested to talk more about your remote work experience? I am doing some market research on the struggles faced by remote workers and need remote workers to interview. I am designing some resources to better solve these struggles (e.g. loneliness, burnout, work-life balance, workspace setup, etc.) to help remote workers focus more on professional development, travel, and family.
What are the tools
tell us the tools please
This was awesome Katherine! Been a subscriber for about a year and glad to see you’re doing well
I prefer remote work, I know it's harder because clients think you're 24/7 available. However it avoids the toxicity of office environment which can include gossiping or toxic mates.
I would be curious to hear your thoughts on how WFH is harder. Would you be interested to talk more about your remote work experience? I am doing some market research on the struggles faced by remote workers and need remote workers to interview. I am designing some resources to better solve these struggles (e.g. loneliness, burnout, work-life balance, workspace setup, etc.) to help remote workers focus more on professional development, travel, and family.
She is going to have a BURNOUT! It happened to me, I used to work like this from 25 - 31. I now have chronic pain in my neck. I realised that if I got run over by a bus, my boss would just hire another person. Don't do it to yourself! I took my life back and invested in myself! Now I work part time and travel when possible.
I woud be curious to hear more about your burnout. Would you be interested to talk more about your remote work experience? I am doing some market research on the struggles faced by remote workers and need remote workers to interview. I am designing some resources to better solve these struggles (e.g. loneliness, burnout, work-life balance, workspace setup, etc.) to help remote workers focus more on professional development, travel, and family.
@@colintaylor1064 i work from home during 2 years and never felt more lonely, useless, and nervous.
Working From home is not meant for everyone
I 100% relate to what Katherine went through. Work from home did not come easy for me and it was a huge life adjustment.
It really is a huge adjustment. Would you be interested to talk more about your remote work experience? I am doing some market research on the struggles faced by remote workers and need remote workers to interview. I am designing some resources to better solve these struggles (e.g. loneliness, burnout, work-life balance, workspace setup, etc.) to help remote workers focus more on professional development, travel, and family.
I completely hit a wall one year later from when the pandemic started. I was crying, hyperventilating begging my boss for a leave of absence. I was talked out of it. Eventually I began therapy and ultimately quit because I simply just COULDN'T DO IT ANYMORE.🤷♀️✌
This is an incredibly helpful video. Thank you PBS Voices and Ms.Berry for your insight.
The truth is it doesn’t matter how much you work because no matter how much you do it will never be enough for your company
I had the same shift during the pandemic. It was only after getting a puppy that demanded my attention that I finally set better work boundaries and it's helped so much.
I love WFH. My mental health has improved so much. Zero commute and working in my jammies and slippers are the icing on the cake. I am never going back to the jungle that is working in the office if I can help it. I like my peace, well-being and sanity and I intend to do everything I can to keep them intact.
Love that you love WFH! Would you be interested to talk more about your experience? I am doing some market research on the struggles faced by remote workers and need remote workers to interview. I am designing some resources to better solve these struggles (e.g. loneliness, burnout, work-life balance, workspace setup, etc.) to help remote workers focus more on professional development, travel, and family.
Okay hermit
@@adoramacy1059 jealous. 😆
Far from it, I’ve worked from home for over 2 years and it sucks
And yet our politics gives these companies so much influence over our daily lives and futures. But at the end of the day, a company's only goal is to make more money for those at the top. Especially if the CEO or founder feels they have had a particularly hard journey to the top, they expect everyone's to be exactly as difficult. But in an ever complicated world, it turns out to be much harder. And by only chasing the bottom line they hard no time for people's "mental health" or personal circumstances. Capitalism and industrial advancement have their benefits, but its all tied up in misery. The term "rat race" continues to hold true.
Grateful my job respects off time, even during the pandemic. When I check out and I'm done, I'm done. I did find myself working more (not necessarily productively, if anything less productive) because I lost all the social time from work that happens when you see your co-workers and chat and that was valuable for my mental health and also inter personal work relationships, which is why you see so many people changing jobs these days. It's easier when work is just work and you lose that connection with your co-workers and culture
A company that values their employees is crucial! Would you be interested to talk more about your remote work experience? I am doing some market research on the struggles faced by remote workers and need remote workers to interview. I am designing some resources to better solve these struggles (e.g. loneliness, burnout, work-life balance, workspace setup, etc.) to help remote workers focus more on professional development, travel, and family.
I find these kind of stories interesting. I think it’s less remote work and more that she is not setting boundaries for herself. I have been remote working for the last 20 months. And i have set myself a clear cut off for the day. Yes there are some days where I will remain online longer, but that cutoff allows me to separate work from home life.
It's great you found what works for you. I am doing some market research on the struggles faced by remote workers. Would you be interested in a research interview for ~30mins? I am designing some resources to better solve these struggles (e.g. loneliness, burnout, work-life balance, workspace setup, etc.) to help remote workers focus more on professional development, travel, and family.
Thank you PBS for this documentary.
Smart young lady for setting her boundaries at this young adult stage of life. She's going to be more than fine. Best of luck!
Feeling this right now
9:31 is the key to all of this toxicity. We’ve been conditioned to tie our identity/intrinsic value and worth as a person to what we do for a living. I appreciate cultures where that’s less of a thing.
8:28 this is true, my current company is full remote and the boundaries of work hours is non-existent because the management itself is trying to complete the impossible task of pleasing everyone and getting as much work done in a day. I also always end up working way more hours than agreed, and as an employee i feel like i'm in a situation where i can't just freely say 'hey, i don't want to do this until i get severely burned out every single day'
Been in architecture college for 3 years. I’ve had 1 semester in person. I’m officially burnt out and can’t do school anymore. Don’t know what to do
I’ve felt constant stress since graduating high school. I have been worried about school work for 3 years now. I go to class get assigned work and then am working on that project until the next class and then I have to redo everything when our professor critiques us. I have no time on the weekends, went to 1 college party and haven’t had time since freshman year. I am miserable
Thank you for being as role model for the future workers!
Saw " two cents" video and decided to give this series a try.
I have the same experience but opposite problem. My jobs haven’t been busy, in fact I’ve such a light workload that I’m left with all of this time to fill, feeling guilt but not being able to properly switch off in case I do get a teams call. I’ve always been extremely career focused and WFH is inhibiting my ability to actually move forward. Also WFH alone isn’t fun.
Excellent reporting. I'm glad she was able to figure it out.
I've been working from home for more than 3 years now. Sure sometimes I miss the people I would have around in the office. BUT, I get to spend more time on things I love. I save about 2 hrs of traveling and I get to nap in my lunch. It just works for me.
7:44 this is exactly how I've felt for almost 2 years now!! Even when "relaxing"'or at "lunch" or getting my kids from school is like "I should be working on X or Y task" ugh
I switched to remote work when I was pregnant, and was able to stay home and raise my kids until they were a little older, then switched with hubby. It was great!