Writing Challenge Day 21: Not All Introverts WFH

“You must be loving this.”

I can’t count the number of times I’ve heard this statement in the past nine months. Being a self-proclaimed introvert (and proud of it!), the implication is that I love being able to work from home, away from all the people and all the small talk. To be fair, getting away from small talk might have been one of my greatest dreams (pre-WFH). In the end though, joke’s on me.

My family consists of me, my husband, two kids, three dogs, and a cat (and a partridge in a pear tree). This means my WFH conversations consist mostly of:

  • “Do you want to go outside?”
  • “Are you hungry?”
  • “Turn that tablet down!”
  • And some version of attempting to explain 5th grade math to my 10-year-old daughter.

Let me tell you—not the most stimulating conversations I’ve ever had!

I often find myself missing the buzz of the office. The underlying sound of chatter, keyboards, and the coffee machine. The ease of just popping my head over to my cube neighbor to see how the weekend was or really any other conversation to be had with an adult. I find popping into someone’s computer on Teams or Zoom or any other platform doesn’t have the same effect. And meetings a few times a week with folks online just doesn’t fill the communication need in the same way!

Do I miss the hour commute each way? NOPE. Do I miss cramming 20 people into a conference room made for 10? NOPE. But, do I truly miss the relationships that can only be built when you spend eight (or 10, or 12) hours with people five days a week? You bet I do.

So yes—joke’s on me. I’ll be counting down the days until I can see people for real again. People who know that just because I’m an introvert, doesn’t mean I’m loving this any more than my friends who are extroverts. I can’t wait for run-of-the-mill conversations at the snack cart or intense whiteboarding sessions in a conference room. But, don’t be surprised if I still try to explain 5th grade math to you when I’m back in the office!

  • The WFH does present it's difficulties. The family thinks I am here to talk to and respond at any moment. I will be in the middle of something and they will just start talking to me like I am just standing here (standing desk from work, brought home) doing nothing. It's like I am back in the office, lol. At least when I am in the office when someone comes to my desk and interrupts me it is usually IT related.

  •   I can't imaging dealing with WFH/Remote learning daily double! I've had to go into the office in spurs since March... I see a lot of my team hunkering down and trying to get through it.... And doing well I might add...

    I think we've got and understanding that when this is over, we are going to have a day in the office and then a reasonably large after work get together..... (adult beverages and stories will abound).

  • EH, either way I am good.  I love what I do.   Where I do it is of no consequence.   If I can be in the office Awesome, if not, well, I am a full time remote worker until a time comes if ever that I get promoted up, then I might have to relocate.   for now, I have video calls, and conference calls, and telephone meetings.   I truly never knew how many hours a day I spent with in meetings until Covid.   Now Microsoft tells me each week.   Isn't that nice of them...

  • I am a self-described extroverted introvert. What that means is that I am quite comfortable by myself but occasionally I require social stimulation. I do have what I term my social meter, and when that gets filled I am immediately DONE with whatever I am doing. While I love working from home in normal times, I can honestly say that this year has been tough, even for me. I have worked from home for about a decade now, and normally I can still leave when I want and stop by the office occasionally and have lunch with my parents and take my kid to mini-golf or bowling.... This year, it's safe to say, has not been normal. It has been a lonely year for many, myself included, and an extra challenge for meeting my new colleagues and getting to know them well. Normally, I would have made the occasional office visit, joined an in-person happy hour, attended SWUGs and conferences, etc. to get to know everyone better. We have made a valiant effort virtually, but, as you say, it's just not quite the same.

  • Cool, nice writeup  

    I must agree with you, I'm done and dusted.

    I hate commute, i hate when i am alone at office on a Friday night trying to close the pending activities on my list, i hate it when i can't find a table at lunch while i am in office, i hate if my cubicle isn't silent when I am at work && i use to hate a lot many things  - Maybe life was so busy that we never realized what we use to hate might some day knock at us and ask -> Do you miss me ???

    You are right!!!!!! - i dont think i hate those things anymore and indeed i am missing all the fun

Thwack - Symbolize TM, R, and C