Keep in mind, you're not just "working remotely" these past two years, you're "working remotely through a pandemic". These are two very different things.
There are a lot of extra stressors that are involved in surviving through a pandemic, and honestly maybe your goal of not just surviving, but thriving, is unreasonable. Maybe just getting through it so you can kick-start your life on the other side is just fine!
For example, if you were in an accident and had to undergo extensive physical therapy, you'd be a lot more understanding with yourself if you weren't also running marathons at the same time.
Be kind to yourself, OP. This shit is hard and you're doing an important job just getting to the other side of it.
Keep in mind, you're not just "working remotely" these past two years, you're "working remotely through a pandemic". These are two very different things.
I will disagree with it. I may have agreed the first year but not the second. The pandemic doesn't excuse anything anymore.
This is a needlessly callous take. For many people, the second year was when the pandemic actually started to hit close to home. Of the handful of people I knew who died from covid -- it hasn't even been a full year yet.
Many people are dealing with profound levels of grief and loss. It may not "excuse" anything, but it's necessary context. Be kind.
What do you mean by that? Just that some/most countries have lifted most COVID restrictions?
I was thinking the same as the top-level comment you responded to - before the pandemic I was already quite bad at making time for adventure, exercise, seeing my friends etc. I was new in the workforce and putting all my mental energy into my job. IMO the lockdowns and WFH has been great for my work life but not so much for any other facet of it.
It's going to take me a good while to get used to getting out more, being active, scheduling things to do with friends...
* My main activity most days involving physical presence with a group of peers.
* Conversations with coworkers not running through the fog of Zoom. Not ending most days shattered by Zoom fatigue.
* Real reasons to be away from the apartment, not just to exercise and buy things.
The “other side” has been kicked out from under me by the remote work partisans. I don’t see any path to having a life like that again while still being a software engineer. If present compensation packages hold then maybe I will be able to retire and pick up a low-paying but in-person career in 7-10 years. As long as I don’t go starting a family… if I do that then I’m pretty well locked into Zoom and nothing else all day every day forever.
Cases are rising for lots of communities, we just lost another half-week of school to a close encounter quarantine, I’m still masking to avoid all the possible serious side effects of even a mild case. Plus we have an unvaccinated person in our home and have to live accordingly.
Comments
Keep in mind, you're not just "working remotely" these past two years, you're "working remotely through a pandemic". These are two very different things.
There are a lot of extra stressors that are involved in surviving through a pandemic, and honestly maybe your goal of not just surviving, but thriving, is unreasonable. Maybe just getting through it so you can kick-start your life on the other side is just fine!
For example, if you were in an accident and had to undergo extensive physical therapy, you'd be a lot more understanding with yourself if you weren't also running marathons at the same time.
Be kind to yourself, OP. This shit is hard and you're doing an important job just getting to the other side of it.
I will disagree with it. I may have agreed the first year but not the second. The pandemic doesn't excuse anything anymore.
This is a needlessly callous take. For many people, the second year was when the pandemic actually started to hit close to home. Of the handful of people I knew who died from covid -- it hasn't even been a full year yet.
Many people are dealing with profound levels of grief and loss. It may not "excuse" anything, but it's necessary context. Be kind.
What do you mean by that? Just that some/most countries have lifted most COVID restrictions?
I was thinking the same as the top-level comment you responded to - before the pandemic I was already quite bad at making time for adventure, exercise, seeing my friends etc. I was new in the workforce and putting all my mental energy into my job. IMO the lockdowns and WFH has been great for my work life but not so much for any other facet of it.
It's going to take me a good while to get used to getting out more, being active, scheduling things to do with friends...
The “other side” would be:
* My main activity most days involving physical presence with a group of peers.
* Conversations with coworkers not running through the fog of Zoom. Not ending most days shattered by Zoom fatigue.
* Real reasons to be away from the apartment, not just to exercise and buy things.
The “other side” has been kicked out from under me by the remote work partisans. I don’t see any path to having a life like that again while still being a software engineer. If present compensation packages hold then maybe I will be able to retire and pick up a low-paying but in-person career in 7-10 years. As long as I don’t go starting a family… if I do that then I’m pretty well locked into Zoom and nothing else all day every day forever.
Other than some shortages an inflation, isn't the pandemic mostly over?
Cases are rising for lots of communities, we just lost another half-week of school to a close encounter quarantine, I’m still masking to avoid all the possible serious side effects of even a mild case. Plus we have an unvaccinated person in our home and have to live accordingly.
I’d say no, not quite over.
Parents are still dealing with it, exposures and cases in school mean kids can and are sent home surprisingly often.
It's over.