"When the lockdowns ended, we had the option to keep working from home and I took it. However, there were still some moments that pulled me into the office, like team building activities, or client workshops. Every time I had to go it felt like punishment, but after a couple of weeks, I noticed something in my mood diary. On the days I went in, I was in a better mood at the end of the day and I slept better."
"At first I didn't feel disconnected from my team. We already knew each other well. We even had calls with cameras. What I didn't realize is that relationships get cold without face-to-face interactions. I had this developer friend who I used to grab beers after work. We were close, but when we went remote, we stopped seeing each other every day. And because we weren't on the same projects, and because we both had busy lives, it became harder to find time."
Remote work eliminated commute, noise, and forced conversations, allowing focused, comfortable work with fewer interruptions. Regular office attendance produced better end-of-day mood and improved sleep. Extended remote work reduced spontaneous social interactions and weakened relationships with colleagues outside immediate projects. Virtual communication became logistical and less personal, causing friendships and cross-team connections to fade. Reduced face-to-face contact decreased opportunities for spontaneous collaboration and problem-solving, leading to more frequent blocking and lower creative energy. The combination of fewer interruptions and fewer social interactions created trade-offs that favored hybrid work over exclusive remote work for maintaining relationships, creativity, and wellbeing.
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