Working From Alone

During the pandemic, I fell in love—with solitude.

Before the pandemic I did what everyone else did: I came into the office five days a week only to mostly spend most of my time at a computer, with headphones on to block out the noise; we would talk at lunch. For a while we played Switch games together once a week.

I even worked with a team based in another country, for well over a year, from the office. I would come in every day to my desk in an open plan office full of people working on entirely unrelated projects. It simply didn’t occur to me that it would make more sense to work from home.

Then everything changed. We had to work from home. I got lucky, very lucky: we had just moved from a just-big-enough apartment to a house with room for an “office”. So, I got my new working space—in the basement, but with a pretty nice window.

I wasn’t complaining. It was great.

Two things changed, and I hope they stay changed.

I spend so much more time with my family. I see my kids and wife more. It’s great.

And, I have complete peace and quiet—well, as long as the kids aren’t playing too loudly. I have my own room with a door that closes. There’s always the headphones.

A lot happened since then: we moved cities, we’re currently back in an apartment; my office is also the store room. It still has a door, it’s still much better than an open plan office.

I love being able to focus on my work: to put on music, if I want; or not, if I want; to dance or do push-ups or sit for a while if it gets to be too much.

There’s a trend back towards working in offices, or at least there seems to be a push for it coming from somewhere.

That’s fine for some, I guess. I have discovered what I like, and it’s working from home; to be alone with my thoughts then to step outside my office and be with my family. Bliss.

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