How has your life changed since working from home, and what would make you go back to the office?

I was just thinking about how different my days look now. I wake up without an alarm, actually eat breakfast, take short walks between meetings, and still get more done than I ever did commuting an hour each way.

I do enjoy working from home, but one thing I find myself missing a bit is structure. There are these quiet gaps between meetings where I could be doing chores or errands, but I just don’t. Some mornings I’ll get up early and work out, other days I’ll roll straight from bed to my desk. There’s no real rhythm to it. It feels like I’ve “bought” this free time back from commuting, so I don’t mind wasting it, even though part of me wishes I used it better. Sometimes I miss that sense of routine that the office used to force on you, even if it came with all the downsides…idk

A few of my long-term remote friends have mentioned they can feel a bit lonely sometimes too, since the usual coffee catch up or quick yarn in the hallway isn’t an option (at least if fully remote). I get that. There’s definitely a social side that’s hard to replace when everyone’s at home lol.

Still, when I think about how normal it used to feel to lose 10 hours a week sitting in traffic, it’s hard to imagine giving that time away again. Maybe I’d consider going back if the culture was amazing or if they offered a 30% pay bump, but honestly, I don’t know if it would be worth it.

How has remote or hybrid work changed your daily life, and would you actually go back to the office for a raise?