I'd get things that involved meetings done, but the density of social stuff that got packed into that day meant it was a struggle to get other things done, so I mostly tried to pack meetings into that day and just accepted I'd do little of anything else.
They I realised there was nothing special about those days - it was how things used to be for me when I spent the whole day in an office.
The thought of going back to an office in any future job file me with dread.
Do you find the interaction universally draining or a matter of consent? I usually detest the interruptions save a few colleagues which I find fun to talk to.
I’m always careful to keep a strict professional line with management, it gets to be tiring to always be “on”. My professional self is nothing like how I am in my personal life.
The happiest moments are when I get into flow and stop noticing the world around me. And that's usually when the interruptions happen.
Talking with the few colleagues I like is fun. But at the end of the day, the work needs to get done, and the working conditions are not helpful.
It’s a shame since the most interesting stuff gets done when no one else is around, specifically at home after family’s gone to bed, but that could be each work day.
The more conciseness of communicating and lack of socializing with coworkers has made me both much happier and more productive. Granted, I'm on the pretty far end of the introvert-extrovert spectrum and am much happier being by myself for extended periods of time, so I'm sure it definitely varies.