I'm curious whether it's this "work chaperone" concept, but I'm not sure. Until recently, I had two other people working in close proximity to me, before they both quit. I definitely got that weird unproductive feeling when I was off-focus, but it was decidedly negative. Think a fear of punishment or embarrassment vs. the positive feeling that I had today. But at the same time, coworkers and SOs are very different in terms of relationship and motivation.