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Three Changes to My Mindset After Going Back Into the Office
The dreaded commute is back.
At the end of 2017 I left the office behind and started working from home. The fortunate thing was that I was already in a good spot before the Pandemic hit, so it didn’t impact me at all.
For five years I was able to get up, grab coffee and walk upstairs to my desk. The only traffic jam on my way to work during that time was a sleeping cat who decided to crash at that the foot of the stairs.
In 2023, I decided to go back into the office. There was a high competition for remote jobs and my new employer was roughly 15 minutes away — so I decided to give it a try.
My thinking had changed on how I regarded being in the office when I returned, and here are the things I noticed.
Not Building a “Nest” at Work
I used to walk by people’s desks and see the picture with the significant other, photos of their vacations, awards on the walls or rows of action figures on display. This is what I called “nesting”.
With my return to the office I had no desire to bring anything in to decorate my desk. The exercise seemed pointless since I still had a desk at home that was outfitted with all the little trophies, plaques and toys I had accumulated throughout the…
