Working From Home
Since transitioning to a fully remote position two years ago, Yael has come to appreciate both the genuine advantages and the less obvious drawbacks of working from home, a balance she is still actively learning to manage even now.
On the positive side, Yael no longer spends nearly an hour each day commuting to and from her office, which has given her considerably more time for exercise, hobbies, and simply relaxing before starting her workday. She also has far greater flexibility in structuring her schedule, allowing her to run errands during quieter hours or attend her children's school events without needing special permission from her employer. However, Yael has also noticed some meaningful downsides that she did not fully anticipate before making the switch. She misses the casual, spontaneous conversations she used to have with colleagues throughout the day, the kind of small talk that often led to genuinely useful ideas or simply made the workday feel less isolating.
To address this sense of isolation, Yael has developed several small but consistent habits. She now takes a short walk every morning before officially starting work, which helps her mentally separate her personal time from her professional time, since without a commute, that boundary can otherwise disappear entirely. She also makes a deliberate effort to schedule occasional video calls with colleagues that are not strictly about work, just to maintain some of the social connection she used to have naturally in the office.
Reflecting on the past two years, Yael believes that remote work suits her well overall, but only because she has been intentional about building structure and social connection into her days, rather than assuming those things would simply happen on their own the way they once did at the office.