Why It’d Be Tough to Go Back to The Office After Working from Home

Do you want to know my somewhat humiliating remote worker confession? Sometimes I miss working in a traditional office.

It’s funny, isn’t it? According to most people, I live the dream—I have the flexibility to work when I want and where I want in the comfort of my favorite pajamas.

But sometimes I miss the camaraderie with my colleagues and the structure and routine of office life. And I especially miss the donuts and other treats that would magically appear in the conference room.

But those moments of weakness when I find myself feeling homesick for a traditional 9-to-5 typically disappear as quickly as they arrive. And, even further, I’m certain I’d find it pretty challenging to go back to a normal office job after working from home for the past several years.

Here are a few reasons why I know the transition back to the office would be tough:

I’d miss the flexibility.

It’s typically the times when I’m working late into the evening or on a weekend that I find myself feeling particularly homesick for the steady schedule of a traditional job. Being done at 5 p.m. every day and having my weekends free sounds like the stuff of dreams.

However, it doesn’t take me long to remember all of the schedule-related downsides. I’d have limited vacation days. If I wanted to grab a longer lunch or take an exercise class in the middle of a Wednesday afternoon, I’d be out of luck.

Without a doubt, the freedom that working from home gives me is what I’d miss the most.

I’d miss the intense focus.

I’ve always considered myself productive, but I know that I get way more done at home than I ever did in an office. And I’m not alone. Plenty of studies point to the fact that productivity levels get a major boost when people are able to work from home.

I don’t deal with overhearing other people’s phone conversations when I’m trying to focus. I don’t have coworkers randomly stopping by my desk. I’m not in endless meetings or impromptu discussions.

If I had no choice but to return to an office, I know it’d take quite a bit of adjusting (and probably some noise-cancelling headphones) to maintain my current productivity levels.

I’d miss the control.

Another thing I love about working from home? The level of control I have over my own workday. I choose when I work, which helps me tailor my schedule around when I’m feeling my most focused. I choose where I work—whether it’s my home office, my favorite coffee shop, or a cabin in the woods.

And, in addition to all of that, I also have a lot of control over what I work on. I recognize that’s not always the case for remote workers who are in more traditional, full-time roles. But, as a freelancer, I have a lot of say in what projects I take on—and what ones I pass on.

I’d have a really challenging time giving up that level of autonomy and decision-making in my own career.

I’d miss my dogs and my sweatpants.

When it comes to working from home, the whole “wearing pajamas all day” cliché is oft-repeated—for good reason.

I do spend a lot of the workday in my favorite comfy pants. That means that now I quite literally cringe at the idea of needing to get dressed in real clothes every day. I know it sounds pathetic, but it’s true. It’s one of those things you get used to when you work by yourself.

One more thing I’d miss desperately if I had to make the switch back to working in an office? Having my dogs nearby. I’ve grown accustomed to our lunchtime walks and having them by my side for the majority of my workday, and—call me crazy—I have no desire to move back to a dog-free work environment.

I’ll be the first to admit that there are some aspects of life in a traditional office that I miss.

But when I step back and really think about it, the factors above make it obvious that no longer working from home would be a brutal transition for me. Fortunately, it’s not a change I plan to make anytime soon!