i know im living someone’s dream working 100% remote. (especially in 2026) and im so grateful. but nobody talks about how lonely and isolating it truly is working 100% remote 🥲 can anyone else relate? i feel so left out of my team’s activities

💯 People, at some point you will do nothing but stay home. Those w aging parents can confirm. Go out and be with the 3D people while you still can. Or DM me if you are looking for a CD/CW or ACD/CW to take your place. Or your agency is looking and you want to pass my link along. I’m in.

Remote is awful for many, a vestige of a terrible time--Covid. It's a disaster for people starting a career who are not meeting colleagues and mentors in person, while missing out on potential friendships and networking from going out and having drinks after work. It is lonely and isolating, and a financial disaster for cities, but no one wants to acknowledge those who hate it--and it's a substantial group who do.

If you were in the office you’d probably hate all of those team activities. They’re not that much fun, you’re just suffering from FOMO. You can’t have everything and you’ve prioritized your personal space and time. If it gets too much, you can always look for a new a job with a hybrid policy so you get a bit of both.

Gotta create and find community outside of work. Regardless of whether you’re remote or not, everyone needs to cultivate an identity outside of the office; a life centered around work is no life at all (don’t wait until you’re laid off to learn this; exception being if you own your own company).

During the work day, is there a co-working space you can frequent? Coffee shop where you can be a regular? Community begins just by showing up regularly and consistently. For those in an office, you can see how that manifests because showing up regularly and consistently is mandated. Because you’re remote, the onus is on you to find and build that community. You got this.

100%! I love the flexibility and working in elastic waist pants but I would also love a hybrid situation.

Nope. I have a beautiful home office and can play my music while I work. Plus, for people of color, remote keeps us safer from racist microagressions. So I in NO WAY feel lonely working remote.

Working fully remote has made me hate the job even more than I did when I was in office. At least when I was in office I was surrounded by the work and I could convince myself that it was important. Now, I’m surrounded by the things in life that are actually important and it’s a constant reminder that everything we do all day is silly and no one cares about it outside the people we work with or for.

Do you have no community outside of work? Cuz that makes me feel bad for you

This is why I switched jobs. It's hybrid so it worked out for me. Being remote for 4 years, I felt like I started to lose social skills.

Someone recently described me as shy, and it was weird to hear that for the first time.

I grew up very extroverted, playing several varsity sports, with larger friend groups, and the last 6-7 years of working remotely have impacted me socially.

I enjoy the perks of being remote, but I do think this is the last year for me, even if I need to relocate across country. We spend so much time of our week at work, and even more time trying to recover from working. I’d rather be forced to socialize and person, so I can keep my alone time outside of work.

lol

I live in Mexico and see men and women who should be retired selling snacks at stoplights for 50 cents a bag. So every time I think remote work is isolating I remember that poverty is 10x that.

I went from being upset about the mandatory 1 office day a week to looking forward to it. It’s easier to also separate myself from work mentally that way.

I’ve been living (back) in NYC for 5 years after leaving the Bay Area, and I still have Zoom/calls routinely or on and off with 5 Bay Area friends, plus a monthly call with my siblings in Seattle. But yeah, NYC is great for going out with friends. It took a lot of consideration but I just knew in my gut that moving was the answer, and I’m happier for it. Hope you find yours.

Same! I’m grateful for it many ways, but I feel so isolated as I live in suburbs and don’t know people from here. Trade offs I suppose. I wish I had an option to go in somewhere 2-3 days a week.

I did remonte for 4 years and in the end felt like I was going feral, so I feel you. Haha. Very much prefer hybrid now. I like ppl more than I realized.

Is there no in office option? If not maybe you could tak le your laptop to one of those shared work spaces.

Fulfill it somewhere else. Or go into the office.

I worked 100% remote before I was laid off in October. I LOVED it! Its really difficult trying to find a new position that is remote. Currently looking into freelance opportunities because I can't work in an office due to a health condition. Its really difficult to be around a lot of people, noise, lights and commuting any more. Sometimes it was disappointing to not get to participate in the office activities. But they didn't get to work from home. So it was a trade.

I worked 8 months remote and at the time it was worth it for the salary I was getting in contrast to my location (regional and near the beach), but do agree that normally you’re in media for the work perks like lunches, events (since pay isn’t the greatest), so definitely one of the negatives to being remote. Now I’m back in the office and people come track me down at my desk if I don’t respond on teams, so I’m dealing with that now, lol.

Also totally under appreciated for all I do. Agency thinks I should just be happy I have a job. No raises. One bonus. No reviews.

Is your company hiring any FT producer roles? I only want to work remote. For me, it’s not lonely or isolating, and never really enjoyed team activities.