Back in the office stress

Will you have to go in every day?

Shouldn’t they be working rather than talking about themselves?

Knittingnovice
Maybe your post is an indicator of why they didn’t phone you in lockdown.

Luckily a few days. Merylstreep, the written word can cause misinterpretation. It is frustrating as I started just before lockdown so hadn't settled in, but people are still selfish.

One way for you to "settle in" is to show an interest in others. Even if you don't really care what someone's nephew eats - joining in the conversation will help others to get to know you better.

I hope your next day goes better.

It sounds pretty normal to me, in our office we talk about anything and everything, current affairs, our families, trivial bits of gossip, try joining in, you might find they’re nice people.

That's what I'm looking forward to about going back to the office is the human contact. I love hearing all the little details of my colleagues' lives and sharing mine and
I especially love the banter. It's what makes the world go around and what I've really missed. I would try joining in a bit more knittingnovice you might find you enjoy it.

I think it depends on your personality type, if you really dont enjoy an office environment, you cant force it. And the two different personality types find it very difficult to understand the other.

Gwyneth

Shouldn’t they be working rather than talking about themselves?

I wondered that too!

Callistemon
Oh for goodness sake, you can do two things at once.

You can’t concentrate properly on your work and hold a conversation about something totally unrelated to it at the same time. My experience of this sort of thing has been confined to tea breaks and lunch hours.

If it’s like our office, not everyone is chatting at the same time, in my experience a happy work place is a productive work place.

Sara1954

Callistemon
Oh for goodness sake, you can do two things at once.

Not in my job you couldn't
But I wasn't in an office all the time.

Callistemon
Point taken, obviously there are some things that ask for total concentration, but in a general office environment, it’s nice to have a chat and a laugh during the working day.
I was thinking about it at work this morning, a lot of the time I was on the phone, and sometimes concentrating on what I was doing, so not chatting, but we were also talking quite a bit, admittedly, quite a bit about work, but we talked about the new school term, Boris and his social care plans, loft hatches, and the dangers of them falling down and killing someone, the merits of Mr Muscle, and all sorts of other stuff.
I really think knittingnovice would have disliked it a lot, but I see no harm.

Your office was very different to mine Sara. Lots of concentration needed, couldn’t chat and concentrate but everyone was happy.

Germanshepherdsmum
That’s good, as long as everyone is happy.
I’m not saying that people will be miserable without a bit of chit chat, more that it’s good if you can all get along and have a laugh, I think knittingnovice would benefit from joining in.

Yes, you only get out what you put in. Join in even if the topic bores you witless, or you’ll always be the outsider, not invited to drinks after work etc.

^ loft hatches, and the dangers of them falling down and killing someone,^
what was the general opinion? Do you think they could?

We are a very diverse bunch, five of us are related, some people have been with us for a very long time, some less so, we all have different interests and hobbies, and outside the workplace, probably wouldn’t find much in common, but I think it’s good to try and look for common ground, and hear different views on things, I think you are missing out knittingnovice

Knittingnovice

Luckily a few days. Merylstreep, the written word can cause misinterpretation. It is frustrating as I started just before lockdown so hadn't settled in, but people are still selfish.

Perhaps they all know each other well if they've worked together for a long time.
If you show an interest in them and their lives, perhaps they'll chat to you and ask you.

Strictly at coffee time, of course

Callistemon
Oh yes, I’m certain of it, I consider it a real danger.

I used to keep my head down & choose carefully the conversations I was interested in contributing towards. It was a large open plan office.
My work needed concentration & my lovely colleagues understood that. I loved a bit of gossip & banter, but at one time I did ask my kind manager to move me to a quieter corner away from the noisier ones! Luckily he knew exactly what I meant & arranged the move. Worked a treat & nobody minded. I feel blessed that I worked with & retired from such a lovely bright, intelligent team.

When I was at school my A-level art class was three-hour sessions. Being art it was fairly easy to chat while we worked.
I soon realised that one of my fellow pupils had one topic of conversation only: Crossroads Motel, which I'd never watched nor had any particular desire to.
However I decided it was a case of "if you can't beat 'em, join 'em," so I duly started watching it so I could follow the prattle chit-chat.
Can't say I enjoyed it particularly though ??

I think I've given the wrong impression of myself here. Oh well