Dear Prudence,
I’m an attorney who works for a private company in a major city. I was hired a year ago, and working for this company was a professional goal of mine since leaving law firm work several years ago.
The company, as I had heard from others, is a dream. They pay significantly more than others in the industry and are friendly and professional with zero toxic work environment issues. The company is also openly progressive/liberal, which is important to me given the current political climate (I live in a more conservative area). Additionally, all my reviews have been phenomenal, and I have received additional bonuses for my work. Obviously, it’s a job with all the annoyance of working that comes with it, but it has genuinely been the best job I have had in my professional career as an attorney—which spans more than a decade.
Sounds amazing! BUT, it’s 100 percent from home, and I am really struggling. I try to get myself to coffee shops and out the door, but I lack motivation. I’ve put on 40 pounds since the pandemic started and half of it in the last year. I find myself socially shutting down. My diet and physical activity have cratered. I would change jobs to an office environment (my prior company would welcome me back with open arms), but the work environment was toxic and I truly think that the professional atmosphere and company dynamic makes this job a bit of a unicorn, especially with the legal industry. My husband and I also need the money that this job brings for financial stability (he works full time in an office).
Do you have any suggestions for finding a better way to handle this at-home lifestyle? I can muster motivation for a week or two and then it slowly fades again. No one expects me to be out and about, so why bother? I’m not sure how much longer I can sit home alone for days on end like this. I feel like I have become my own worst enemy.
— Stuck at Home