Techie moved to Bengaluru dreaming of cafe coding but WFH brought Zoom fatigue and existential crisis

Time of India

a day ago

Café Coding Dreams vs. Co-working Chaos
When Tech Life Feels Like 'Slow Wi-Fi and Existential Dread'
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What was once considered the golden ticket of the tech world—remote work from the comfort of home—has, for many in Bengaluru, become a quiet struggle dressed in the illusion of convenience. A recent Reddit post on r/bangalore has gone viral for capturing the raw, relatable disillusionment many tech workers are feeling. It begins with a deceptively light-hearted line: 'WFH in Bangalore: WiFi stable, but my mental health isn't.'In that one sentence, the Redditor summed up what hundreds in the city have silently endured—burnout without boundaries, productivity without peace, and an increasingly frayed relationship with the place once called India's innovation capital.The Redditor, who moved to Bengaluru chasing the romantic notion of 'café coding,' now finds himself tethered to his bed, using his overheating laptop as a makeshift hot water bag. 'Power cuts, noisy neighbors, Zoom fatigue,' he writes. And in one particularly biting line, he shares his attempt to seek structure: 'Tried a co-working space, paid ₹9k to hear 10 strangers pitch to VCs.'It's a scene that's both absurd and painfully familiar—open plans that sound great in theory, but in practice, offer no escape from noise or distraction. Between tech jargon echoing off shared walls and an overload of start-up pitches, peace and productivity seem further away than ever.There's a poetic irony to the post's closing line: 'Tech life? More like slow Wi-Fi & existential dread.' In a city celebrated globally for its IT hubs and start-up energy, the emotional weight of working from home paints a far more subdued picture.Redditors were quick to weigh in, with a mix of humour, empathy, and practical advice. 'You're not alone,' wrote one commenter. 'WFH in Bangalore can feel soul-crushing, even when the internet works.' They added, 'Sometimes you have to shake up your routine, find new spaces, or just accept that tech life isn't as glamorous as it looks on Instagram—but you're not failing for feeling this way.'Another pointed out the futility of the café fantasy: 'Who works from cafes if they actually want to be productive?' A valid question in a city where even a latte comes with background noise, inconsistent power, and overcrowded outlets.Beyond the complaints of noise and power cuts, the post opens up a broader conversation on mental health in the tech industry—especially for remote work ers. Isolation, monotony, and lack of physical movement often spiral into something more troubling than just 'a bad day.'One user reminded readers that while WFH has its downsides, it still offers relief from Bengaluru's infamous traffic and office stress. 'Imagine tackling code and traffic daily for those who are obligated to work from the office,' they commented.Another tried offering a middle path—suggesting a better home setup with a UPS for power cuts, ergonomic furniture, and a dedicated workspace. 'Your posture will thank you in the long run,' they quipped, echoing a common refrain in ergonomic advice forums.Perhaps the most telling comment of all came from a user who wrote, 'Why are you in 'luru? Move near mountains or beaches.' It's a simple question that cuts to the core of a changing work philosophy. If remote work allows for flexibility, why stay where it hurts your peace?The Reddit thread, though framed in jest, reflects the mental strain of young professionals navigating a world where work and life have blurred irreversibly. For many, it's not the Wi-Fi that's unstable—it's their emotional bandwidth. And in a city built on code, maybe it's time to debug the bigger issue: burnout hiding behind broadband.