ph0to courtesy of Erica Marshall of Muddyboots.orgAnd just when you think I couldn't talk about this any further:Still more to say.
Why do I have more to say? It's because there are so many people working at home, I'm always hearing about their issues, just in casual conversation.
Top 3 conversations:
- I feel like my spouse is on the computer all the time. I don't know if he/she is working, hanging out, or playing. If I interrupt at the "wrong" moment, I'm in trouble. On the other hand, do I always have to prioritize my needs every moment of the day before talking to him/her? It never ends. Any time of day or night!!!
- What's going on with the actual "space" I'm working in? It's becoming a dumping ground! Should I move to a more private area and try to keep it together?
- I walk by the computer and keep getting pulled in. I know I'm not taking enough breaks. I thought that by working at home I would actually get more breaks. I think that I work until I crash and then the breaks are too long.
If we were ALL completely wireless, it would be so much easier to keep trying new places around the house to work. When you want to move your workspace or try something new, it can look like wrestling with snakes.
You may not have enough space to be really choosy about where you work but when all else fails, leave the house. I mean go to a cafe down the street if you can to just get that time to focus on occasion. Come home, see the empty place were your laptop lives and think about what you want to do with all that junk that surrounds it.
Someone just told me that because the technology of your LCD computer screen is different than the old kind, it wears on your eyes more. Even if it didn't, how may of us sit down before even the first cuppa and find ourselves transfixed. Let me tell you, my cats have become my conscience on this one. They look at me, like "What, you're kidding! When ARE you going to get up??"
The first point about relationships and working at home needs more input still. Please comment and I'm going to put it further out in the cyber community to see how folks are making it work.
Later, folks. My cats are about to take over this blog...and me.
I can relate. I work from home, run a business and am a wife and mom. I have recently begun taking my computer out of my home for a change of scenery. I take it to coffee shops, the lounge at my club, and the library. Then when I get home I'm not so likely to get on the computer.
ReplyDeleteSaw your tweet on twitter asking for comments.
On point number one: In my relationship, we share similar interests and activities. We're both online for work a lot, and we've both worked from home. We did go through a period of time when I sounded a little like the voice in the comment above early on. Our solution? We traded roles for a day.
ReplyDeleteWhen we both want to focus online, we head to the coffee shop and stick the headphones on. When we need to say something, we IM each other across the table so we don't interrupt one another in the middle of a thought process. May sound silly, but that little gesture goes a long way toward respecting creative and space.
I like your reflections on working at home. I was self-employed for a while and thought it was great to work at home but found that too many distractions and my inability to separate my home life and work life were too much for me. Even now, I sometimes have the option to telecommute and usually I'd rather be at my work office where I can focus better and then go home to relax. Thanks for starting this discussion - it is important to realize how we can become more effective in our work and this is one point to consider.
ReplyDeleteBoth my husband and I use the internet for our work. He does more drivng around and face to face then me...so I think sometimes he doesn't see that I am taking breaks from computer use, to care for pets, kids, phone calls, and random household duties. I love being home. However, sometimes I feel like it would be easier to work out of an office than at home.
ReplyDelete