| Back working from home again. How to cope... 16:05 - Sep 17 with 2510 views | bluewein |
We were informed this morning that one our colleagues has tested positive for covid. Chances are she's been carrying since last Wednesday, but the symptoms didn't show up until Sunday night. Many people (myself included) have been in contact with her in the days leading up to the weekend, so our boss decided everyone who can work from home should leave immediately.
This is the second time I'll be working from home this year. The first time was from the beginning of lockdown in mid March, up until the beginning of July. This was a bit of a struggle for me as I'm also type 1 diabetic and spent those 3 months shielding, meaning I did very little outside of work as well. It was also the first time I'd ever worked from home in my near 20 years working life. I found working on my own with no interaction a real problem and if I'm being honest, affected my work performance massively. I've also found that I get bored easily and when I'm bored I'll snack way too much, something which showed up badly in my last diabetic blood test.
I guess this is a long ass way of asking how you guys who work from home all the time manage. Any help or tips would be appreciated as I'm more than a little worried (maybe overreacting) that this will be a lot more challenging than last time...
|  |
| |  |
| Back working from home again. How to cope... on 16:09 - Sep 17 with 2469 views | TractorWood |
Get out in nature at every available opportunity.
Really helps take your mind off of the workload and limited covid risk. |  |
| |
| Back working from home again. How to cope... on 16:11 - Sep 17 with 2460 views | clive_baker |
Batch cooking could help avoid snacking. Prepare proper lunch portions in the fridge / freezer and stick to having those, as to avoid being lazy and eating crap. Also, if you don't buy it in, you can't have it. So consider what you're adding into your trolley.
Motivating yourself from home can be tough. Try and have a separate work space if you can, away from the TV etc. Having a clear divide between work and home is important for me, even if it's at home.
Exercise. Appreciate you might be shielding so everyone is different. but get out and do your steps. Even a walk or 2, break the day up and get some fresh air.
If anything it might be easier than last time as you have the experience now and can learn from your previous mistakes. |  |
| |
| Back working from home again. How to cope... on 16:20 - Sep 17 with 2434 views | ElephantintheRoom |
My niece is a type 1 diabetic in her early thirties.
She spent just over 3 weeks in intensive care during the first wave. I hope that provides you with some motivation.
In spring a hobby, cycling etc was a viable option - and still is while the weather lasts. Got a garden? Feeding the birds or the local hedgehog can break the monotony.
Easy for me to talk as I've packed up working and moved countries... BUT as I patiently wait to move into my new abode I am snacking, drinking loads, put on weight and going out at least once a day into covid-rich environments... just to escape from my self-imposed lockdown.
You are right to be worried - the great unwashed have no inkling of what might be coming this autumn and winter - and probably no longer care as the vast majority see themselves as not likely targets, which is understandable as its true.
Dominic Cummings can't be blamed for the second wave happening across Europe, nor for the onset of autumn and winter - but he will be mentioned in desptatches when it starts going pear-shaped again, simply because he made any future government edicts unbelievable and unenforceable.. |  |
| |
| Back working from home again. How to cope... on 16:33 - Sep 17 with 2391 views | Rozz |
Sorry to hear that mate - fingers crossed you managed to dodge it and staying from home for 2 weeks is the extent of your woes.
I find working from home difficult for lots of the reasons you've mentioned too - I'm just not stimulated enough by what is directly in front of me. We need distractions and conversations and engagement to keep us sane while going about the banality of lining someone elses' pocket for 8.5 hours a day. Things that have helped:
On days where I work from home, I try to leave the house for a walk or cycle around the same time I'd leave for my commute. Keep the routine, get some fresh air into the lungs, and when you arrive home you're not still in bedhead mode. Some of my mates put their shirt and trousers on as the formalities help them.
I've become a serial list maker and if you've got a clear set of goals that day, and can see them being checked off, you do get a little boost. It's reassuring to know I can read TWTD for a couple of hours at lunch as long as I get my day's tasks done in any order at any time*.
*provided you can set boundaries(!!!)
Remove your distractions from your bookmarks bar. Incredible how habitual it becomes, and how much less you engage with things if you put them just 2 or 3 clicks further away.
Pick up the phone. Nobody stops to chat over emails. You'll finish the work conversation in half the time of typing it out, and can apply the rest to chatting the kind of absolute guff we didn't realise was actually keeping us all sane. |  | | |
| Back working from home again. How to cope... on 16:33 - Sep 17 with 2388 views | You_Bloo_Right |
| Back working from home again. How to cope... on 16:11 - Sep 17 by clive_baker |
Batch cooking could help avoid snacking. Prepare proper lunch portions in the fridge / freezer and stick to having those, as to avoid being lazy and eating crap. Also, if you don't buy it in, you can't have it. So consider what you're adding into your trolley.
Motivating yourself from home can be tough. Try and have a separate work space if you can, away from the TV etc. Having a clear divide between work and home is important for me, even if it's at home.
Exercise. Appreciate you might be shielding so everyone is different. but get out and do your steps. Even a walk or 2, break the day up and get some fresh air.
If anything it might be easier than last time as you have the experience now and can learn from your previous mistakes. |
All very sound advice IMO.
Break up the day, separate work space, get outside - spot on.
If it helps I try to maintain my morning routine as normal (but with a later start as not having to commute) and replacing that commute with even a short walk round the block (now I don't get suited and booted but at least it forces me to change out of my pajamas and into more readily acceptable day wear). Another walk after work for that "commute" home. Just that simple break helps me with the "leave it at the office" approach which for me is essential. |  |
| |
| Back working from home again. How to cope... on 16:48 - Sep 17 with 2343 views | davblue |
Going out for a run or any form of exercise is a must if you can for mental and physical health it's very important, i've found when i haven't done much exercise, i get quite mentally stale and going out and getting some fresh air and a sweat on has helped massively.
I've been doing a 300 mile cycle ride in September for Cancer research so, i've been out before work for a 20 mile ride or a lunch time ride of 16 - 18 miles so i've been occupied.
Maybe try and look for a an exercise challenge that gives you a reason, it might not work for you but well worth considering. |  | | |
| Back working from home again. How to cope... on 17:04 - Sep 17 with 2293 views | Illinoisblue |
Regular walking schedule; before work and at lunchtime helps me focus. Other stuff which helps apply if working in the office; checking email last thing at night and making a to-do list for the next day. The feeling of checking things off can’t be understated. |  |
| |
| Back working from home again. How to cope... on 17:23 - Sep 17 with 2254 views | Mullet |
| Back working from home again. How to cope... on 17:04 - Sep 17 by Illinoisblue |
Regular walking schedule; before work and at lunchtime helps me focus. Other stuff which helps apply if working in the office; checking email last thing at night and making a to-do list for the next day. The feeling of checking things off can’t be understated. |
That misread like you were at confession at first glance..... |  |
| |
Login to get fewer ads
| Back working from home again. How to cope... on 17:57 - Sep 17 with 2196 views | nickbarraclough |
I've previously worked from home in different roles and have the following advice (obviously not knowing your exact situation or home set up).
The first role I was working from home in was 3 years of sole remote working. I never met any of my colleagues and had to run both the Engineering team in India, and the Sales and Client facing team in New York. This was incredibly tough due to the loneliness - I was also never able to switch off, in part due to the time difference, but also due to my lack of office/dedicated office space. I was generally working in my spare room, and my work laptop was the same as my personal laptop, so even in the evenings, I'd see emails coming in, and reply because I might as well have done. I left this job due to the factors above, and wanted to work in an actual office with real people (not just faces on skype).
My next (and current role) was office based, and although it meant 5 hours on a train every day (I live in Leicestershire, and the office was in south London) I was much happier. I had a work place, real colleagues, and a clearly defined work like balance. This was the case for 2 years. Then lockdown happened, and I was scared due to my previous experience. However, I am now happier working form home due to a number of factors (and this is where my advice will come from)
1. I had 2 years of working with real colleagues and building relationships with them
2. I had a work laptop and my own personal laptop, and kept them very separate (no work emails on my personal laptop etc)
3. I have my own office space in my house - clearly defined working areas vs home areas.
4. I have realised how much more productive I am when I don't have 5 hours commute time every day.
So the short answer to a very long story is my advice on how to make the most of working from home:
1. Have a clear and defined work space - only work goes on in that space, and work doesn't happen anywhere else. Again, I don't know your home setup, but even defining a certain area within a room is incredibly useful.
2. Get some noise cancelling headphones. Even in my home office, I sometimes find myself needing to tune out to anything around me, and these work wonders.
3. Dress like you would for work. I had a relatively relaxed dress code in the office, but it was still at minimum jeans and a polo shirt. It sets you up for the day, and means you can get changed into lounge wear when you finish; further separating work and home.
4. Fake your commute. I started out by going for a walk around the block to mimic a commute. 8am every day I'd leave through my front door, and come back in through my side gate. Every evening, I'd leave through my side gate and come in through my front door. This helped an absurd amount.
5. Make a packed lunch. I always have a packed lunch as it mimics work. I eat it in my garden to spend some time away from my laptop, and it again is similar to how I would eat lunch at work - we often went and ate in a local park.
The general gist is to make sure you are imitating an office/work environment as much as possible, and have a clearly defined work/home split.
I hope that helps - when lockdown and COVID is over, I'll certainly be travelling for work less than I used to, and have been far more productive than I thought I would be, even after the initial fear of going back to my old role. Sorry for the essay! | | | |
| Back working from home again. How to cope... on 18:11 - Sep 17 with 2170 views | giant_stow |
Don't come here too often - that way lies financial ruin!
Cycling helped during lockdown, personally. |  |
| |
| Back working from home again. How to cope... on 18:17 - Sep 17 with 2157 views | mrshallisfit |
Allocate at least three half-hour sessions a day for fevered w#nking. | | | |
| Back working from home again. How to cope... on 18:23 - Sep 17 with 2142 views | Keno |
| Back working from home again. How to cope... on 18:17 - Sep 17 by mrshallisfit |
Allocate at least three half-hour sessions a day for fevered w#nking. |
You mean he has to cut down? |  |
| |
| Back working from home again. How to cope... on 18:53 - Sep 17 with 2094 views | Dubtractor |
Listen to home produced radio shows as a distraction.......
Nah, as per the first post, take in the outside world when you can. Go for a walk before you start work in the morning, or at lunch. Go for a bike ride occasionally.
Take a proper lunch break if you can, step away from the screen, its too easy to just plough through otherwise. |  |
| |
| Back working from home again. How to cope... on 19:03 - Sep 17 with 2081 views | CBBlue |
I'm assuming you're having to self isolate for the first 2 weeks if you were in contact with her so bang goes the idea of going for a run/walk/cycle. Maybe swap that for a morning potter in the garden, water the plants, do some pruning etc for your exercise and fresh air.
Personally when I worked from home I found making sure I was dressed for work and at my desk normal time helped with the routine and get into the right mindset. For motivation I set myself little 'rewards' nothing exciting just a cup of tea or 15mins internet browse once I'd finished a specific task. Agree with checking emails and doing a to-do list at the end of the working day and then turn off the work computer.
As well as the working from home thing the covid thing must be a bit worrying too, hope you stay safe and well. | |
| |
| Back working from home again. How to cope... on 19:49 - Sep 17 with 2021 views | bluefunk |
I’ve worked from home for 17 years. My tips would be set yourself working hours, get up and eat according to those, so breakfast before you start, take a proper break at lunchtime to eat something healthy and finish at the set hour..
Try to work in a specific area, if you can, then don’t stay in that area for longer than, say, an hour, at which point you get up and stretch/walk about a bit, if only for a minute or two
If you have calls to make, then try and make those standing up, rather than hunched over your computer. If there’s someone else in the house, involve theM in your routine to support you. If not then maybe once a week go to a local cafe for an hour, more if you can work there, just so you have some company.
Oh and dress for work when you get up, don’t work in your pajamas (or equivalent!!)
I’m sure there more, but those are the basics that worked for me |  | | |
| Back working from home again. How to cope... on 20:30 - Sep 17 with 1952 views | Ely_Blue |
For the last couple of years I’ve spent around 2/3 days of the week travelling and the other 2/3 days working from home for work, that balance was great, however lockdown also brought constant WFH for me, after a couple of months it got tough, however with support from colleagues, virtual coffee breaks and for me the game changer of getting up in the morning and taking a 30 minute “walk to work” and the same again after work it helped me no end |  |
| |
| Back working from home again. How to cope... on 22:17 - Sep 17 with 1856 views | Mookamoo |
I've worked from home now for 20 years and I think I've finally got the hang of it. It takes time.
One tip I do have is 'commute' to work. Get dressed, eat breakfast and leave the house for a minimum of 30 mins. Either walk or cycle to work. Come back, sit down and get on with it. Once your day is done, commute back again. You need the headspace to transition. |  | | |
| Back working from home again. How to cope... on 22:21 - Sep 17 with 1848 views | Swansea_Blue |
Zoom/Teams.
Check in regularly with colleagues. You don't even have to arrange it; just agree that if you're showing as available on the app it's ok to call and have a natter/whinge/whatever.
I've been WFH throughout and will be until January at the earliest (and probably much longer the way it's likely to go). I'm getting more interaction now from Zoom than I did being stuck in my own office. [Post edited 17 Sep 2020 22:22]
|  |
| |
| Back working from home again. How to cope... on 23:03 - Sep 17 with 1799 views | Ely_Blue |
| Back working from home again. How to cope... on 22:17 - Sep 17 by Mookamoo |
I've worked from home now for 20 years and I think I've finally got the hang of it. It takes time.
One tip I do have is 'commute' to work. Get dressed, eat breakfast and leave the house for a minimum of 30 mins. Either walk or cycle to work. Come back, sit down and get on with it. Once your day is done, commute back again. You need the headspace to transition. |
I discovered this after 2 months, best thing I ever did was take a walk before and after work, me and the Mrs even joke about it now when I walk back in the house it’s either “did you have a good day” or “how was your evening” | |
| |
| Back working from home again. How to cope... on 08:21 - Sep 18 with 1695 views | bluewein |
Just a quick one to say cheers for all the input. I'll respond in depth a bit later with results from the advice given (sure you're all waiting with baited breath) but for now I guess I'd better get on with some bloody work... | |
| |
| |
By continuing to use the site, you agree to our use of cookies and to abide by our Terms and Conditions.
