To want to shout "I'm WORKING from home."

[DreamingofSummer]

I WORK from home. My office is in a converted garage.

This does not mean I am AT home and, therefore, available for random, "only take a few minutes" jobs like watering the plants, nipping down to the shops and taking grandkids to sports practice. I'm WORKING.

It's great not having to commute any more but I do miss being unavailable.

[Tish008]

Preach! I get this too, I just say no I'm at work!

I must say though, I feel incredibly lucky to work from home full time, it's an utter blessing!

[YahBasic]

I work from home for the most part & do fit in household tasks in my lunch break.

The most annoying thing was a neighbour redirecting their parcels to me because I was “always in”.

[Trooperslaneagain]

Does my nut in. WORKING is WORKING wherever you do it.

You're not on call. You ARE unavailable. I do potter about, put a wash on, do a 5 minute hoover etc but that's no different from talking shite at the water cooler/making tea in the kitchen in the office.

My DH calls it a day off. Again, does my NUT IN!

[newmomof1]

OMG YES! My other half tried the "well you've been home all day" line - yes I've been home and BUSY!

[forkfun]

I'm in a surprising number of Skype meetings, thus totally unavailable, even though I'm at home. If anyone would bother to add up all my imaginary meetings, they would realise I'm lying.

[JesusInTheCabbageVan]

Postman once delivered a random dog she'd found, expecting me to find the owner It didn't have a collar or anything - I was meant to knock on doors apparently.

[AmIRightOrAMeringue]

I get calls from the office if I wfh...are the kids there? No of course not they're at nursery because I'm working! Oh sorry to disturb you when you're at home! YOURE NOT DISTURBING ME IM WORKING!

[PumpkinPie2016]

I don't work from home but YANBU - you are still working, it doesn't matter that you don't physically 'go out' to work.

My husband does part time, freelance work and so there are days/times when he hasn't got anything on. The number of people who therefore think he is available to do any random task for them is quite unbelievable.

In actual fact, in those days, he is taking care of his mother/elderly uncle and until recently, an elderly aunt. All of whom live in their own homes and need support to do so which is partly why he chose to do freelance part time work!

[BreakfastAtSquiffanys]

You need to refer to wherever you work at home - be it the spare room, kitchen table, or desk under the stairs - as The Office.
"I can't pop down the shops, I'm in the office"
"I can't take your child to school, I'm just leaving for the office"

[DontDribbleOnTheCarpet]

I hear you! There is no cure except rudeness- you can politely explain all you want, but nothing gets through like "No I can't, whatever it is that you were about to ask me, because I'm BLOODY WORKING!"

You need to screen your calls and lock your office door, then be really ruthless about not even chatting for a minute if people turn up at your door. Practice asking people to phone back or call round after working hours and stubbornly refuse to deviate from the rules. Perhaps tell them how much it will cost you in lost income to do their chores for them.

I'm actually very envious of your office- I work from home and since my office was needed for an extra bedroom, I now have to work in the living room. It's fine most of the time, but today I've been faffing with VAT paperwork and projections and other official annoyances, while all four children were competing to outdo each other in whining, fighting and generally annoying me!

[MyDcAreMarvel]

Just try some CBD op you will be much calmer when people disturb you while you are working.

[NeverSayFreelance]

Oh god yes. I found this whilst I was studying. Yes I am at home but I am writing a dissertation. I am chained 9-5 to my laptop. No I can't just do random tasks or go help family members. I am WORKING.

[Chickydoo]

Totally get this Op

[buttertoasty]

Yes yes and yes again.

No I can't take you to appointments or accommodate you coming round for lunch, I am at home but WORKING

[HateIsNotGood]

Yep I hear you OP - so just because I might get up at 5 am and WORK in my PJs until I need to sort out the younger Hate and work some more, then take a break - and watch Judge Judy (sometimes) - then work and do everything else that needs doing, work some more, etc, etc, etc - and might even finally stop (around now).....

Just because I'm always at home - it doesn't mean I don't work, it's how I pay my mortgage fucking neighbours who comment that I'm always home. Glad to get that off my chest

[PookieDo]

I majorly failed at WFH today. I am usually good at it. I started off well at 8.30am but by 2pm the day was fucked and I ended up in bed with a migraine

I now feel I need to make all the time up on Saturday AM

[Pipandmum]

Don’t answer the door and screen your calls.

[Gottalovesummer]

I GET this

My friends are always saying "you must get so much done working from home"

Would love to see them getting "so much done" working 7.30am to 6pm looking after 9 children over the course of the day (breakfast club/school drop off/toddlers in the day time/school pick up and after school club plus cooking dinner for them)(I'm a child minder)

I'm fucking working. I get NOTHING done !

[ContactLight]

Kudos #Gottalovesummer I am in awe of childminders

[Giraffey1]

I get this too. I don’t answer the landline any more during the day when I’m working from home because I got fed up with taking calls for the H. And calls from the H, too, come to that. People just wouldn’t take the hint!

[rosesandcashmere]

I actually asked the mother of the kids who repeatedly screech outside my window (I can guess why they don't screech outside their own) to get them to play outside their own house because I was working - at 4pm. I wanted a window open. She looked very confused. I closed the windows and it didn't help. I may invest in a hose...

[Gottalovesummer]

contact ah thank you x

[groundanchochillipowder]

You need to be more direct and blunt, 'I can't do that, I am working' no beating about the bush or apologising. Screen calls, don't answer the door (or get Ring and tell them you're not in at the door).

[cryer]

I started telling people I had rented an office space. For some reason if I'm away at work my family leave me alone. If I'm at home they can't understand why I won't respond to texts and go out for lunch.

[namechangeninjaevervigilant]

I don’t get the problem here. If you are wfh set up a message on your voicemail. “X is currently unavailable, X will call you back outside of office hours ‘ and screen calls. Don’t answer the door. If someone in the house interrupts tell them you’ll do it when you’ve finished work. If you set boundaries people will stop asking.