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Original poster

Working from home. Turns out I'm a bit shit at it.

70 replies

LemonRedwood · 10/05/2019 21:30

Started a new job a little while ago. I cover a large area and there's a also a big push in the organisation for "smart working" essentially enabling employees to work from anywhere (ie reduce unnecessary travel to reduce all the petrol claims).

Today was the first day I didn't actually need to be anywhere. Except 1 meeting this morning and my colleague lives quite near me so we had our meeting in a local coffee shop. So I then came home in order to "work from home".

Well, I turned on my computer. Then I cleaned the kitchen. Did 4 loads of washing. A Tesco shop. Put the bins out. Sent one email. Made one phone call.

I might be one of those people who just works better at work Blush

OP posts:
Chottie · 10/05/2019 21:32

@Lemon it sounds to me as if you are transitioning from office to home working. :) I think I would be a bit like you too.........

Original poster
LemonRedwood · 10/05/2019 21:34

I was a teacher. Still getting used to being able to go to the loo whenever I want!

OP posts:
nowifi · 10/05/2019 22:10

I love working from home as I can get all that stuff done which I couldn't do when I was stuck in the office all day. For some reason my house is still a mess but that's another story Grin

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KurriKawari · 10/05/2019 22:22

I've been doing it for a year. I find if I sit down first thing in the morning and write a to do list, tick them as I go along, I am more productive. Try to do longer without a break and then I can finish earlier. Because once I get up from the chair it's hard to get back into it. You have to be disciplined and write down everything you plan to do in your calendar as a task and then you'll be prompted to do it. I find I get so much more done working from home then tied to a desk in an office after a long commute.

Almahart · 10/05/2019 22:26

I can only work from home particularly effectively if either I have a big deadline OR if have lots of email/admin stuff to clear

Otherwise it’s often a bit disastrous

But when I do have writing to do it is far far better than being in the office

INeedNewShoes · 10/05/2019 22:27

I'm self employed and hopeless at focusing on work at home. It's destructive!

I'm lurking for any advice that might crop up.

crophopper · 10/05/2019 22:30

I became very good at 'working from home' while doing absolutely fuck all. It's an art form.

NoWordForFluffy · 10/05/2019 22:32

I love working at home; I get loads of work done, far more than I'd get done in the office. It's a bit dull working alone though, and I have to seriously repress the 'Ooh, let me just go and do...' thoughts!

DonnaDarko · 10/05/2019 22:33

I work remotely 100%, and I only do work related stuff during normal office hours. It also helps that I am the first point of contact for customers so I always have to be available on the phones!

thelastgoldeneagle · 10/05/2019 22:33

I’ve worked from home for 20 years. You do have to be focused! But one of the joys is that you can do a Tesco shop, put a wash on, etc, in your working day. But you do have to fit in work first!

Download a productivity app or a timer, so you can see how you spend your time. Break down your working day into chunks of an hour each. Focus on working for the first hour. See how you go.

Write a list of stuff you want to achieve in the day. Start with easy ones, and tick them off.

Think of the commuting time you save! I could never go back to working for someone else - or in an office - now!

But you do need to be really focused and not fanny about houseworking or Mumsnetting in the day...

RussellSprout · 10/05/2019 22:34

I work in 2 'bursts' where I am productive and efficient a morning burst, them a massive gap where I laze around/ do the laundry/ go to the post office then another burst towards the end of the day to return calls and clear my workload.

It's one of the many benefits of working from home.

redbedheadd · 10/05/2019 22:37

Work in sprints. I do 3/4 hours very concentrated (no tea breaks/loo etc) then stop for a break depending on how much I've done. I would usually go to a yoga class, walk and get a coffee or something. Then come back and do another intense burst.

That always worked for me, I usually got everything done by 3pm.

You do have to work smart and figure out when your most productive time is and don't break that concentration.

Usurper53245677 · 10/05/2019 22:38

Beware! A good few years ago I got sacked for gross misconduct when I completely failed to work from home (ADD, I was an utter disaster... No idea how I got away with it for so long) Blush

Now I have a similar job in an office and actually do it...

Tooglamtogiveadamn2 · 10/05/2019 22:38

Can I ask what you do? As a teacher myself I’m interested. X

redbedheadd · 10/05/2019 22:40

Sorry I should just say I have my own business as a freelancer so I can pick my hours. Understand not everyone can swan off to yoga classes if you are supposed to be at work. 😂

jellycatspyjamas · 10/05/2019 22:40

It’s your first try - the novelty of being able to stick a washing on and hoover will wear off in the face of a workload that needs to be done. Seriously I have days at home that are massively productive, where I barely move from my desk and have a tonne of stuff to show for my day. Sometimes I have days where I wear a path from the kettle to the loo to the washing machine - but they balance out over the piece and I do get through the work I need to, just like working in the office.

Witchofzog · 10/05/2019 22:41

Seriously guys. You are being paid to work. Yes by all means hang the washing out but doing fuck all as one of you put it is not cool. It's people like you who end up causing whole companies to crack down on home working for everyone, including those who do actually work.

It's not for everyone. I do it a couple of times a week. Anymore than that I would get lonely and unmotivated. But if you are someone who recognises that it isn't working and if the really good tips above don't help, then you really should not be working from home.

CheekyFuckersDontGetPastMe · 10/05/2019 22:42

I love working from home, I get loads more done than I do traveling and being in the office.

Key for me; I work as soon as I’m up, in my pjs at my dining room table. I love a to do list which includes my timed breaks where I can do what I want at home.

My DC are old enough to walk to school and come home without me which is a game changer in my opinion.

It does take a while to get in to, but, ive always worked on my own so I think that made it easier.

sonjadog · 10/05/2019 22:45

I work from home about half the time and it does have a very different rhythm to working in the office. I work in shorter and more intense bursts, with longer pauses in between where I do other stuff, like take the dog for a proper walk.

Northernsights · 10/05/2019 22:46

I mostly work from home (self- employed). I tend to set a timer for 60 minutes and make myself work without a break. I’ll then make a cup of tea/ pop to the loo and do a quick job like put the washing on or unload the dishwasher. Then repeat. As I’m self employed I don’t have to work full days. I find 5-6 hours is about as much as I can handle. But realistically that’s more than I achieved in an office all day anyway as it’s so focssed

Yabbers · 10/05/2019 22:53

I have days like this, but then I have days when I’m really productive, it depends on my workload.

Write a to do list and set deadlines. It really helps.

Stuckforthefourthtime · 10/05/2019 22:53

I became very good at 'working from home' while doing absolutely fuck all. It's an art form.

Except at some point people do work it out, and there's a crackdown and all the rest of us, who have our off days, but mostly work hard and massively appreciate the opportunity to skip the commute and see our families for a change, also lost the opportunity.

This isn't at you OP, you just sound like you're transitioning! Like a pp said, I find it works if I have a deadline to work to or writing to do, it's not a good place to be if you're a bit bored, or if the house is a mess.

Medicaltextbook · 10/05/2019 22:54

If you are just settling in and don’t have enough work yet I can much understand, but a manger/other colleague may see you if you are doing the family shop and had a trolley full.

If you had work I think you are really cheeky. You even actively went out of your workplace during the working day. (if you were at Tesco longer than you would have been if you were on say a lunch break from the office.)

Coldandfrosty · 10/05/2019 23:00

I have q candle I only bu3n when I'm working from home. Helps me a bit to focus.

NCforleg · 10/05/2019 23:04

I've been doing it for a year. I find if I sit down first thing in the morning and write a to do list, tick them as I go along, I am more productive

This ^ I have tick off to do lists. I also keep hours in my work calendar and I see them hours as working as I would in an office. It took me a while to get used to it as sometimes it almost feels like your not actually working.

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