I’ve been staring at my work laptop for 3 days now

[UseHerName]

I’m working from home, I sit down for 8 hours a day, But I’m not doing anything. I don’t have small children but we’re all working at home together.

I’ll sign into meetings, I’ll respond to some emails but I’m paralysed and I don’t even know where to begin with the big stuff

I’m not normally like this

Is anyone else the same? Is it lockdown? Should I talk to my manager? I’m worried they’ll just think I can’t be arsed or something

@sodalite it's so interesting once you realise it! And you can adapt a bit, I'm trying to talk to people more on the phone wfh as I know it'll give me a boost... maybe you can keep wfh some days in the future

Me too. My normally fun and challenging job has been replaced with tedious teams calls and ridiculous emails from people who now have far too much time on their hands. Luckily for me both my boss and the company as a whole understand this and are making allowances for staff.

I have done this for quite a while now... can't see it ending as I am going on maternity leave in March. I feel quite bad and then can't motivate myself to actually do anything. It's awful really.

I've been like that this week but it's because I have a big thing to do that's really hard and I'm doing it slowly and I have no confidence in my ability to do it. So my mind wanders. I am hoping I will kick up several gears as the deadline approaches.

I should put my phone in another room, I have an apple watch so I get alerts on that for anything urgent.

I'm struggling with this too. I have a reasonable senior role and a lot of very complex projects on the go and I feel paralysed in a way I didn't used to.

Re. the suggestion of doing things in small chunks - take a look at the Pomodoro method.

As someone with similar tendencies:

1. small concrete chunks
2. accountability
3. connect more.

I make a list every Monday morning of my key specific objectives for the week and send it to my manager. That really helps me do 1 and 2. If you're anything like me, you can drift if you don't have a deadline but you'll never miss a deadline. So knowing I've committed to my manager that I will get XYZ tangible shit done this week gets my arse in gear. I review it on a Wednesday and each week I note how I did the week before and send that to my manager too. Ask for her help in holding you accountable. Tell her to hold your toes to the fire if you don't get it done. I find that the feeling of getting even a small thing done builds on itself and makes me more productive. I make a daily list for myself and I don't let myself stop until it's done. The key is to make the things small. If I'm daunted by e.g. writing something or Mali g a full plan, I just put on my list to add the first 5 things to it, or come up with a really rough draft.

The other thing I do is actively go and talk to people. IM my friends that I can vent or just chat to. Arrange meetings with people I know I should catch up with and ask for their ideas/input/suggestions. This builds my network, makes my work better and helps me stay motivated all in one.

Hope that helps.

I’m also struggling with a total lack of motivation and a very small attention span.
I just think the novelty has worn off - when we first working from home last March, it was new and I really enjoyed setting up my little space, putting at least a nice blouse on for zooms etc.
I think I just miss the ‘buzz’ of getting ready for work, getting on the tube (never thought I’d say that!) and going into an office and seeing my friends - and little things, like wine time on a Friday in the office.
Now all the days/time just roll into one.

Is work not aware that your productivity is so poor atm?

@Iheartmysmart

Me too. My normally fun and challenging job has been replaced with tedious teams calls and ridiculous emails from people who now have far too much time on their hands. Luckily for me both my boss and the company as a whole understand this and are making allowances for staff.

I hate hate Zoom team calls, meetings, catch ups (where you don't do work catch ups but to check in how you're doing).

F right off to the latter. I don't care!!!

Yes, I'm the same. I do basically nothing at work now. I'm just treading water every day doing the bare minimum, occasionally jiggling my mouse so my computer shows me as active. My bosses don't notice because I do the jobs I need to do. I was very bored in my job when it was office based but now I'm completely over it.

I'm not even enjoying having all this free time. It's energy sapping.

It's like doing a PhD as you have to work on your own and self motivate. Key is to have lots of to do lists, use tech to block sites (Mumsnet!) And try to do 15 mins a day on the big tasks because chances are when you've done 15 mins you may continue and if you don't then at least you've done 15 mins.

I know this feeling.

Do you have a desk or workspace? If not, try and set at least a set area aside, where you do nothing else. I think it helps associate sitting there with work.

If you already do, can you move it? I need to do this I think, especially at the moment with the sun vs placement, plus rainy days mean I feel like I'm in shadow most of the day. Plus staring at the same wall all day get old quick. Even if you can move round your screens and desk ornaments can help a little.

Deadlines, also help me. I can make a task fill the time I have for it, so I've been trying to take extra work and commit to relatively tight deadlines. Then I have no choice but have to work on it.

Something I've seen is commuting to work. Where you go through the motions of getting ready, go for a quick (or long) walk and arrive at work home

Also, get dressed. I tend to wear a passable top, and leggings. But I think on some level, I associate the loungewear clothes with lounging and being lazy, whereas putting on 'proper' clothes can help me feel like I have work to do.

Try not to work outside your hours. It's really hard when the line is blurred like this, but I think you can easily end up working evenings and weekends, but because you're busy but becuse you weren't really productive in the day.

I think this is anxiety. I have this when I literally don't know where to start and it overwhelms me. Make a to do list and work through it.

I have a desk, an office and a phd funny you mention it because it’s exactly that phd feeling!

I’ve spoken to my manager and feel marginally better just from the human contact

Sudden breakthrough this morning... who knows what the difference is 🤷‍♀️ Maybe just connecting with people yesterday

I was doing this in lock down 1 and I am the manager.
I was already part time and I've since chopped my hours right back to 6/8 a week. Retiring early as soon as able.
When this is over I want to live a lot.

@UseHerName

Sudden breakthrough this morning... who knows what the difference is 🤷‍♀️ Maybe just connecting with people yesterday

I've found it really helpful to remember that human beings have natural cycles of productive/downtime. Some days I'm mega productive. Some days I'm drifting or burnt out. As long as I get back to productive at some point, that's fine and to be expected. You aren't a machine that churns out steadily, no human is.

I'm really struggling with motivation at the moment and a lot of people I have spoken to feel the same.

I have a huge deadline next week and it is relating to work I enjoy but I just can't do it. I'm getting so frustrated with myself.

I'm really struggling with motivation at the moment and a lot of people I have spoken to feel the same.

I have a huge deadline next week and it is relating to work I enjoy but I just can't do it. I'm getting so frustrated with myself.

I'm feeling the same this week op. Really struggling to do anything beyond the bare minimum and I feel guilty about it. Think it's the January blues/ lockdown fatigue. Heard a lot of people say the same.

Yes...doing bare minimum too. Gather up some energy now and again and just do as much as possible in a set time limit eg 1 hour. Some days are better than others, so I try and take advantage of those to get as much as possible done to make up for the other days.