How long does it take you to actually start work?

[Fashionesta]

I wfh full time. My working day is 9-4. I got back home at 9am after dropping DD. It is now 9.30ish and I am actually about to start work. I have done the following

Made coffee
Set up the second screen
Had issues logging on to my second laptop and had to email IT
Find a pen
Tweet something relevant to work
Had to shut everything down to restart second laptop
Start a thread on mumsnet

Surely I am not the only one who seems to faff for a good 30 minutes before I even get going. I find it very frustrating and half of it always seem to be IT issues.

Two secs, open laptop, go.

Sometimes... 😁 Other times, cup of tea, chat to colleagues, faff around, procrastinate. Most of the time as I said above though.

As soon as I sit down at the desk and am logged into the radio and our CAD system.
I takeover from the shift before so as soon as B section person gets up out of their seat I sit down in it. I'm a dispatcher for the police so we handover the workstation.

2 mins, open laptop, let it boot up, login and I'm ready to go.

OK so I am basically slow. I also had to wander off to get a mouse to plug in to laptop.

I think not having a dedicated office with everything plugged in and ready like I would at work makes it take longer. I tend to move between a desk in my room and the dining table hence unplugging and replugging stuff!

I'm like you OP, but then my job rarely give me enough to do.

This is obviously wfh. In the office I am not sure I would be much quicker by the time I had said hi to colleagues, wandered to kitchen to make a brew etc etc.

Surely if you actually need the second screen or laptop and there is an issue which you are sorting with IT then you have started work. The tweet is work related if required for your job.

The MN thread isn't

Can you set up or put all equipment together where you plan to work the night before?

You’ve procrastinated a ton there.

Which is fine, and we all have days like that, but if it’s all the time - you might want to rein it in so you get more stuff done.

That said, I’m self employed so if I procrastinate too much I end up having to work evenings or weekends, so I’ve got pretty good at keeping a handle on it!

I tend to work in the living room for ease but I make sure it’s set up before I’m due to start work; with everything i need, and I make my first drink at 8:50 ready to start.

I have to sit down and get started straight away. If I get off to a productive start, it generally continues all day. However, if I let myself browse the internet and faff around for the first 30 minutes you can bet I won’t be able to find any motivation for the rest of the day.

I’ve only recently become aware of this about myself in my 30s

Currently;

• Get and start laptop
• Hook up second screen
• Plug in mouse
• Log in to work VPN

Takes me less than 5 minutes.

I set everything up this morning early but did not anticipate the IT problem which as PP has said, is technically work albeit frustrating. However, I often find it is 9.30 before I actually start work, even when I feel I am being efficient.

I'm like you OP and takes me a while to get going. More so now as I'm WFH at the moment and don't often get started until about 9am (usually start at 8.30)...also 37 weeks pregnant and this is my last week before going off on mat leave so EVERYTHING is distracting me just now!
If I have a video call meeting or virtual appointment at 9am, I will be up and ready to go on time just so I'm sorted for that session, but I need to have something to really get me going - to-do lists usually help!
@DentalWorries - I'll need to take a leaf out of your book...internet browsing is like falling down the proverbial rabbit hole for me!

@Fashionesta

I set everything up this morning early but did not anticipate the IT problem which as PP has said, is technically work albeit frustrating. However, I often find it is 9.30 before I actually start work, even when I feel I am being efficient.

IT problems are very frustrating and, in my opinion, still count as work. If you had IT problems and weren't trying to get them fixed, I'd count that more as skiving off work! I try to fill time while IT problems are getting fixed by doing work that doesn't involve IT work like making my to-do list, tidying my work space, writing notes (I have a mix of electronic and physical notes etc) and such so I feel a bit more productive.

Talking of skiving when there were tube strikes I'd always have a lie-in then e-mail my team to complain about being held up by the delays.

I start at 9.15 but I'm at my desk setting everything up at 8.30 - I like to be ready and not stressed. The phone starts ringing and once it starts it never stops so I like a bit of time to myself first

That all sounds fine as long as you are getting all your work done, are available to answer the phone from 9am and don’t log off at 4pm on the dot every day.

I have mainly admin type work and team meetings (Just had one infact). My phone never rings. I have the kind of job that also allows me to flex my time eg errands in the day as long as I answer emails from my phone and then catch up evening if I need to do larger tasks.

I love working early mornings though as am at my best. Ideally I would get up at 7, do an hour or so of work getting things ready and catching up on emails, then literally launch myself into work at dot on 9!

10am is a standard start time in my main job (professional orchestra).

I normally get there at 9/9:15 to be ready by 10am.

Stretch
Tune (big) instrument - if I haven’t needed to move it from the other side of the building, which would take an extra 15 mins.
Warm up
Finish learning whatever we’re rehearsing that day because I procrastinated the previous days
Prep everything for my section leader when they’re not there early
Make sure music is on stand - pick up from library if not/ask whoever is in charge
Sometimes I’ll have time to eat some breakfast and catch up with some colleagues

Twice a year my section leader will prepare everything for me instead so I can get there 10 mins before the start

Repeat same process minus stretching in the evenings + getting changed, hair and make up, and a bit of mental prep to focus before a performance.

@DentalWorries that’s such a good point about the start of the day setting the tone

My employer makes it very clear that we should be ready to start work when the shift begins, so if I'm starting at 10 and WFH, then I start booting up the laptop and plugging in second screen, keyboard etc a good 15 minutes before, and make a brew etc. I actually think I take longer to get started in the office because I like to chat!

I like to start at 8, although I have no official start time and I work from home. I have people needing my assistance in different time zones and I am generally online between 8 and 8 but only work about 8 hours (it is all very flexible and nobody really checks up on me)
I now always get up, dressed and looking presentable for online calls, come down the stairs and switch the coffee on, open the curtains, let the cats out and power on my laptop. Make the coffee and I am ready to start (5 minutes).
I do then sit and read my emails/messages (personal and work) whilst drinking the first cup.
I usually start doing 'proper' work at 8.30 and don't schedule any meetings before 9.15 so the later starters are ready.
I am fortunate to have a home office so no set up etc required. During lockdown (when we had 4 adults all at home) I was working in the bedroom or dining room and that was much worse for distractions and like the OP setting up.

Depends on the job surely?
I have to be ready bang on 8am- patients book early and quite rightly expect to be seen on time
I’m normally setting up 15-20 mins beforehand

I’m paid from 8am. I’m always in work by 7.35 and hit the ground running. It’s unusual for me to have the chance to take my coat off before dealing with the first couple of issues of the day.

I'm a terrible procrastinator and also not a morning person so absolutely ages. But then come about 5pm I'm cracking on and end up working late. I probably get my work done in about 4 hours then spend at least 3 and a half faffing tbh. If people are honest I think a lot of others do the same, isn't that what the research behind shorter working weeks has shown? That loads of people essentially do the same amount of work in 30 hours (or less) as they do in 37plus.

I appreciate that other jobs are different - e.g. pp as a police dispatcher avibg worked in that field I fully understand you don't have the option to faff. Same with more outdoor/manual work, or teaching etc. But when you're office based (or wfh) no matter how busy I am I never seem to be able to actively "work" the 8hrs straight without distraction.