Time management at work

[HappyChappy56]

I have just returned to work part time after a career break with the kiddos.

I work from home and have chosen to work part time to fit in housework, errands etc.

I was just wondering how much of the following activities would be deemed reasonable to do in working time. It all seemed clearer when I was working full time, but it's been a while since I have had to manage my time, certainly with so many other things to juggle.

Things I feel are a grey area but maybe IABU:

Meditation
Reading personal development books
Reading books on my industry
Offloading to a friend/journal
Planning the day/week/month (which involves thinking around my personal time / upcoming hols etc)
Calls with a mentor
Brief bouts of exercise

To me, these are not 'work' in the sense of being sat at my desk and producing output, but help me work better. Should I be reducing my hours to fit them in or doing them in work time?

Things I think are more clearly personal time activities, but maybe other people would weave them into a work day without giving themselves wrinkles over it:

Laundry
Making lunch (already prepped, just needs cooking)
Popping to the post office
Putting grocery delivery away
Asking Mumsnet for time management tips
Longer bouts of exercise

I am trying to ascertain if I am stressing too much about whether I have signed up for the right number of hours. Should I be:
a. Thinking far less about it and just getting on with things
b. Reducing my hours
c. Getting some help for time management

What are your productive 'at the desk' hours vs your 'I am letting my brain assimilate' hours?

Thanks MNers!

Meditation No
Reading personal development books No
Reading books on my industry No
Offloading to a friend/journal No - unless you're having some sort of crisis, in which case perhaps you shouldn't be at work anyway
Planning the day/week/month (which involves thinking around my personal time / upcoming hols etc) Yes - though only regards your work
Calls with a mentor Yes, assuming its a work based mentor
Brief bouts of exercise Yes, if it's going up/downstairs to the loo, or a short walk in your lunch hour, otherwise no

How many of these things would you actually do if you were in the office?

WTAF, this is obviously why employers are limiting wfh these days as people have become clueless.

Calls with a mentor
This is the only thing I’d entertain with staff provided it was a work endorsed mentoring partnership, usually as part of an agreed development plan.

Thanks all that's helpful.

By meditation I did only mean short sort of close your eyes and breathe and recentre.

By laundry I did only mean hanging clothes out that I've usually set to wash overnight.

The feedback on the rest is really helpful.

The one feedback I find surprising is chatting to/offloading with friends....when I worked in the office people spent hours over the week talking to friends about other colleagues/personal lives/football/weekend plans/school catchments etc...it presumably made working easier to have a bit of time communicating with others. Please could you help me understand why it's different if you're doing this when WFH?

The thing with these sort of questions is it depends entirely on your job, your employer, and how competent you are at your job generally. So really only you can know whether these things are acceptable during your working hours or not.

I've worked at places that have guided meditation sessions during work hours - so some places would support you doing that. Others would think you were taking the piss.
Some jobs and companies just expect you to get your job done and don't focus too much on the exact number of hours you're at your desk - with those you would probably be fine with most of the things you've listed IF you were competent at your job.
Some jobs rely on you staying up to date with the industry etc and would expect you to factor in CPD team as part of your working week. Others don't.

To those asking whether I would do things when actually in the office - some yes, some no, depending on how practical it was seen to be and how socially acceptable it was. BUT I would say my time when my brain needed a break was spent scrolling BBC news or Facebook, whereas I don't do that at all anymore. I am not sure whether other people are able to immerse themselves for much longer (I can concentrate for 2-3 hour bursts and then need a cerebral break) or whether I am in the wrong job/lack stamina.

To answer your question about chatting/offloading to friends - I'd say when you're wfh you're less likely to be doing that whilst also working. Whereas in an office you can chat over the desk while still doing stuff. That being said, I think there are people in offices who take the piss with that too - 5 mins when you first come in fine - after that, save it for lunch time...

In terms of conversation in the office, a brief good morning and a moan about the trains completely fine.

But a much longer conversation about the weekend etc would only happen during lunch break.

I do think over the last decade the intensity and expectations of outputs at work are much higher, and there simply isn't time for chit chat.

And doomscrolling bbc is not work and would only expect that to happen during a lunchbreak.

The current expectation of work is to be on it when you are working.

If you need to take regular breaks. That's completely fine. But that's not working time.

Output is not the same as hours worked- if you have time to do these things and still get your work done, I don't see the issue.

Nobody works for 8 hours straight every day, it's not realistic and it's not even an efficient or productive way to work. Shorter 2/3 hour bursts with breaks in between (to go for a walk, or have a chat, or hang your washing) seems reasonable to me.

I think everyone forgets what offices were like pre Covid- nobody was sitting at their desk for 8 straight hours without doing anything else.

The one feedback I find surprising is chatting to/offloading with friends....when I worked in the office people spent hours over the week talking to friends about other colleagues/personal lives/football/weekend plans/school catchments etc...it presumably made working easier to have a bit of time communicating with others. Please could you help me understand why it's different if you're doing this when WFH?

I think this stuff that you do in the office is replaced by the popping a wash on, putting the shop away type stuff you do at home if that makes any sense.

All of this blows my mind as I work in hospitality. I absolutely DO only work when at work, usually for much longer than 8 hours. I have to, as constantly got customers in front of me (VERY busy restaurant attached to large attraction/amusement park with lots of tourists etc). But, I have to say, it's the type of work that I don't generally have to think too hard about. Physically demanding, can be fast paced and urgent and stressful, but doesn't involve staring at screens. But most certainly doesn't allow for any of the things on the list - except probably the exercise!

2 kids here and work full time from home. I take kids to school and start at 930 break 3 til 4 for pick up and finish at 530. Before adhd meds I did all housework early before school and then played on phone and worked. Now I'm on adhd meds I do work stuff and feel better for it. Housework after work as you don't clean your house at work and you end up stressed

Meditation - own time
Reading personal development books - own time
Reading books on my industry - own time, unless its specific research for a project you're currently working on
Offloading to a friend/journal - quick chat/catch up with colleague - work time. Chatting to non work friends or writing a journal - own time
Planning the day/week/month (which involves thinking around my personal time / upcoming hols etc) -Planning work tasks - work time, planning personal tasks - own time
Calls with a mentor - assuming this is specifically work related and agreed by work- work time
Brief bouts of exercise - own time

When I worked in an NHS arms length body, we had a daily Power Hour (on top of a 30 mins lunch break) which was specifically for things like meditation, exercise, a walk, reflection a snooze. It was great, I’m in the Civil Service now and have mentioned it but it’s not getting much interest 😜

I think you may have been out of the workplace too long. None of these things qualify as work, except maybe speaking to your mentor.

I think this is the thing. There was a lot of faff in the office where I worked. But our work is VERY intense and I think very few people were able to concentrate for 8 hours apart from lunch.

This thread is a very good example of why so many offices want people back in the office…

No, OP. Nearly everything you have suggested is unreasonable.

Yeh that makes a lot of sense thanks!

Yeh when I was in that kind of industry I was on the go all the time! But rarely got brain fog, was more just physically tired. My current job is very brain intensive and a lot of the time I am hanging washing / eating lunch / even sleeping I am still thinking about the work and how to work it out 🙈

What is really interesting to me is in the office so much time was lost on stuff that wasn't work.

Yep. And why those of us that do really do a full days work when we’re remote are getting penalised due to others taking the p

I'd say the only things from your list which are work are the below:

Reading personal development books (if about work skills)
Reading books on my industry
Planning the day/week/month (work only - not personal time)
Calls with a mentor

Getting up and stretching, posting a letter, etc are all fine, as you'd do that in the office, but the others, I'd say, are a no.

I'd say a break of 5 minutes per hour is reasonable if you're still meeting your outputs, and I've got personal development objectives that could include your reading you mention. All of this is on the basis that your urgent work is being done.

Chatting to work colleagues in moderation when you wfh is fine - it’s part of being a team and is quite important.

So if wfh then having those conversations via teams - either messages or speaking - is fine.

when you said “friends” it came across as non work friends.

It's an interesting question. I find I'm
more productive at home as I don't have anyone to talk to! Lots of time wasted in the office chatting so I don't feel too guilty putting a wash on. Also it's important to make myself move.