Anyone else working at home and going a bit mad?

[ElephantsAndMiasmas]

I have been working mainly at home for the past couple of months and I think it is making me go a little crazy. Too much time on my own + no-one to talk to about work, + feeling a bit "out" of things. Anyone else going through something similar? Thought it would be nice to know that other people are out there!

just me then?

No, not just you E&M!
There is no one stoping you working crazy hours and there is no one stoping you going loopy... I know.
What do you do then?

I'm a freelance researcher - so lots of internet (hence the MNing...) staring and trying to make sense of blocks of text on subjects I know nothing about!

What about you?& How long have you been working at home?

I am finding it VERY hard to get motivated at the moment working from home, I keep seeing huges piles of ironing, mess...toys etc i don't have a dedicated office space which I think doesn't help....Equally, I can't switch off.....I am constantly juggling being a mum/wife with answering my work phone (kids kicking off)....nightmare!

me too! me too! I was going to start a thread about this then I realised it was another way to put off working.

I can't seem to plan my work - I just do all-nighters when the deadline looms.

oh that sounds really interesting, what sort of subjects? What sort of people commission you?

I do design, hoping to create something I can show the world and sell...
Also helps DH with his biz; prototype, copywriting, marketing. All on computer so are ways to take myself out of it from time to time when I am no more getting anywhere; this, or housework...

(Sorry, had to stop for a moment, really windy today and door slammed on DD's hand as she was letting the dog in.)

Anyway, been doing this since January but for now have more or less given up on doing anything worthwhile for more than 3 minutes without interruption until the little blighters my children go back to skool.

Off to see some letterhead for DH. Am available on demand for him.

Know how you feel. Not a freelancer, but work 4 days a week from home normally. But due to various things haven't made it into the office in 3 weeks. Feeling a bit isolated and sad I have no-one to whine at when collegues are being annoying. DC are normally at nursery, so thankfully don't have that distraction. But today DH has taken them out for a treat. I want to go too!

Helloooo everyone!

kingfix - I know, the all-nighters instead of planning is ringing a real bell.

turkey - definitely feel isolated here too, it all feels a bit unreal when no-one else is around you working as well, like you're just doing it for fun...

cd - whatever I'm given really, I used to work in media so related to that mostly. Sounds more glamorous than it is - needless to say I am sitting at home in grubby trackies most of the time, with my slippers on.

I was thinking about whether it would work to team up with other people who find it hard to get motivated - kind of like that "fly" cleaning thing. Set a target and know someone's going to ask how it's going? What do you think?

Have been working from home for four years and am now counting down the days until the DC's go back to school so I can get my head down and do my work properly. I'm so busy but have to work during the night early mornings, while entertaining DC's. Should be working now, but procrastination is my middle name.

I've got quite used to my own company, but have found that when I'm around people I can't stop talking and feel the need to keep chatting.

Elephants - yes I agree a motivation help would be great but I think I need someone to actually stand over me at the computer at the moment.

I have 10 chapters to edit by the end of aug but my first target is just to get my head down until the children need picking up at 5.

75 minutes of concentration! Come on, I can do it!

Hello, can i join in? I'm an artist - i paint and sell it in galleries mostly although i do commissioned and editorial work too. I practically have to write off the holidays (except for evenings but i'm mostly knackered by then) due to the nature of my work - active DCs and painting / delicate stuff / even feeling inspired don't mix!

I do struggle sometimes with motivation even when they are at school as my studio is in the house so i can hear it when the washing machine clicks off But i am getting alot better at that now and trying to be more disciplined - but it is hard.

Go for it kingfix.
Get away from MN now and come back tonight to tell us how much you've done.
Shoo!

Hi Doodler! Of course, the whole point is to realise that we may be on our own with the teetering workload, but there are others! Out there! Somewhere... :)

I am going to get a contact list of 10 people together in the next half an hour...if I don't, please look sternly at me.

Um. Well that didn't go very well .
So now I have to sit here until it's finished.

Which is why I'm on MN, you understand. Just to get me in the mood.

Sometimes do you not find that when DC's are not around, the last thing you feel like doing is, in fact, work?

As if peace and quiet and order would be... wasted ?

Oh I so agree Catherine - in fact, yesterday when I was meant to be working, I went and laid on the bed for an hour and read my book in peace! I put it down as my lunch hour!

Can I ask you all a techie question - how do you store your emails? I use an external server (my web builders) but they have advised that I get an external email thingy to store as if the system crashed my emails wouldn't be saved. Is this the same as an external ahrd drive? Do I need both??

Oh goodness, add me to the juggling working at home/kids trying to get motivated! How stressful are the summer holidays? This is my first completed school year for the kids, so no handy nursery like last year to take them on my working days.

Have just dropped DD3 at childminder, DD1&2 went reluctantly to an activity day run at school and I have cajoled another mum into collecting them and keeping them for an extra hour while I work.

And what's the first thing I do when I run panting into the house? Go on mumsnet! Aggghh I have a horrendous deadline of finishing loads before 2.30 before a big telephone meeting on Thursday with my current difficult and very un-working-mum friendly client.

Arrrrrrgggghhhhh! And breathe.

Hope everyone else is getting lots done today! Please shout at me to do some work. I so agree with you all, I want to lie down quietly on the floor with a cup of tea and enjoy the peace not work!

Oi, hatty! Do some work!!!

I feel like a fraud as I don't have any DC to deal with yet, just loooads of work and a difficulty in getting it all done...and a real yearning for colleagues, a workplace that isn't my kitchen table, and a workday that actually comes to an end!

Hi everyone , we had a similar thread running last year about this - I work from home, freelance, and hate it. Hate working from my bedroom, surrounded by toys, ironing, juggling school run, childminder, housework etc, and not even any colleagues to moan at. However, the flexibility is good and I do slow things right down in the holidays which helps keep me sane (but then I start worrying about not having enough work coming in...)

BTW I'm an editor kingfix - what sort of stuff do you do?

star, when not arsing about on MN or hanging out the washing, I edit scientific reports, what about you?

I've worked from home for about 15 years and love it. For one thing it meant I could get a dog, so I have the best sort of company

But I do have a room dedicated as an office - though in the last couple of years DH also started mostly working from home so he uses it too, and DDs computer is in here too.

It probably helps that I write software and most of my communication always has been by email anyway.

Sometimes if I reach a mental block I quite deliberately go and do some gardening or cooking or walk the dog- often the problem miraculously resolves on returning to my desk so I don't feel guilty. If I was stuck in an office I'd be drinking coffee or wasting a colleagues time instead. SO, don't feel guilty about apparently doing non-work tasks, remember you're letting your subconcious free!

Since DD went to school I dropped to half-time - but because I don't have to waste time in meetings, getting dressed etc I apparently still get as much done as a lot of full timers.

So I don't feel guilty about taking off on a nice day and then doing a bit more either side (two 6 hour days with a day canoeing on coniston in between, whats not to like?)

The only thing that tends to throw me off course is periodic MN binges.

Hope this reassures some of you that it really CAN work well!

I mainly do fiction kingfix - developmental, children's, etc though I've also done a fair bit of academic and business stuff.

OUP are looking for academic/scientific freelancers if you need more clients.

Hi! I work for OUP! I struggle to get motivated too and struggle to juggle three children and work. I work on online publishing mainly but also do project managment for OUP.

I'm an editor too - cook books - and have been working from home since the twins were 6 weeks old (not being macho, I had to, due to dire financial circumstances!) They are now 17 months old. I have found it sooooooooo challenging to meet deadlines working from home with two very lively toddlers in the house. And I find work calls really hard. I always move away from the children's noise (I don't think the office person on the other end of the line needs to hear it), but that also means moving away from my computer.... actually, that's the least of the difficulties!