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!

I always time phone meetings to coincide with favourite CBeebies programmes. Luckily my boss has three children herself so is very understanding.

I used to do a bit of proofreading and once my son scribbled over the top page of the proofs. Yikes.

I've only been working from home since June but I love it, to be honest. I've kept my DD (2.3) in fulltime childcare so I get loads done between 8.30am and 5.30pm. But I admit I am incredibly well disciplined. I get more done now than when I worked in an office. I hated office politics and I love peace and quiet - this is probably why it works well for me.

I stick to a normal office routine - work from 8.30 to around 11 and break for tea and a potter in the garden or unload the washing machine or internet. Then back to work before a break for lunch - a full hour. Then work until mid afternoon break when I put some cooking on (eg stew for dinenr) then work again.

5.30 to 7pm is my time with DD. After she's in bed I try not to work but to read, watch TV, finish preparing dinner, surf, garden if weather is good. My husband works long city lawyer hours so I perhaps have just an hour if that with him at night. Weekends are always work-free - socialising with family, going out etc.

Funnily enough I don't mind the quiet and not being able to talk to other adults (I'm a writer).

If I was sociable or not very disciplined then working at home would NOT work for me.

Hello! Can I join in? I've been working from home for 6 years now (I can't quite believe that) although I've also worked out of the home for about 18m in that time. I work on a freelance contract for an arts development/support organisation - started just a few hours a week and for the last 3 years it's been 3 full days.

I regularly go mad! I stick to office hours mostly, and always meet my (regular) deadlines so I must be doing something right. I've found it a lot easier now that one of my children is at school, a chat at the school gate sets me up nicely for the day, social-interaction-wise.

My biggest issue just now is dh. He works out of the home 3 days per week (I do most of my work in the other 2, and rack up the remaining day any way I can). However now he is also working from home on his days off and I have to share my tiny little office space with him, there are also childcare issues which I might post about elsewhere. I liked having my own space, listening to podcasts and radio and it's not the same with him in it. Boo.

Ooh me too. Except I'm not officially working from home, I'm officially a SAHM. So my working from home consists of a bit at lunch time (DD2 sleeps, DD1 plays by herself), except that's mostly taken up with MNing and washing up / tidying, and a little in the evenings, except that's mostly taken up with chatting to DH, eating and watching tv.

So I'm quite new to working at home and not very good at it, as you can see!

Me too! I've been working at home for 7 years, and am now starting to wonder whether I need to get an out of the house type job again!

Rabbit&Co - what are you unofficially doing?
Bramshott - I recently thought that, took one look and fled back into the safety of my wee office again, slamming the door.

(OK not really. I always keep an eye out, but it's not looking good out there...)

I can see this thread has great procrastination potential.

I'm unofficially promoting / marketing / selling my husband's art (specifically, the stuff he does for children).

We're actually going to set up a Proper Company soon and DD1 is off to school on Thurs... so I may be doing it a bit more officially soon!

Oh good luck! (to your dd1 and you)

One child back at school, but DD2 is on half-days for the next month so I can't see me getting a lot done with all the to-ing and fro-ing. Got a little bit of work on but I need to up it if I'm going to cover the childcare costs for DC3.

Has anybody got any interesting projects on? How much time do you spend on generating work as opposing to doing paid stuff? Must admit, I'm dreaming about returning to work full-time but I think I would miss the DCs too much, especially DC3, he's not two yet and is sooo sweet at the moment.

I totally agree with the being lonely and working from home. I have been doing it since June and have applied for another job, in an office, because I am sooooo bored. I need some work pals and someone to chat with during the course of the day...

What sort of thing do you write Linda? I'm an editor but do a bit of writing but taht's the thing for which I really never find the time/space/quiet - A Room of One's Own and all that!

Freelance - mainly for an agency (first time authors, academic) but some other clients eg, children's publisher etc. Mainly copy-editing, a bit of journalism/writing. I'm always humming and ahhing over whether to go inhouse or not. Grass is greener and all that...

lindalinda - I'm exactly the same. I never feel very efficient, but somehow I do get the work done. I feel I should be working solidly but instead I jump around and browse all the time and do most of the work in flurries. Podcasts help, or radio but it has to be a decent length (40mins +) and a topic that interests me. I spend more time looking for these than I should...I recently listened to a whole series on organising your home office, hah.

Maybe working from home is just like this - without colleagues you need to keep it varied. Particularly creative work I would have thought? Although mine isn't.

I have capitulated and dug out my sheepskin slippers and fingerless gloves. I'm holding off on the poncho, hot water bottle and mugs of hot water for now.

ps I am very envious of all you writers/copy-editors. That was my dream, back in the day!

can I join in?! I do freelance marketing and copy writing and need to get motivated! I need to finish a big project by end Sept and am finding it hard to get started after the summer break with the kids... must try harder! I too get distracted by mess/internet etc my secret weapon is to get down to the library with my laptop - no distractions (no wi fi so not even internet!) so i am forced to get on with it! I can feel a trip there tomorrow morning coming on...

Gosh, I have a deadline tomorrow, another on Thursday and another on Friday adn another next week so really must start some work... Copy-editing is very mundane, nothing to be jealous of!

I like mundane. Seriously considered indexing too at one point, got quite into thesaurus-building.

Good luck with the deadlines. I am wrestling with a new website, thanks to a content management system that won't talk to my Mac, despite assurances that it would work on all platforms grr...

I'm a writer too (novels, but can't reveal my real name!). I'm lucky enough to be incredibly disciplined and work quite solidly but the best advice I would give - the best thing that has worked for me - is: as soon as my DH takes my DD off to daycare at 8.30am I fire up the laptop, sit down and do not open up my internet browser. The phone is also switched off and my mobile is on silent. The first thing that needs to be opened on my laptop is the current draft of my novel. After 30 mins I give myself permission to check email etc but often do not as by then I am too engrossed in my work.

BUMS IN SEAT AND WRITE is my motto!

I think I need some of your discipline Orissiah...That's it, no more MN til tomorrow...

I love working from home - just realised I've been doing this for six years too - time has gone so quickly. The DSs are used to my being attached to the laptop and they know when I have a 'phone meeting' that they have to be quiet unless disaster has struck. I'm really boring though I've only really worked mainly for one publisher, with a dabble with another publisher. I haven't had to find work either much. I've never looked back.

Bums in seat - my bum is in and out of this seat so much during the day with three school / nuresry runs a day and everything else.

lindalinda your situation sounds lovely - I could cope with landline phones to be near the sea. I keep trying to persuade DH we could move to the seaside and he could become freelance too :)