SO, I only stay home all day twice a week, but I don’t leave until 10:45 the other three days. I began about three weeks ago so here are some little notes about the general thing.
- I am definitely most productive in the morning. Which I always have been but most days in the afternoon, I CAN get work done but I do not do as much.
- I love being able to multitask home jobs and work. I read an article that said not to do that when you work from home but I think the key is to balance. If I have a lot of work work, I will only focus on that. If it is less pressing, I will weave in other things.
- I enjoy being able to sit outside for a minute or have a beer with lunch. Though this plays into my #4:
- I sometimes get super sleepy right after lunch and need a nap.
- Sometimes I take a 20 minute nap and can get right back up but sometimes that 20 minutes turns into an hour.
- I can’t find the right spot for the upstairs thermostat. I don’t want to run air if I don’t have to but if it’s particularly warm, I’ll drop it a few degrees but not to our normal home temp.
- I enjoy listening to music and it isn’t like in my old office where it could bother someone else. This is really good for my overall mental health; music makes me happy.
- I am way more caught up on little things I always have on my mental to-do list. For example, I ordered mosquito control from the county.
- I think before, I may have thought that being home would mean I’d get less overwhelmed. Apparently this is not true. Which is realistic. The workload remains the same; just a different scenery.
- There’s a lot less stress, however, not having to work with 8 other people in an office. The only people I technically have to answer to is admin for each school but even then, so long as you do what you’re supposed to, they’re hands off.
- It’s only been three weeks but I can tell that I won’t have any issues “being social.” My husband was worried that my affinity for being alone and the new work routine would mean I wouldn’t see friends but I’ve already had lunch with a former co-worker, and we went out to the girls volleyball games with friends. I don’t avoid being social but I don’t mind being alone either.
- I agree with all the articles that say to get dressed even though you work at home. Mornings are no trouble for me because I like getting up early, showering, and getting dressed. It’s mid-afternoon where I want to throw on PJs and relax but then when I need to rally, I am less motivated.
- I am generally happier with the new set-up. Though my old job’s HR department has contacted me to give additional statements about my boss, I realize through that that I have really put it behind me and I so much calmer and happier.
Glad to hear working at home works for you. It takes a self-discipline that not everyone wants to do, I’ve come to understand. I worked at home for over 30 years as a freelance writer. I was my best boss and employee, even though I worked very long hours.