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Dec 2020
7:51am, 29 Dec 2020
21,757 posts
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EvilPixie
I think it's the guilt thing of not being at your desk 100% of the time
what if someone calls?? will people see me as slacking
I know there are others that are (and were when in the office) very lazy and I guess my head says if I am noticing them then people must notice me!
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Dec 2020
8:21am, 29 Dec 2020
440 posts
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Big_G
When I was working I worked from home from 2003-2015. Personally I loved it, but it helped massively if I had a good/trusting boss. Untrusting bosses or those who can’t help but micro manage were a PITA.
In my job (project manager in a software/IT firm), I was mainly working with people in India and the USA, plus people all over the UK so it didn’t matter where I worked. I just loved the flexibility and not having to commute.
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Dec 2020
8:23am, 29 Dec 2020
21,759 posts
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EvilPixie
I'm pretty sure the boss doesn't think I slack
It's me!
It's the fear that I am giving that perception and even after 40 weeks of it I still feel the same
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Dec 2020
8:28am, 29 Dec 2020
574 posts
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Hollyteddy
I've blown my tax allowance due to the need to get a new desk, and new equipment. I was fed up with working on a laptop at the kitchen table so have turned the second bedroom into an office.
I have no guilt about taking breaks for coffee, the loo or just going for a walk around.
I find I have days when I am ridiculously productive, usually when there is a report deadline, and days when I am not.
I'm looking forward to a more agile working environment in the future, two days in and two at home will do me fine.
And yes I do realise how fortunate I am that my job hasnt been affected
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Dec 2020
8:31am, 29 Dec 2020
21,760 posts
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EvilPixie
Snap Teddy - my job is just busier
Even in a pandemic people crave (more so) biscuits and snacks!
Given the company likes saving money it wouldn't surprise me if they said carry on WFH with the odd in office meeting
great for training more 
Not saving much in petrol now as pool is on way to office so now I am back swimming I am using the car again ... think that will stop very soon
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Dec 2020
8:45am, 29 Dec 2020
13,078 posts
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SarahWoo
I've been working from home since 19th March and although it took me a while to get used to it, I much prefer it now. I do miss the banter of the office and the spontaneous conversations that engender ideas and share knowledge though. I have a Teams catch up with my small team every day which usually includes general chat as well as work which I think is important.
My commute was an hour each way so I certainly don't miss that and have saved loads in fuel. I'm also able to exercise at lunchtimes through the winter which has made a huge difference to what is usually a difficult time of the year for me.
In the summer, when I was exercising in the evenings, I would make a point of taking breaks to hang the washing out, do some dead-heading in the garden, etc because in the early days, I found I was only getting out of my chair to go to the loo or make a drink.
I'm good at resisting the temptation to work extra hours and I'm sure that having my own office (we converted the box room) helps with that.
I'm hoping that when we do get to go back to the office, it will only be for 1 or 2 days a week.
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Dec 2020
9:12am, 29 Dec 2020
12,837 posts
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geordiegirl
Likewise I’ven been WFH since easter when we returned from Oz.
I started working from the sofa with my laptop and struggled to get in the zone bought a desk and rearranged my spare room, hubby was on the dining table.
We had regular breaks and lunch, while I was making tea I’d put washing on, hang it out at lunchtime, prepped tea.
Moving upstairs helped a lot I had space I had a desk and I got more in the zone and those bits stopped. Got to a point I was skipping lunch and just eating at my desk. Hubby went to the office and he’d message me to say have a break.
What I did come to conclusion of is if I’m in the office a great amount of time is spent taking about non work stuff. My colleague has a habit of going over her home frustrations which is time consuming and everything that annoys her on a call/email is covered over breaks I actually think I get very little done in the office - making a brew would take us (4/5 of us) a good 20min + talking (well largely listening 😂)
Early lockdown most I would manage to run & workout start at 8.30 work until 5.30 if lig circa 39-40hr week, still make our meal and meals for parents once a week, walk the dog, keep on top of housework and be in bed by 9-9.30. Lately it’s been ridiculous I barely manage to fit in work and a run but I guess it’s the dark nights. I changed my hours to a 4 day week so need to work 9.5hrs mon - thurs but I love the Friday even if all I achieve by 12 is a run, food shop and make lunch.
I’m making a plan for January that I have a full to do list but each day pick 3-4/day to work on if something comes in that needs prioritising then one will drop to next day. I’m not going to worry about being away from my desk as long as I get my work done that I’ve allocated. Running will continue to be pre work and I’m going to do some yoga every day too as I’m getting terrible pains in my neck/shoulders. For my own sanity I have to stick with it.
Hope you find a balance EP apparently were only effective for something like 20min at a time so every half hour I’m going to get up and do some stretches.
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Dec 2020
6:52am, 30 Dec 2020
654 posts
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CK2
I was fortunate that I’d moved to home working about 9 months before lockdown hit so it was less of a challenge for me. However before lockdown I was doing sales level mileage driving all around the country for meetings and to deliver training. Since doing everything from my laptop I’ve developed the following strategies to support my physical and mental health :
- get dressed for work! (Sounds obvious but I used to slob about in pyjamas while working for hours!)
- have a decent lunch break with my husband when possible. We tend to watch a program or go for a walk.
- get a comfortable office set up. For me that includes a sit-to-stand desk riser to enable me to alternate sitting and standing for my posture.
- set boundaries. I’m lucky to have an office and this is just for work. Although the cats wander in and out, I close the door for formal meetings and delivering training.
- looking away from the computer. I’m not as good as I should be at this one but early in lockdown I had a horrendous migraine over several days which the optician concluded was a combination of needing new glasses and staring at the screen too long.
- regular breaks. I try and do mini (3-4 mins) meditations a couple of times a day.
Sorry, that was a bit of an essay! I hope it was helpful.
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Dec 2020
11:29am, 30 Dec 2020
441 posts
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Big_G
I think for me having a separate room for the office was a must. When I first stared WFH I initially had stuff on the dining room table, and I found I wasn't able to easily switch off. The work laptop and paperwork in sight made it that I was always tempted to dip in and out and do more work. When I moved into a separate room, although quite small, I found that when I shut the door after I'd finished work I almost made a mental switch that I was "not at work". I also switched the phone and mobile off...some bosses, I found, presumed that because I was at home it meant I was always contactable, so I had to train certain bosses that wasn't the case
I was lucky that I could take long lunch breaks if it suited. I.E., I could start early (conference calls with India), take a long lunch, and tag an hour on at the end if I knew there was a meeting that day later than my usual finish time. So in that lunch break I could go to the supermarket, or go for a run, whatever. One project I worked on had a daily conference call at 9:30am, and that project tended to have to go on later in the days (because that project had a lot of dealing with the US, and their timezone), so I just went swimming a lot of mornings, went for a run at lunch, and then worked a bit later as required.
I had the best of intentions of getting "ready for work", but that lasted about 2 weeks and I didn't bother after that. But we never had video conferencing back then so I could just wear what I wanted. Often I'd get dressed into running stuff when I got out of bed, so I could just head out the door for a run when the time was right.
As I say, for me, the flexibility worked brilliantly.
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Dec 2020
11:53am, 30 Dec 2020
12,853 posts
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geordiegirl
I must be honest my work attire is gym kit I get up and run shower and put different kit on as I’ll be working out on an evening, if I’m not running exercising first thing then I just put my kit on so I’m ready to go. Not helped by my room being too cold for normal work attire - I never wear shoes in the house.
But I am intending to be more worky next year.
I bought a weekly to do planner each day has 3 lines perfect for my intention to tick 3 things off my list every day - some will need to go across multiple days but that’s fine.
I have been giving myself a bit of a talking too and ready to emerge brighter on the 1st (or thereabouts)
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