Taking Breaks | Imamother

HooRYou

Mon, Jan 02 2017, 2:48 pm

Hi Fellow WaHMs,

I have a WaH job that is repetitive but requires thinking / creativity. I feel like I need breaks while I work but I am not sure what and how often is within the range of ok. I know that working in an office actually makes people less productive since they spend so much time interacting with each other (from personal experience). I was told that the guideline I should keep when working at home is that it is ok to do whatever I would usually do in an office during my work hours, but I haven't found a parallel in time or the ability to clear my brain within these parameters. For example, I can go and get a cup of tea, but in an office it would probably take 10 minutes and involve some shmoozing with a colleague. At home it takes a minute and no one is here to talk to. I can check my personal email, but I feel like I can get lost in it and do it for too long. Does anyone get this? What do you do?

Thanks!

amother

Royalblue

Mon, Jan 02 2017, 7:26 pm

HooRYou wrote:

I'm WAHM. I take breaks after every x amount of files, but I limit them to 15 minutes. I use that time to put in a load of laundry, wash dishes, put up lunch. etc.

amother

Cobalt

Mon, Jan 02 2017, 8:10 pm

I usually work in the office, so when I work at home, I follow what I do at work like allow myself time in the bathroom and a few quiet moments sipping a coffee included in my work time.
If I'm passing by and just need to throw the clean laundry into the dryer for 30 seconds I'll include it, but if I do a real load or throw together a real dinner I deduct.

HooRYou

Tue, Jan 03 2017, 11:43 am

allthingsblue wrote:

I get paid by the hour, so I just track my time and if I take a break (bathroom, coffee, anything) I stop the timer and restart it when I resume working.

Why would you have to stop the timer to go to the bathroom. If you worked in an office you would be allowed to go to the bathroom on work time.

HooRYou

Tue, Jan 03 2017, 11:44 am

amother wrote:

I'm WAHM. I take breaks after every x amount of files, but I limit them to 15 minutes. I use that time to put in a load of laundry, wash dishes, put up lunch. etc.

Thanks for the helpful response. How did you come up with the X amount of files and up to 15 minute break?

allthingsblue

Tue, Jan 03 2017, 11:56 am

HooRYou wrote:

Why would you have to stop the timer to go to the bathroom. If you worked in an office you would be allowed to go to the bathroom on work time.

Because I don't work in an office. They are paying me to work, and because I work from home I sacrifice some of the "benefits" of working in an office such as downtime for bathroom breaks/coffee breaks for the comfort of working in bed/in my home office with no commute etc
If I worked in an office, they probably would pay me less per hour.
It's a trade off.