Working from home, how do you stick to your schedule

amother

Mon, Nov 08 2021, 4:44 pm

I find it so hard to pull myself together and actually work and then there's a lot of stress with deadlines. By the time I arrive to the computer to work I find myself busy with hundreds of other things (like being on here Laugh

). Or I'm busy with the house and I need full concentration...

How are people doing it? In the office its easier because I'm less distracted but part of the time I need to work at home...

Anyone idea's?

amother

Forestgreen

Mon, Nov 08 2021, 4:58 pm

In the beginning of COVID I worked from home and at first it was such a mechaye to get up later and not have to drive to work and I had so much free time. But the free time ended up being a burden to me and caused so much anxiety. I'd gett so nervous about all the time I was wasting that I'd waste even more time.

There was also the fact that I knew it wasn't going to last but I didn't know for how long so I couldn't get too used to it.

(That's what ended up happening--theyd call me last minute and say we need you in person, and I never knew in advance where I'd be working. )

amother

Coffee

Mon, Nov 08 2021, 4:59 pm

This is what I’m dealing with every day too. Hope there’s some good advice here!

amother

IndianRed

Mon, Nov 08 2021, 5:00 pm

I have pressure to get my hours done before my kids get home from school. Otherwise I don’t get paid (and I risk my boss getting upset that work isn’t getting done of course). So yeah occasionally I’ll start a few minutes late because I just have to sweep the kitchen floor. But I try to keep to my agreed upon hours.

amother

Mon, Nov 08 2021, 5:18 pm

Well so imagine you're not exactly working according to hours, you just have to make sure the work is done and then give in the amount of hours you worked..
How do I push myself? I actually love what I do when I do it but it's so hard to actually get myself to work...

amother

Wine

Mon, Nov 08 2021, 5:34 pm

Put a lock on ima, Amazon, etc, basically all of the internet except what you need directly for work Smile

TwinsMommy

Wed, Nov 17 2021, 9:38 pm

I've worked more and fewer hours over the years but what works best for me is trusting my own body clock. I am NOT productive in the afternoons--- I'm just NOT. So I do house/kid/appt related stuff in the mornings, nap in the afternoons (yes, almost daily!), deal with kids/dinner in the late afternoons, and WORK in the evenings (sometimes into the night--- sometimes motzei Shabbos---- weird hours when my kids aren't awake, my phone isn't ringing, and my to do list for today other than income producing activity isn't calling my name--- works for me!)

Having said this, I only work part time. If I wanted to put in full time hours, I'd find a different plan. But my tafkid right now is 100% my kids (and another 20% my income producing activities....)

amother

Tanzanite

Wed, Nov 17 2021, 10:11 pm

I keep the same schedule I would keep in the office.
Wake up early, get the kids off, excersize, work, stop at 2 to put up supper, kids come home, do stuff with the kids, bedtime, organize the house, go for a walk, another hour or so of work, watch a movie, go to bed.

amother

Aqua

Thu, Nov 18 2021, 1:25 am

amother [ OP ] wrote:

Get a high-stress job where you have to meet strict deadlines, and a boss who insists you be first first first, and "why can't you just put out a packing push??"

LOL jk my boss truly is great, but he did instill fear of G-d into us when we first started years ago. Now he knows he can rely on us and there's a lot less pressure other than in my head, but I am used to doing my work when I should.

ora_43

Thu, Nov 18 2021, 1:43 am

A few things that have helped me (she says, while on imamother... LOL

... but seriously this does help):

- before/after work routines. Eg taking a short walk outside, that's your "commute" that resets your head. Once you get in the habit of taking the short walk (or whatever) and then starting work, it can become a habit that really helps you get in the right headspace. Similarly, a small habit that signals that work is over can be helpful in not dragging things out too long.

- written schedule. As in, plan your day in advance: 8-10, will work on X project, 10-10:30 break to clean the kitchen, 10:30-12:30 project Y...

Even if you don't stick strictly to the schedule, this can help you to feel the time limits. Otherwise at 8am it can feel like, no rush, I have the whole day ahead of me... When you see it written out, you see that that 8-10 window is going to be your only time to work on X project, so you do it.

It can also help to ignore the itch of unfinished housework, since you know that's on the schedule for later. IOW there's less pressure to take a few minutes out of work time to throw in one load of laundry, because laundry is on the schedule for an hour from now.

- be clear about what you need to do. Sometimes it's hard to start if it's just like "I need to work on project X," easier if you break it down - I need to email so-and-so and ask if he had any feedback on the last version, I need to reformat that one file, I need to redo illustrations 3.6 and 10.7... OK this is getting kinda my-job-specific, but you know what I mean.

- use apps. Focus-to-do is a nice one, it's a timer that helps with the Pomodoro technique, ie working for a set amount of time and then resting for a set amount of time. You can also block websites that distract you for set periods of time.

Oh, and as much as possible, try to have a work station that you use only for work. If you can't do that (and most people probably can't), it can also help to just move yourself. Pick up your laptop and go sit at the table instead of your desk, and sometimes just that can help refocus.

amother

Candycane

Thu, Nov 18 2021, 2:43 am

amother [ Tanzanite ] wrote:

Omg can I just say you have the most awesome schedule??? You manage to fit in so many healthy activities!!! Self care, exercise, a movie before bed! I'm so inspired to try this! (I work from home too.)

thunderstorm

Thu, Nov 18 2021, 4:09 am

I stick to a schedule . I log in at 9 am or a bit before. I work. Take a break about lunch time. Toss a load of laundry into the wash, go on my elliptical for 20 minutes. Go back to my desk . Work. Take a 10-15 minute break to pop supper into the oven or on the stove or whatever (it’s mostly prepared and just needs to be warmed up or have final touches done) . Go back to work until 4/4:30 when my first kid walks through the door. If I took a longer break than expected then I work again for a little in the evening .

mra01385

Thu, Nov 18 2021, 5:25 am

When do you make time to daven and eat breakfast and lunch? Also do you excercise before you eat?

thunderstorm

Thu, Nov 18 2021, 11:05 am

mra01385 wrote:

When do you make time to daven and eat breakfast and lunch? Also do you excercise before you eat?

I wake up early. About 6 am. I daven after getting dressed, before I need to get my kids out the door. I eat breakfast and lunch at my desk (I do that when I work in the office too). I eat lunch after I exercise.