I quit my full time job (last day was a couple weeks ago) with the intention to freelance for a while working from home. Ultimately, I think I'll probably want to go FT again, but for the meantime, I just started working again from my dining room table, and I'd really love to hear your tips/tricks. How do you stay focused and feel like a human?
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Congratulations! That's exciting. I don't have the best work from home tips since I only do it one day a week. But I try to get childcare and always plan to work in shortish blocks of time. Its just more manageable that way. Good luck!!
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@LCTBQE: I work from home a lot - do you have any co-working spaces in your area? We have a couple (one corporate and one cooler, coffee shop style), and I love them for when I need to get out and just be around other people working.
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I only work from home one day a week - but I find it really helps me to get OUT of the house to really focus. I tend to go to the library - it's SO quiet and I can usually get a good amount done..... I think this has to do with the fact that I don't have a good setup at home. If I start to work from home more than 1 day i'll probably set up a desk for myself.
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I work part-time from home. I started off setting up camp at our dining room table, but ended up setting up a desk in our guest room so that I have a more designated space and can shut the door and leave work behind when I'm not working. My biggest problem is that I let it spill over into time that I'm not "really" working to try to fit in one more "little" thing that turns out to not be so little once I get into it. Having a totally separate space for when I'm working has made a big difference for me to divide my time.
I've also had good luck going to to our local library when I've needed a change of scenery. But for the most part, I work very early mornings before my kids are up and once my husband is home in the late afternoons, so sometimes I feel like I lose too much time trying to get somewhere else to work and it's easier to just stay home.
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I also work from home just one day a week, but getting dressed in real clothes helps me feel like a productive member of society. Also, video calls 🤦♀️
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I only work from home as needed, but I found that I always felt awful when I did, and I realized that I have TERRIBLE posture with a laptop just sitting on a desk or table. My office's ergo department hooked me up with a laptop stand that brings the screen to eye level when I'm sitting up straight and it makes a HUGE difference. There's a ton of options out there at different price points, but I think it could be worth it to look into if you'll be on a laptop for long periods of time.
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@agold: Thanks, I was so done with my old job
Baby is in daycare and my older one from our August '16 due date board is in preschool until 3pm, so for now I'm just planning to tell everyone that I'm offline from 3-6pm (then will pick back up and work at night as needed). So I'm not trying to work while watching kids, that would truly be impossible. By short-ish blocks do you mean like 2 hours?@Madison43: right I remembered you telling me ages ago that you can do a few days a week at home. That would be my dream, to have a full time thing where I was part in the city and part out here in NJ. There is a co-working space nearby, but I'm a designer/illustrator, and I usually need my setup with my scanner and supplies and stuff. But if I'm doing admin (often) I'll try it! That's where I tend to get really distracted and want to fold laundry instead, anyway. When you are home, do your girls know not to bother you?
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@caitcat: ah, yeah now I remember a friend telling me the separate space was crucial. The dining room table is soooo nice to spread out on, but sounds way better to have a dividing line. I'm kind of ADD and I love chores (seriously, eye roll) so my concern is more like taking breaks when I should be working to do laundry/unload dishwasher than letting work trickle into home life.
@JennyPenny: this is so smart!! I think if I commit to really freelancing for a while I'll get a legit setup with a good monitor and will look into this, thanks for the thought.
@BoyMama: lol, what do you mean by "real"? rn wearing my maternity leggings (13 months pp) and a grey sweatshirt hoodie, no bra and no makeup. Granted, the clothes are clean. Do you mean like jeans-level? -
@LCTBQE: it’s actually harder now at almost 4 and 6 than it was when they were small. Our nanny has always done a wonderful job keto if them occupied but but 4 yo is home from school at 1 and my 6 yo at 3 pm and basically all hell breaks loose. They are tired, hungry and loud. Even if they aren’t in my office, it’s often too loud to take professional calls. I actually just rented a local office space and will spilt my time between there and the city. Something to thing about if freelancing becomes a long term thing - offices are pretty reasonably priced out here and there are lots of people wanting to sublet.
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@LCTBQE: I’m weird and like getting dressed (jeans, sweater/button-up) every day. Helps me feel like myself and is something I can control (unlike my 3-month-old’s naps, for example).
But if that’s not your jam and the clothes are clean, I say carry on
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@LCTBQE: I dream about working from home so I can get chores done during the day time! I think it's doable, I'd probably just make sure I block out time for any calls/virtual meetings/hard deadlines, and then plan chores around it. I think throwing stuff in/out of laundry is a no brainer, but I'd probably schedule maybe 2 breaks to do bigger chores like vacuum/mop or clean a bathroom. I def would not be able to work once the kids are home, even if I have another space. It would just be too chaotic.
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I WFH two days a week. I only work on my laptop, no need to spread out. DH has a decent setup at a desk but I like to work with my feet up, so I just setup on the recliner.
I block out my calendar with events for what I'm supposed to be working on and I get reminders 10 min before I need to switch gears to work on that. Plus my manager can see what I'm working on and no one can book meetings when I want to be focused.
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@LCTBQE: So it sounds like you will have a good amount of time for work. I'd plan to work from like 9-2 when you have the house quiet. And then if you aren't really that busy, take breaks as time allows. I'd rather work 9-2 straight and then truly be done for the day and leave the evenings off the table if you can. I saw this as someone who routinely brings work home and works during the evenings.
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We have a friend who gets dressed up as if he was going to the office and just works from home. I would be in my pjs
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DH has worked full time from home for the last 6 years. He has a work space set up downstairs and works 9-6 or sometimes later. I love that he has no commute! I have worked part time from home for several years and only recently took on more work. My only issue is I have tried to work without much childcare, just during naps etc but now that my workload has increased that isn’t working. But it sounds like that won’t be an issue!
Baby is in daycare and my older one from our August '16 due date board is in preschool until 3pm, so for now I'm just planning to tell everyone that I'm offline from 3-6pm (then will pick back up and work at night as needed). So I'm not trying to work while watching kids, that would truly be impossible. By short-ish blocks do you mean like 2 hours?Reply
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