https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/working-from-home Style Advice for Fashion Lovers en-US Thu, 23 Apr 2026 16:52:21 +0000 http://bbpress.org/?v=1.0.2 q https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/search.php https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/working-from-home#post-573054 Tue, 20 Mar 2012 21:27:41 +0000 krishnidoux 573054@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>No, I don't have a house cleaner. But on the cooking front: yes it does take time! I admit to more simple plans on weekdays. Steamed veggies, some kind of plain carb, a simply cooked meat. My DS and DH don't complain (so far). </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/working-from-home#post-572805 Tue, 20 Mar 2012 17:19:54 +0000 velvetychocolate 572805@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Thanks so much everyone - it's good to know there are others who have been there, done that and are doing it well, and that there are still others who are in the process of working out the kinks. </p> <p>After posting about this and reading the replies, I am encouraged and I'm feeling better about making this work. I think for the most part, it's a matter of how *I* handle the situation - it will be up to me to create those boundaries and carve out the space I need to get this work done. More structure is needed, so I will build some! </p> <p>Janet - I was intrigued by what you said about renting a studio/workspace. I'm certainly not at that point yet, but I am liking the idea already. In the meantime, I'll push non-work stuff into it's proper place - after working hours. </p> <p>Last weekend was weird - I didn't get enough done during the week, so ended up working most of the weekend, while my husband did all the cooking and kept the kitchen cleaned up. </p> <p>Speaking of which, I might have to lower my standards a bit on that front. The cooking I mean. I make a lot of home-cooked meals, day in and day out. If I have time this weekend, I think I'm going to go to Whole Foods and investigate what kind of takeout options they have. Come up with some simpler, faster weeknight meals too. If that means canned soup, then so be it. I probably spend about two hours a day cooking! This week's meals are all planned so I'll finish it out, (don't really have a choice since specific items have been thawed, shopped for, and so on) but next week will be different. </p> <p>How many of you have a house cleaner come in once a week or every other week? I don't, but almost everyone I know does. </p> <p>Thanks again everyone...still feeling a tiny bit overwhelmed, but will get caught up and re-arrange things so that it's not so daunting. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/working-from-home#post-572780 Tue, 20 Mar 2012 17:02:26 +0000 celia 572780@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>I came back to read everyone's answers.<br /> I am so relieved that I'm not the only one who screens calls. I was thinking that I was more anti social than the norm but I am glad I found some other people who agree that while we work we want to be concentrated 100% on it. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/working-from-home#post-572690 Tue, 20 Mar 2012 15:23:58 +0000 harmonica 572690@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>I support cinnamon fern. making a list and sticking to it is efficient and makes me feel good about what I've accomlished. And I usually get waaaay more done by following a list. Otherwise I start doing several tasks and end up not finishing any of them. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/working-from-home#post-572684 Tue, 20 Mar 2012 15:22:05 +0000 rachylou 572684@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>I never dress like I'm going into the office to work from home. To me, that would be weird and too stiff. I let all personal or blocked numbers go to voicemail, then decide how quickly to respond. This, btw, is a 24x7 policy for me. My friends, family and neighbors all have CPT (California Pagan Time) BAD. For example, if any one of them says they're gonna be somewhere at a certain time, there's a three-day window of when they might actually show up. </p> <p>Anyways, I keep committed hours as to when I'm available to clients and colleagues - 8:30 to 5. I don't necessarily work those hours though - I might run errands in the middle of the day and work in the evening. Although, the dog doesn't let me stray too much this way. She keeps a strict schedule.</p> <p>Ohmigosh, when I first got her I was starting this cooking program. First week of school, I got up early so I wouldn't be late - not having things totally worked out, like travel time. Well, the week after, that dog was still up every day at 5 a.m. and swatting me on the head to make sure I didn't oversleep! Argh! LOL </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/working-from-home#post-572634 Tue, 20 Mar 2012 14:42:01 +0000 cinnamon fern 572634@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>VC - it sounds like you are going from being a SAHM to someone who works from home, is that right? I don't think it's sustainable to do everything you were doing before, plus your new job. Working till nine every night sounds miserable. You need to free up some time.</p> <p>One possibility is for the rest of your family to do more. Another is to just decide that some things don't need doing. (You don't need to answer the phone, and at least for me just not answering is much faster and easier than trying to explain to my mother that I don't have time to chat at the moment.) And a third is to use the money that's coming in to buy some time - hire someone to clean the house and do the yardwork, get groceries online, eat take-out, etc.</p> <p>The most helpful working at home advice I ever got was to make a prioritized list of what you're going to accomplish each day, first thing in the morning. This helps keeps you accountable but also means that you know when you've finished work for the day and can feel good about what you got done.</p> <p>I apologize if you were venting more than looking for practical solutions - it really resonated with me when MaryK said something about really being a guy and immediately going for solutions rather than sympathy. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/working-from-home#post-572544 Tue, 20 Mar 2012 13:24:09 +0000 celia 572544@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>VC I 'm having the same doubts as you. I just starting working from home and am trying to deal with all this issue.Althought most of them also aply to be home with your child.<br /> One of the things that bothered me most is that people(family mainly) assume that just because I am home with my dd I am eager awaiting for their phone call and spend an hour chatting with them. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/working-from-home#post-572522 Tue, 20 Mar 2012 12:41:28 +0000 Laurinda 572522@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Thanks for asking this question -- I'm enjoying reading everyone's responses!</p> <p>When I made the transition to working at home I found a 'job coach' very useful, esp. for dealing with issues of valuing my time at work vs. societal expectations. Some people also find meeting with a supportive group of people in similar situations helpful (kind of like YLF :-). </p> <p>And though it is starting to get dated, I can recommend Daniel H. Pink's book "Free Agent Nation" from your local library -- see esp. the chapter "The New Time Clock" on the blurring or "workweek" and "weekend". </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/working-from-home#post-572517 Tue, 20 Mar 2012 12:29:37 +0000 Janet 572517@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Oh, I sympathize! I have been self employed since 2000, and the first few years were especially tough. I defaulted to a uniform of boring tees and jeans, *if* I bothered to get out of sweats or PJs at all! My mom didn't seem to understand that just because I was home, it didn't mean I wasn't working. And I was easily distracted by all the stuff that needed to be done around the house (or whatever was on HGTV). On top of all that, my husband worked from home some of the time too, and we shared a little office in a 800sf house. I had a very hard time getting things done. </p> <p>And then I encountered a strange feeling it took me a while to actually identify -- I got lonely. I generally treasure my alone time and am my most productive in a quiet environment, so it took me a while to realize that I missed the community I had in my workplaces, regardless of how dysfunctional all of them were. </p> <p>There are definitely challenges to working from home. I've changed careers since I started (graphic design to fine art photography), and I started renting a studio outside of home two years ago, which helped a lot! But I think the establishment of routines and rules can only help when it comes to staying productive and sane. </p> <p>Good luck! </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/working-from-home#post-572495 Tue, 20 Mar 2012 11:59:54 +0000 krishnidoux 572495@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Lots of good advice here! </p> <p>1. - No. I allot days for house chores, and when I work from home I don't do anything, just as if I had been gone. It takes practice and acceptance. My DS and DH don't have the same cleanliness standards as me, but I cannot be a slave of my obsessions. Work is work, home is home. </p> <p>2. - Yes. Getting dressed for the day, ready to hop outside at any time to meet someone or do work-related errands makes more sense. And I don't even lift a fork house cleaning wise, so I am not afraid of "soiling" my clothes. </p> <p>3. - Yes, of course. My work in invisible and even I struggle with it. Especially since money at the end is not a guarantee. People ask me, "And you, are you working yet"? And I am! But they mean, have you found a steady office job. Most of the time the chat is too superficial for me to take the time to explain, so I let it go and do feel somewhat humiliated. I just hope in the new economy people will stop saying inconsiderate things like that. </p> <p>4. - Yes. DH!!!! Not to chat, but to ask things of me as his second personal assistant or secretary! I hate it!!! Compile these bills, phone these doctors, sort out this insurance mess, call X company... But what can I do, he's the one doing the long hours outside and earning our dough. I feel I can't refuse. Although I really resent it as I already do 90 % of the house chores too, and regularly drive him to and from work (long for me as double way). I have tried disconnecting the phone which doesn't work since I am expecting calls for my own work. I have tried giving away only my cell phone but DH will always call my cell right after he called home. If I refuse, or don't pick up, he gets angry an says that he does everything around here, that I do nothing. It is very very discouraging. Those are times I long so much for a job outside the home. But we are going through especially tough times right now as many gov. workers are getting laid off in the capital city where I live. I have been looking on top of my other work, which is quite demanding and psychologically draining. Tough! Thank god for YLF to take my mind off it at times. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/working-from-home#post-572489 Tue, 20 Mar 2012 11:49:49 +0000 jenanded 572489@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Oh so therapy line here - this has got me quite upset actually (definitely my little melt down with my family because they are so demanding)... OK I get it, I've been away at work for a few days, so I get up at 6am to drive my daughter to work so she doesn't have to spend time on the bus... I then go home, make dinner, get dressed and clock a 12 hour day and walk home at 10pm... What upsets me, is that I have been doing this for so many many years that I have no concept of not being busy. We are all justifying doing all this stuff and sending ourselves spare. We are not performing bears. Its like those horrid jokes of one foot rocking a cradle while cooking, patting the dog or whatever... I say the housework is the thing to minimise and maximise the people time. I now no longer have a mum to bug me etc etc, my eldest has left home so its weekly/fortnightly visits etc etc. The bath STILL gets dirty, as do the dishes etc etc... I know where I would rather spend my time My people and interesting intellectual work, and keep the dishes to a minimum. An interior decorator said to have all your household bits colour coordinated to your house so if a few things are out of place, its not so jarring. So some intermittent organisation and LOTS of purging of anything 'extra' is key. In ONE DAY my family had accumulated 13 dirty bath towels?!?!? Only one each is anywhere near the bathroom now - solved that prob... I am going to do some yoga lovely YLFers... and smile some more! </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/working-from-home#post-572486 Tue, 20 Mar 2012 11:37:47 +0000 jenanded 572486@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>PS yep, I am an academic too... And people think you have a cruisy job - HA HA HA! I just think I have no idea how NOT to work full time and have/run a home and family of 5... never not done it! </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/working-from-home#post-572485 Tue, 20 Mar 2012 11:34:24 +0000 jenanded 572485@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Well you have caught me at a low point here and feeling somewhat sorry for self... So the bad bit first - yep majorly busy and thinking that if I work 3-4 days at home and then cram everything else into 2 12 hours days that I will magically be a miracle queen. So dear ones (we are talking at uni plus DH) presume that since I am here, well I am here to constantly care for them - everything from cupcakes, to proofing assignments to long winded chats. And that is on top of the house demands. I have also been away travelling with work so everything is a bit behind on everything - yikes. Am I living your nightmare.<br /> I justify washing etc when working at home as breaks which otherwise would be caught into office time drains... I still dream of having a house cleaner/maid - perhaps next life time.<br /> Onto the more interesting thing - clothes! I did my wardrobe capsuling from Angie's post last week. I made an office capsule, a work at home capsule, a 'weekend'/downtime capsule... My work at home actually gets worn most and its certainly not office wear, but coordinated, feel a bit smarter etc. For example silk ts with linen pant/jeans. Light makeup and perfume too. Sometimes a small amount of jewellery and matching slip ons/sandals. Casual/cross body bag matches the sandals. So feel pulled together, part ritual but also cas and allows you to whip into cooking/laundry. But does prohibit shower scrub/gardening etc...<br /> Yeah the expectation that you are there for a chat sends me nuts... I have some 'friends' who don't work/have careers/ do career and family be rude to me about it... I find that very disrespectful even though you kind of get it. While I love working from home option, I am slowly learning to manage my life-work balance because there is little differentiation between zones and times...<br /> Sorry the ramble... share your concerns! the outfitting helps make the separation in own mind anyhow! </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/working-from-home#post-572474 Tue, 20 Mar 2012 11:00:38 +0000 Astrid 572474@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>My mum works at home some days in the week and is at the office the other days. She workes in a nice home office/guest room and we children weren't alllowed to go in there while she was working short of an emergency. She had her phone rerouted and the other people didn't even know she was at home, so I guess she didn't have any problems with that. And she could terminate the call forwarding in the evenings so that she really was able to call it a day. But I remember there were always clear rules for "work at home" days for us. No running in the vestibule or making too much noise outside the door and helping more than on other days. We also did help with dinner so she still had the time to eat without a hurry. On these days she wasn't responsible for anything else and I guess that's a good thing. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/working-from-home#post-572473 Tue, 20 Mar 2012 10:59:27 +0000 harmonica 572473@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>For teh time being I work mostly at home and partly at my office/lecturing. </p> <p>1. No! I can't do full day work (from home) and full day house tasks in one day. But I do get some house work done. </p> <p>2. Yes, I do dress up a bit, but not as formal as when I have a lecture/presentation/business trip. It helps because I feel more awake and "on duty". It works with cleaning and cooking too because of the "inbetweenness" of the style. </p> <p>3. No, but I do organize everyone else's stuff anyway ;-)</p> <p>4. No, because they now I have a lot to do. </p> <p>BUT I think it's hard to get the balance between work and home right!</p> <p>For those of you who work from home - do you also do all the cooking and cleaning as well, just because you happen to be at home? YES, some of it, but far from everything needed!!! I'm at home to work, not doing household.</p> <p>Are you out in the middle of the day doing a big grocery shop, just because you're at home and supposedly can magically arrange all of this? YES, sometimes because I don't like crowded shops and because I get better service when i.e. shopping for the kids at daytime.</p> <p>Do you find yourself working until almost nine at night trying to get it all done? YES!!! A lot!!! I try to avoid it, but I need nighttime and weekends to get all the work done. I'm really struggleing with beeing focused and getting the job done efficiently sometimes. I think it partly has to do with the nature of my job (humanities at the university - you can never get enough knowlege on a subject, you can never be well enough prepared and you can never write the ultimate super article) </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/working-from-home#post-572467 Tue, 20 Mar 2012 10:21:22 +0000 Suz 572467@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Ah. It WILL get easier, I promise. But it's definitely a juggling act! </p> <p>I also should have said, I do screen calls, too, so if it is my aged mother, I do answer! </p> <p>Everyone has given great tips! </p> <p>For housework, my husband lived apart from me and my daughter for two winters while I looked after her (she has special needs) and I was a full time grad student with additional contract work done from home. The way I managed it was to make a schedule and do most cooking and housework on the weekends. I would roast something that could do us for two nights plus a couple lunches and cook a big pot of soup or stew on the weekend. We also ate a lot of salad. All housework except laundry and counter wiping/dishes/sweeping was done on Saturday/Sunday. This really simplified and helped me feel calmer, knowing WHEN I would do the tidying. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/working-from-home#post-572388 Tue, 20 Mar 2012 04:44:19 +0000 velvetychocolate 572388@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Donna - I have the same problem...I'm far from home, so I get a lot of phone calls from family. I'm also an only child, an only niece and a only grandaughter. So you can imagine what that's like. Today I was on the phone with my Dad, and the other line is beeping...it's my Mom calling. While returning call to my Mom, my uncle phoned at the same time. In between all of that, my husband called as well. </p> <p>The work I've just been handed will be full time for quite awhile...but I'm having a hard time even figuring out how to get even part-time hours in. It'll get better. I think it's just a matter of boundaries. </p> <p>ManidipaM - you sound like me - I make everything from scratch. That's likely part of the problem here. I'm going to have to simplify or get a bit more organized I think. I have a funny feeling that there'll be more frozen salmon burger patties coming soon to a theatre near me. </p> <p>I will also need to get a tiny bit more organized with cleaning/household chores. I guess I *did* have the time, and now I don't. And somehow it feels like it's all still supposed to happen. But that's up to me - boundaries, limits, cutbacks. </p> <p>A few weeks ago, someone asked if I'd take on this huge project. I said I'd think about it. When talking to my uncle about it the next day, he said, "Well, why would you need to think about it, you're not doing anything..."</p> <p>I have to admit, that really bugged me. That said, he didn't know I'd already taken on something else in the meantime. </p> <p>...and am now working most of the weekends too.</p> <p>Thank you all for listening and responding to this rambling, off-topic thread - I really do appreciate it, and it definitely helps a lot to hear from others who have experience with this. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/working-from-home#post-572372 Tue, 20 Mar 2012 04:20:57 +0000 ManidipaM 572372@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>VC, it *can* be overwhelming. I've done it for five years, and I still have a pile of dirty dishes in the sink today (9.30am, been up since before 6) for now a week running because I was working late into the night!</p> <p>It doesn't help that at a regular office, people can *see* you at work and will (short of crisis or high-pressure) situations, not demur at your going home at a reasonable hour if you've gotten most of your day's tasks done; BUT when you are a consultant, working on contract or in business for yourself, there is no *visual* evidence and clients/customers expect that you must do personal/house things during the day, and so you'll be happy to do the reverse in the evenings. Not fair, not sane, but the spectre of losing work keeps many of us juggling too many balls.</p> <p>To your specific queries:</p> <p>(1) No, see above! There are weeks each month when the house is a shambles. I HATE that with a passion, but deadlines don't wait when publications are going to press! You can't yell 'Stop press! Must water plants, do laundry, cook casserole first!' It *may* depend on the kind of work you do though. I find writing a book is not as disruptive of my chores, for example. </p> <p>(2) For precisely the reason that I'm going to go off to cook and clean every so often, I do NOT dress for work. White button-downs and curry will not mix. Worse, I work at a low desk on the floor, sitting cross-legged (think of some Oriental dining spaces). If I wore normal 'work clothes' , there would be an immediate slew of wardrobe malfunctions. Also, it gets pretty hot and sweaty while cooking and cleaning in tropical weather, so if I weren't pretty breezily dressed, I'd have to stop to shower and change four times a day. Not efficient. I find it helps to just 'change' to tell myself my workday has begun, and it doesn't matter precisely what I change into (as long as it isn't jammies!)</p> <p>(3) Oh YES! I'll often tell people, 'I'm in the middle of something, but yeah, tell me quite quickly...' It lets them know I'm busy and that I can't put work aside for them. After a few gos, they typically start asking when they call --- 'Good time? Are you very busy?' And I absolutely screen my calls! There are people I always pick up on --- my mother, my father, my husband, my few closest friends --- but the rest will have to wait. If it's dire, I expect they'll text me to say it's an emergency? As for the cooking etc, I'd make it clear to my family that I'm about to have a busier day/week/month/year, so there *will* be some changes. Either they pitch in more, or we talk it over and figure out what can be simplified (sandwiches and salad rather than a hot lunch; leftovers from the freezer; fewer decorative items out so that there's less to dust; people reusing their mugs and glasses through the whole day...)</p> <p>(4) This WILL be a problem at first if you're just transitioning from a lifestyle where you were more available. It takes time --- I often will actually interrupt after 10 minutes of the conversation going nowhere urgent, and with work waiting, so say, 'Hey, you know I have some work to do; can we talk later?' Make sure to tell them when IS a good time to talk to you; and make sure it's not in the middle of family time. People eventually stop calling as much. In fact, you might get to a point where you have to consciously schedule visits or calls yourself to keep up the friendship! </p> <p>As for the chores around the house, I finally made myself a monthly chart. My priority is the kitchen, as we cook a lot and bake a lot of things from scratch that most people would just buy (bread, biscuits, tortillas etc). So there is a separate kitchen list and a general household one. ONE task a day, 20 minutes, and that's ALL --- do NOT get distracted and add 'might as well' jobs! Today's tasks for me are wiping down and polishing my wooden kitchen cabinets, and dusting, sweeping and mopping the living room. I'll set a timer for 20 minutes and really hustle --- otherwise it can be so enjoyable to organize that it takes an hour!</p> <p>Apart from tasks like that, there are a bare minimum of daily chores:<br /> * laundry every 3 days (if the date is divisible by 3, it's laundry day), sorting and mending the next day, and ironing the day after. I put the laundry on as soon as I wake up, while the tea brews, so it's done and the non-iron things ready to fold by day's end (no dryer, we air-dry; but if you tumble-dry it's faster still --- it can be your wind-down time from breakfast with family to 'getting to work'!)<br /> * doing the dishes after each meal, though on a really busy workday, I might let them lie till next morning (no dishwasher, or it would be easier)<br /> * watering the plants either first thing in the am or just after sunset, depending on the weather<br /> * A quick clean of any one loo (there are four in our home) by way of a break in the afternoon or early evening --- I work on the computer all day, and get stiff and short-sighted after a point. Then a tea treat for 10-20 minutes! (This can be a good time to catch up with a friend of relative). BUT this is negotiable on a busy day<br /> * Wipe-down and disinfecting of the kitchen counters and sink at the end of the day or first thing in the morning if it's a long late night at 'work' (yeah, that happens too: I finished up at 2am yesterday!)</p> <p>I don't know how big your home is, how large your household or what would work at you, but if you'd like a peek at my monthly chores list, I could email it to you. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/working-from-home#post-572365 Tue, 20 Mar 2012 04:09:57 +0000 DonnaF 572365@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>VC -<br /> I found that my mother was the worst at respecting boundaries and would call and want to chat. She's in her eighties, so what can you do? For the last couple of years, I have worked offsite for one or two days per week that sometimes change so she is less likely to call, esp. since my husband works graveyard and she doesn't want to wake him up. She hasn't figured out that the day I'm gone is Tuesday 90% of the time, and that it is usually safe to call from 1 - 4 p.m.!</p> <p>My husband is very respectful of my work time. He is also the cook, so he calls me when my hot lunch is ready; same with dinner. Daughter, however, tends to walk away with my office supplies like my hole punch. She has her own stapler but takes mine since I always store mine in the same place so she knows where to find it. I have to hunt down my scanner when I need it.</p> <p>My office is near my laundry area, so I often get in a couple of loads during the week. Otherwise, it would never get completed on the weekend.</p> <p>I always get dressed well enough to drive kiddo to the bus, so I guess it is a MOTG look. I would never wear a skirt with stockings/tights or dress pants unless I am planning to meet a client later in the day. I keep my house fairly cool so I wear a lot of layers and am more bundled up than I would be in a regular office.</p> <p>I only work part-time, so I must admit I try to hit Costco and Trader Joe's during their least crowded times during the week since I figure it ultimately saves me time. For the most part, it is very rare for me to hit clothing stores during the week because I think it could become like a crack addiction. . . .This web site is bad enough! </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/working-from-home#post-572358 Tue, 20 Mar 2012 04:00:25 +0000 velvetychocolate 572358@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Thank you Laurinda - much appreciated!</p> <p>This is going to be a bit of a switch - as I've been doing most of the cooking/cleaning/household stuff for awhile now. Don't get me wrong, my husband does a lot on the weekends, but during the week - I do it all. I make breakfast, lunch and dinner every single day. The kitchen is always spotless. I don't always manage to get all the floors clean every week, but I do keep on top of the laundry. </p> <p>I will just have to drop some of that stuff and/or make simpler meals. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/working-from-home#post-572353 Tue, 20 Mar 2012 03:49:08 +0000 velvetychocolate 572353@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Thank you Suz!</p> <p>I'm totally new at this. I've never done the work-at-home thing, and have somehow been handed a few projects. At the same time though, it seems like close friends and family think that because I'm at home, then I have all the time in the world for anything and everything. </p> <p>Funny you should mention the idea of being logged onto YLF - the same thing happened to me today - I logged in this morning, read a bit and then got on with my day. Came back around suppertime, while waiting for dinner to cook, and here I was logged in all day. But no, I wasn't here. </p> <p>I feel better already - I simply won't answer non-work calls tomorrow. I will build my own virtual office around myself so that I don't feel like I'm wearing five hats at once. </p> <p>I am likely going to have to cut back on cooking/cleaning at some point, or find a way to get it all done at night. Something's going to have to give - not sure what that will be yet, but I can't really do it all. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/working-from-home#post-572339 Tue, 20 Mar 2012 03:22:42 +0000 Laurinda 572339@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>I work at home - contract work - but I don't keep 9AM to 5PM work hours necessarily. Some days I work 12 hours, or over the weekend, yet if it is an especially nice afternoon, I might not work at all.</p> <p>I get dressed every morning as soon as I am out of the shower, but my style is casual if I am not going out - a colored t-shirt, blue jeans and a fleece jacket in the winter, a colored tank top, shorts, and sandals in the summer. I don't own lounging clothes - or even pjs. </p> <p>1. Housework tends to expand to fill the time allotted, so I allot the bare minimum. </p> <p>2. I wear an apron for frying bacon, but don't do any real cleaning other than wiping a counter or two during the day. On weekends I have more worn out clothes for cleaning and gardening.</p> <p>3. Because my time is flexible I am able to take care of errands during the day, but Mr. Laurinda appreciates that weekdays are my work time, so those are minimal. </p> <p>4. I don't spend much time on the phone, can't say I ever have. I have a couple elderly relatives I check up with a phone call on every day or two, but those are a 5-10 minute break. </p> <p>During the week I do a couple loads on laundry, and hang them up to dry, but those are 15 minute breaks I can take to get a stretch, no big deal. The critical part here is that my partner respects that my daytime = worktime, and general cleaning, housework, gardening and grocery shopping only happens when we are both around to do it - mornings or weekends. As a general rule I cook dinner, but I don't start cooking until Mr. Laurinda is home from work.</p> <p>Hope that helps, and you find the best way to work this out for yourself. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/working-from-home#post-572326 Tue, 20 Mar 2012 03:11:43 +0000 velvetychocolate 572326@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Thank you Ana - this really helps a whole lot.</p> <p>This is very new for me, and the addition of working at home isn't quite meshing all that well with my previous 'take care of everything and everyone' role. </p> <p>That said though, reading your reply has me realizing that it has a lot to do with how I approach the issue - that I'll need to put some boundaries into place and respect work vs. home. </p> <p>Yeah, it's probably me - thinking I'd still manage to do all the same things AND the new stuff. Uh uh...not happening. </p> <p>Up at six today...just finishing off now at nine-thirty pm. The house isn't quite right and the work isn't quite right either. </p> <p>Ah well, I'll get it sorted out eventually. </p> <p>But for now, I think I'll just not answer those non-work calls tomorrow. Thank you! I need to put these things into place. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/working-from-home#post-572324 Tue, 20 Mar 2012 03:09:49 +0000 Suz 572324@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Oh, VC. Are you new at working from home? Or maybe you have just had a run of ...er...incidents. These things DO come up for all of us, and it can be especially rough in the transition to working at home from working in an office or elsewhere, or at other high stress points when people basically forget their manners and their brains, LOL! </p> <p>1. The short answer is sometimes yes, and sometimes no. It takes time to figure out how to juggle and arrange your time, and much depends on the rest of your circumstances. Do you have a spouse, kids, are you working on a contract basis, etc. Everyone's situation here is a bit different. </p> <p>2. I don't dress as if for an "office" unless I am meeting with someone who is something like a client. Even today, I met with a private student, and I wore smart casual - jeans, a jacket, a top. My usual outfits are more like MOTG outfits - jeans, a nice top, a cardi in winter or a jacket. I do wear dresses and skirts working from home, but try to make sure they are in comfortable fabrications, i.e. ponte or jersey. If I am going out for meetings, teaching gigs, readings, or presentations, then I will dress more formally as required. I DO find that dressing consciously helps me to put my "work" hat on. But that just means getting out of my PJs or fitness wear. </p> <p>3. The short answer is yes, but this gets easier over time. You will need to establish very clear boundaries. You will need to say no a lot. </p> <p>4. Some people do, or expect email chat, or whatever. I don't answer the phone when I am working unless I am expecting a work call. Full stop. That's the only way to get any creative work done. I also set boundaries on my computer time. I don't turn on the internet while I'm working unless I need it for research or submission of materials. Sometimes it will look like I am logged on here, but I'm actually not "on" - just not logged out, but not really present. I also use the forum for breaks, INSTEAD of Facebook, for instance, because I like the deeper conversations and find them more interesting and less overstimulating. </p> <p>My husband and I split the household chores without any strict guidelines about it. At the moment, he actually does more than me because he has just retired and I am the one earning the income. I tend to do "housework" related stuff on the weekend and just leave it during the week. We share cooking. I do sometimes shop during the day for groceries or...um..clothes! I do often work evenings. In fact, I usually work evenings for a while, but that is because I'm used to juggling my creative work and paid work and the creative work would never get done if I didn't find hours in the day somewhere. </p> <p>It will all work out. You'll see! But it can be tough at first, and people can be really obtuse about bothering you and expecting the world of you. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/working-from-home#post-572314 Tue, 20 Mar 2012 02:54:53 +0000 Ana 572314@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>VC, I think these issues are very common to people who work from home. I work from home, and so do some of my friends and we all struggle with this.</p> <p>1. I don't manage to always get everything done. For instance, my apartment was a disaster until yesterday. I hadn't done any laundry or real picking up in a couple of weeks. I just hadn't had any time. I have to prioritize, and while I like a clean house and a very messy house drives me crazy, picking up comes lower down on my list of priorities.</p> <p>2. I do put on regular "street" clothes when I am working (every Monday-Friday), and then change into lounge clothes when I'm at home. If I am cooking, I put on an apron, and if I'm really cleaning, I wear my cleaning clothes, which are things I don't mind getting bleach on. I save the real cleaning tasks for Saturday mornings and try to keep up with laundry throughout the week.</p> <p>3. Yes, this happens. But essentially I do all the same tasks as when I was a student (laundry, vacuuming, bathrooms), and my husband does his jobs (dishes, cat litter). </p> <p>4. People don't really call me to chat, but I have the feeling some people in my life think I just lounge around all day and don't do anything. That "working from home" doesn't actually equal "working" because my hours are somewhat flexible. It's annoying, but I try to blow it off. My husband is very supportive and respects my work hours, so that really helps.</p> <p>I do some grocery shopping, but I save that stuff for the weekend. Monday through Friday are work days for me. If friends who work in offices want me to come someplace and meet them for lunch and I can't do it in a reasonable amount of time, I just tell them I can't make it and try to schedule an evening dinner or a weekend visit instead. I've found that if I take my work seriously and treat it the same as if I worked in an office, then others are more likely to respect my working hours too, even though I happen to be at home. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/working-from-home#post-572300 Tue, 20 Mar 2012 02:39:27 +0000 velvetychocolate 572300@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>I'm in a bit of a quandary...</p> <p>1. - Do you still manage to do everything that you normally do AND do all the work-at-home projects you've taken on?</p> <p>2. - Do you find that dressing for 'work' as if you're in the office helps? How does this work when you're also cleaning and cooking? </p> <p>3. - Do you find that because you're at home, that somehow people think you're not really doing anything and have all the time in the world to cook/clean/launder/counsel/organize everyone else's stuff? </p> <p>4. - Do people call you just to 'chat' because you're at home? That somehow it's ok to phone and yak for an hour or so, when they wouldn't dare do that if they were calling your office number? </p> <p>Agghh..I can't quite keep up. </p> <p>For those of you who work from home - do you also do all the cooking and cleaning as well, just because you happen to be at home? Are you out in the middle of the day doing a big grocery shop, just because you're at home and supposedly can magically arrange all of this? Do you find yourself working until almost nine at night trying to get it all done? </p>