For the first time in my life, I will be working from home for the foreseeable future. This is not something my office usually does and so there are no established procedures around this. Hell, I had to buy my own laptop.
Those of you who have done this before, what do you suggest in order to do this productively? I’m hoping that a successful attempt in this very particular circumstance might make it possible for me to incorporate WFH into my job past covid-19.
I hate to say it, because it’s hypocritical, but wear real clothes and set up somewhere that actually kind of feels like a desk, not in bed or on the couch.
Also, try to think of at least one thing a day that might go faster if you asked another human being. I fall into the trap of “I’m alone so I must do EVERYTHING MYSELF”.
Also have a furry friend around for pets.
I work from home almost every day and have for years.
MY TIPS:
Institute a fake commute by taking walks before and after work. This gets you out of the house (very healthy for you if you work from home – you can go crazy if you’re inside all day) and it is an extremely clear delineation between work and play.
Dress like you normally would going to the office – same clothes, same makeup, etc. If you utterly hate your office wear, maybe don’t do that, but generally dress like you’re going to work. You’ll feel better than you would being in pajamas all day every day. ETA: If you hate your office wear, wear something else that is “minimum level for leaving my house, like to go to a restaurant” level. Whatever you do, CHANGE OUT OF YOUR PAJAMAS.
Do not start the day working on the couch. Start at a desk or table. Stay there a while. If you become uncomfortable in that position (especially if you don’t have a good desk setup at home), move to the couch in the afternoon so you can recline. If you start on the couch, you WILL feel like a gross schlub by the end of the day.
Have regular meal times. Do not work in the kitchen if you can avoid it, or you will snack like a motherfucker.
Whatever you do, try to avoid working from your bedroom. It will not feel good and it is not good for you.
Keep in close contact with coworkers over your internal chat system, or whatever other form of contact your work has. It will make your work go better in terms of product quality and you will feel less isolated.
Hang out on OMD, it helps.
My advice is to wear a Real Top that looks good on video calls and extremely comfortable pants and slippers. Agreed on the couch. I am currently working from couch and it isn’t very productive I am currently on the forums.
I WFH once a week normally but it seems likely that Boyfriend will also be working from home. I would love tips from anyone who also has a partner WFH, how do you stay out of one another’s hair, avoid distraction, etc. We at least do have separate rooms we can do this in but neither of us has a great attention span at the best of times and in general I can’t get stuff done with him in the house.
This is a great idea.
I’m HORRIBLE at this. I only put on makeup if I need to step outside for lunch, I’m usually sans bra and in PJ pants. I tend to dress up for work, mostly because I like to wear skirts and hate pants - not really business attire, but usually a skirt and tights/leggings/wildly colored or stripey socks. I don’t wanna sit around the house like that. Still, it wouldn’t kill me to throw on a pair of jeans sometimes.
If you haven’t left the office yet, be sure to bring home a mouse!!
I have my laptop at home but after 1.5 weeks of being here full time, I wish I had a mouse. Well I do have ONE but my husband is working from home too so we’re sharing! We all have colds but when we get better one of us will head in to grab a mouse.
Regularly send emails to give the impression you’re actually working.
So neither of us work from home permanently, but when we’re both home… It’s a problem. I have to be very clear “Do not bother me unless it’s an emergency or my door is literally open. Do not assume I’m available. Don’t expect to have lunch together. I am at work unless explicitly mentioned otherwise.”
I want to work from home so badly.
I picked a work at work career only to realize that a few years in to getting my life in order!
I think I’m Boyfriend in this case. I am definitely the annoying one interrupting Wizard when we’re both working from home.
FWIW, he does a lot of headphones while working from home. 
My craft-hole/office nook doesn’t have a door. His does, though. Can I tell him to stay the fuck in there unless he needs to eat or pee? 
One of my friends has a system that tracks online time with the program being active. she’s the company hero because in week one she figured out to put the mouse in a house robe pocket to stay active
Or you could make a little sign that you can turn one way or the other to say “fuck off” or “don’t fuck off”
PDM, thank you for always being here with the levity.
When I was briefly in the army an officer described me as a “moral man”. I’m pretty sure that was an euphemism for absolute clown. The phrase class clown was also thrown around regularly at school.
Honestly, I’m a slob when I work from home. I don’t get out of my pajamas.
But I find that if there’s enough work to keep me busy, I actually work more from home than at work. I’m super productive and I don’t take breaks. For self-care reasons, if you’re like me you should probably schedule breaks or at least look out the window once in a while to give your eyes (it autocorrected to “toes”, haha!) a rest.
Wouldn’t it be
FUCK OFF/FUCK ON
or
FUCK IN/FUCK OUT
?
Dammit yes. FUCK ON, YALL.