Bad habits whilst working from home
Discussion
I only did about the first two months from home and have been back in the office full time for a while now however....
I was expected to be logged on and available from 7am every day and so most mornings what that actually meant was me sat in bed with my laptop on my lap watching Frasier with a brew and a bowl of porridge. I could be sat like that until lunchtime some days!
I was drinking obscene amounts of coffee and eating the strangest combinations of food for lunch however it did stop me smoking as that was a social thing at work that got me away from my desk for 5 mins. Not smoked since too!
I was expected to be logged on and available from 7am every day and so most mornings what that actually meant was me sat in bed with my laptop on my lap watching Frasier with a brew and a bowl of porridge. I could be sat like that until lunchtime some days!
I was drinking obscene amounts of coffee and eating the strangest combinations of food for lunch however it did stop me smoking as that was a social thing at work that got me away from my desk for 5 mins. Not smoked since too!
Countdown said:
Procrastinating
Starting work late so end up finishing work late
These two for me. Starting work late so end up finishing work late
I'm actually back in the office now and relieved about that as I'm more productive.
Homes Under The Hammer, Countdown, chats with the kids . . . all easy distractions back when we were in lockdown.
I don't *think* I am that much worse for it really, but I will admit that in the start I did way too much idle eating. Now I've made a real pact to have no 'bad' food during the week. Just a small breakfast, lunch and dinner. Most days I walk more than I would in the office, I have a 2 mile loop that I manage to do in my lunch break with a bit of time for a sandwich. Winter weather is making that a little less frequent, though.
I do also force myself to get up, have a shower, and get dressed properly every day, to at least feel like I am getting ready for work.
However, if I am not busy, I don't 'pretend' to be, or do general work housekeeping. I'll just stick some YouTube on.
I do also force myself to get up, have a shower, and get dressed properly every day, to at least feel like I am getting ready for work.
However, if I am not busy, I don't 'pretend' to be, or do general work housekeeping. I'll just stick some YouTube on.
I'm the type of person who if I get into a bad habit, I find it hard to break. As such, I've really tried to maintain discipline whilst working from home, so no late starts, no long lunches, and unfortunately no w
k breaks. I even make sure I'm showered and dressed. I'm in the office 2-3 days a week, but still do the remainder at home.
There is of course a slight irony to the above, given the time that I'm posting this...
k breaks. I even make sure I'm showered and dressed. I'm in the office 2-3 days a week, but still do the remainder at home.There is of course a slight irony to the above, given the time that I'm posting this...
Despite getting up promptly, showered, dressed and at my desk by 8am, my downfalls are:
1) Getting distracted easily during the day: Jobs around the home, making phone calls, occasional Youtube video, just 'nipping out' in the car to buy stuff, posting on this forum etc. It means I knock a hole in the middle of my day and end up working in the evenings to make up for it, which is pretty daft. But, I'm self employed so I only have myself to blame for the odd hours and so on.
2) Wearing scruffy clothes. Tracksuit bottoms and sweatshirt all day. It's not a good look.
3) Eating rubbish at lunchtimes. Normally lunch would be a mini salad box thingy and a juice from a sandwhich shop or a Pret a Manger type place. Now it's literally whatever is in the fridge. Hot hogs, toast and pate, endlessly making ham and cheese sandwiches, crisps, etc
4) Drinking far too much tea and coffee, because working on your own all day on your own is very boring and it means you look for excuses to go and make tea and coffee.
5) Getting very bored on my own.
All the above is just some of the many reasons why I prefer being in an office most of the time.
1) Getting distracted easily during the day: Jobs around the home, making phone calls, occasional Youtube video, just 'nipping out' in the car to buy stuff, posting on this forum etc. It means I knock a hole in the middle of my day and end up working in the evenings to make up for it, which is pretty daft. But, I'm self employed so I only have myself to blame for the odd hours and so on.
2) Wearing scruffy clothes. Tracksuit bottoms and sweatshirt all day. It's not a good look.
3) Eating rubbish at lunchtimes. Normally lunch would be a mini salad box thingy and a juice from a sandwhich shop or a Pret a Manger type place. Now it's literally whatever is in the fridge. Hot hogs, toast and pate, endlessly making ham and cheese sandwiches, crisps, etc
4) Drinking far too much tea and coffee, because working on your own all day on your own is very boring and it means you look for excuses to go and make tea and coffee.
5) Getting very bored on my own.
All the above is just some of the many reasons why I prefer being in an office most of the time.
Eating crap for lunch. Today was a packet of chocolate digestives and a bottle of coke.
Ordering "stuff" online as I'm now available 3 days during the week to take delivery.
Starting late, finishing late.
Getting distracted by jobs around the home. I start off with the best intentions, planning to use my lunch hour, but the job will over-run. A few weeks back it was shed guttering which took about 3 hours. Sometimes a "quick wash" of the car will turn into 2-3 hours. So again, finishing late to make up for it.
Ordering "stuff" online as I'm now available 3 days during the week to take delivery.
Starting late, finishing late.
Getting distracted by jobs around the home. I start off with the best intentions, planning to use my lunch hour, but the job will over-run. A few weeks back it was shed guttering which took about 3 hours. Sometimes a "quick wash" of the car will turn into 2-3 hours. So again, finishing late to make up for it.
I haven't worn a pair of trousers this year I think......... Shorts all the way.....
I have 2 monitors and 2 computers, (work and non-work) on my work desk. If I drift across to the non-work one, then PH, eBay and the like can burn lots of time....Have to be quite diligent on not doing this (as I am doing now...)
In general, the real problem is not working too little, it's working too much and hence being too sedentary - I work with the US a lot and it's far to easy to accept an evening meeting when your desk is in the back room.
Before you know it, you are doing a full day's work every day and you still have 3 calls left to do after 7pm......
That said, I love wfh - kids school runs, no breakfast and after school club for them. Deliveries whenever, odd jobs when you feel like it in the middle of the day, coffee breaks at home with the TV, it's great...
I have 2 monitors and 2 computers, (work and non-work) on my work desk. If I drift across to the non-work one, then PH, eBay and the like can burn lots of time....Have to be quite diligent on not doing this (as I am doing now...)
In general, the real problem is not working too little, it's working too much and hence being too sedentary - I work with the US a lot and it's far to easy to accept an evening meeting when your desk is in the back room.
Before you know it, you are doing a full day's work every day and you still have 3 calls left to do after 7pm......
That said, I love wfh - kids school runs, no breakfast and after school club for them. Deliveries whenever, odd jobs when you feel like it in the middle of the day, coffee breaks at home with the TV, it's great...
Snacking. I'm overweight to the tune of about 2 stone.
TV. My home office has a TV and I'm on YouTube a lot. If I'm busy I still have the news on in the background. I also have a pool table in here but thankfully, I'm not abusing that yet.
Facial hair. I've always looked younger than my years but as I'm not travelling or meeting people in person anymore, I now have a horrid grey and ginger beard. Don't know where the ginger comes from but anyway, I'm scared to shave it off in case I get regret and it takes me months to grow back.
Extending breaks. I'm not monitored so can easily extend my breaks to do tip runs, a spot of ironing or the school pickup.
TV. My home office has a TV and I'm on YouTube a lot. If I'm busy I still have the news on in the background. I also have a pool table in here but thankfully, I'm not abusing that yet.
Facial hair. I've always looked younger than my years but as I'm not travelling or meeting people in person anymore, I now have a horrid grey and ginger beard. Don't know where the ginger comes from but anyway, I'm scared to shave it off in case I get regret and it takes me months to grow back.
Extending breaks. I'm not monitored so can easily extend my breaks to do tip runs, a spot of ironing or the school pickup.
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