Are you finding it hard to stick with a schedule if you’re at home now?

[HeatherC]

This week I am having trouble getting motivated to get things done. This is only the second week since schools closed. I feel like inertia has set in. Because we dont know how long this will last, I think in the back of my mind I’m thinking things can get done “later”.

Must get motivated today! Anyone else?

 

[RUDisney]

I'm working from home, so it's just another day at the office.

However, remember that this too shall pass and you'll wish you were back to the easy days of quarantine once your life picks up speed again. From the beginning, pick a room to deep clean each day and then rotate back through the rooms as time goes on. Use Netflix (or whatever is your guilty pleasure as your reward for concurring your assigned tasks.

This weekend, for me, will be to clean out the room that my DD dumped all of her apartment supplies in that she didn't take to her new apartment in September. We are also going to switch our winter and summer clothes this weekend since the weather is breaking.

 

[cabanafrau]

Not in the distracted or unmotivated sense. My issue is the windows in which I can and cannot use internet. Four of us are home working or doing college coursework. Two of the work from home are extremely data heavy users and the college student has various times she's participating in video classes, lectures and workshops so I'm navigating when I do and don't have contact with the world via the internet.

A few weeks ago our house generally felt quiet and empty with one daughter off for college and the other most often away for work. The house seems much smaller with four adults home all day, every day.

 

[Meriweather]

No we're retired so schedule is pretty much the same, but not see family has much
I am trying to get the chores done I keep putting off. Watching a lot of TV

 

[Toolulu22]

Yes, being motivated is difficult. These are some things I’ve been doing, so that I am productive each day.

Getting up early- not as early as my “normal” 5:30- but, by 7 or 7:30. I am a night owl and can easily stay up until 2 am and sleep until 9:30/10. I’m trying not to get into that routine.

We go for walks every day that the weather allows. The fresh air clears my head and relieves built up inertia from being cooped up. This helps me be motivated to sit at the computer and work a bit. We just started with online learning this week, so I have to work a few hours a day. Setting up some sort of to-do today list helps.

I also find it helps to have things to look forward to get out of the house each day even for a short time. The walks, once a week groceries, Mondays I see a doctor, this week I have an appointment to go to my school to collect some personal items.

I have been doing some puzzles: I puzzled out an old sudoku puzzle book- but, crosswords, whatever you like. We are also working on a puzzle. I spend an hour a day doing these things just to keep my mind thinking in a different way.

I am looking at the long haul. If you think of all the things that can or need to be done, then things are overwhelming. I’m not deep-cleaning a room a day- but, a little bit each day. After one or two months of being home my house will be spotless, organized and reconfigured. It doesn’t need to happen in a week.

 

[skyblue17]

Not too bad yet. I started with a plan as soon as I started working from home, and have been able to stick with it.

- Alarm goes off, out of bed with at least an hour before starting work
- Make coffee, eat breakfast at a different spot at the table than I work from, using a dining room table chair
- Do breakfast dishes
- Set up my work space at the same spot every day, where my ergonomic desk chair lives
- NO SNACKS ON THE TABLE
- Break for lunch, do not use computer/phone during lunch time
- Stay at the table all afternoon, no working from the couch or bedroom at all!
- Remove all work space items at the end of the work day and put them away
- Cook dinner, eat dinner at a dining room table that doesn't look like a desk (aside from the chair!)
- Relax in living room, can use computer but ALL WORK TABS MUST BE CLOSED
- Do whatever else "after work" that I enjoy!
- Go to bed at a normal hour

It's been working so far!

 

[RedAngie]

I'm working at my dining room table. DH is upstairs in his "office." Trying to stick to our normal schedules.

Having lunch together, which is rare.

Mid-afternoon we're taking a short stroll thru the neighborhood.

No TV until we're done work. I pop onto the DIS every two hours or so for a short break.

The cat is sometimes doing her darndest to distract me.

 

[tvguy]

Working from home. My routine is pretty much the same. I can sleep later, since I have no commute. My TV is getting a lot more use, but I work in TV so I have to watch the product that I am working on

 

[wvjules]

YES! I start the day just fine, get up, shower, make coffee, start work. After that it is all downhill. I can't seem to make time to eat breakfast or lunch.

 

[fla4fun]

No, we are expected to be online during our regularly scheduled shifts and to respond to emails in a timely manner (like 15 minutes). When we are in the office no one leaves at lunch time, we all eat at our desks if we eat, so on my work days, I eat breakfast before I start and don’t eat again until dinner, just like when I went to the office.

I am enjoying sleeping later since I don’t have to make an hour+ commute to the office, and it’s nice to be immediately home when the work day ends. But as much as I hated the commute I have realized that working full time from home, alone, isn’t as motivating as working in the office with the rest of the team.

 

[gotomu212]

Yes and no- our work hours are the same so we’re at least doing that. I’ve kind of embraced not having any other schedule though. I’m looking at this (hopefully) as a once in a lifetime thing and whatever you need to need to get through it is fine scenarios. Our family has tried to really slow down and not worry about “accomplishing things” or being “productive” and are even playing around with what that word should mean to us going forward.

 

[RamblingMad]

I walk the treadmill every day at 11a unless I have a meeting. Then I do it afterwards.

My work starts at 7a. But I’m finding it more sporadic as I’ll run some stuff in the evenings. And I’ll snack more in the afternoon. I pretty much morning to night with more breaks.

 

[Skippy918]

I’m struggling because there’s no clear break between work and home. At least when I was commuting, I had that time in the car to think about things and veg out. Before this full time wfh schedule I was wfh once a week but I’d be by myself. Now at home cause the kids are there it’s like, “mommy, are you almost done working? When can we play?” I need some time to recharge before stepping into mommy mode.

 

[rjb123]

Yes, and I am eating like a pig. Ugh. I do better when the weather is good. For the past two days it has rained and been chilly and I am a hot mess. NOTHING is getting done.

 

[morgan98]

I am part of my firm's COVID response team in addition to my regular job. We have already been at home more than two weeks, since my husband came home from Italy on the night of March 9th. Today is Day 15 at home and no one is sick. It has been strange being such a home body, but I have run outside in addition to using my home gym and treadmill.

However, because of the potential economic upheaval at work I am on calls at 6:30 am and 9:00pm and on weekends, etc. In other words, I have little down time. I am used to long hours, but this is much more than usual. It is also easy to spiral and hard to stay positive, but I am getting there. One foot in front of the other. I have a lot to be thankful for.

 

[pens4821]

I'm off since last Tuesday, so kind of, but not really. The only major difference is I am getting up later, maybe going to bed about an hour later too. I'm usually in bed around 11 and up at 530. The first few days I was still up between 5-630, but the last few days I've been sleeping until 730-830. Its funny, I still don't feel like getting up in the morning even after 9/10 hours of sleep.

Other than that I'm trying to keep busy. I get up and have a couple cups of coffee, then get my day started. I try to keep myself busy until around 4ish then take a little rest before starting dinner. So really, the only difference is I'm getting up later, and instead of going to work for 7ish hours I'm working around the house for maybe 5.

 

[Dole_whip_doll]

As a teacher we are still expected to be “available” working hours and we have scheduled video meetings every so often. I live next door to my parents in an old tiny ranch house and today my window unit ac went out. I do not want to deal with this so my two cats and I are crashing at my parents house. We already eat meals together, so it wasn’t a hard shift, except for the cats. Mine are lazy and antisocial, moms is in your face lovey. I go over to my house 8-noon when it’s still cooler here and work. If it’s not too hot in the afternoon (doors open with fans) I’ll work my full time. Otherwise, I’ll come home and answer emails and questions as needed. The work day is 8-4 and I’ve heard colleagues are staying up till wee hours of the morning answering kids questions (we teach HS) because that’s when the kids are apparently up and doing their work. Nope, sorry, 8-4 for me, I will answer alllll correspondence at that time just like at school.

 

[3 MEN AND A BOAT]

I’m having to canoe alone, it’s rough but I’m doing my part with social distance. It’s just me, the water, and a couple beers
ETA-Why is the image sideways?

 

[emer95]

I’m struggling. Teaching from home is so much harder than I thought it would be. Plus I’m caring for my brother’s kids a few days a week, so that throws a wrench in everything. I’m baking and eating way more than usual. College daughters are home trying to do online classes which is stressful for them. My husband and I have been taking long walks every night. It helps tremendously.
I can’t wait until things go back to normal.