4 ms·

Getting asynchronous chores done like laundry, dishwashing, and cooking/baking are the best part of working from home.

hippari 5y ago
Totally agree, I cook more food, learned more recipe, wash my clothes more frequently, my house is more clean and organized. Contrasting to a 9-5 job, I would rather just order takeaways after getting back home from the office.
- chronogram 5y ago
  It’s great how everyone works so differently. When I am alone, working from home, I can’t find a proper mental break anywhere and everything becomes a mess and I eat worse. Having a physical work/life split makes me cook more food, learn more recipes, and gives me a constant fresh look at my home and items to make sure it’s clean and tidy. In the WFH situation it’s suddenly 20:00 and I’m starving and just look to snack or even go so far as to order food, but when I work away from home I have the train ride back to browse which supermarket I’ll shop at and message with a friend on how and what we’ll each be making.
  - ed_elliott_asc 5y ago
    Have you tried setting alarms on your phone and when you start/stop go for a short walk? One thing I do to separate work from home is to get changed. Wake up in underwear, lounge until work start alarm then get dressed/go for walk/start work - end of work alarm go for walk/get changed - helps me with the mindset of what is work and what is not. I don’t always need to do this, just when it starts to affect me.
  - fouc 5y ago
    Can you create a work/life spilt by having a separate office in a separate part of the house? Or even have an external office on the property. If you knew you can work remotely 100% of the time, that frees you up to consider cheaper locations where you can get a better house for the same rent.
  - asd4232 5y ago
    This. I like WFH as a concept, but I feel like it would require a separate office room to really work, and right now I don't have the space for that. Working from living room just mixes up work and leisure really badly.
    - alanwreath 5y ago
      I’m my case having a “separate office room” is just occupying the space where I might have had the family computer or my gaming station. I have always had that space, at least since the days of my ok’ packard bell and kings quest!
    - slumdev 5y ago
      I intend this with all the charity in the world, but it does need to be blunt because comments like yours are influencing decision makers to force everyone to come back, whether it's full time or in a so-called "hybrid" model. You've had a year and a half to adjust. If you don't want to move, you could easily rent office space near your home. Your lack of planning does not constitute an emergency for everyone who is happier and more productive at home.
  - mark_l_watson 5y ago
    That is a real problem. When I WFH, I do better when my customer supplies a secure laptop to access their systems. I use that laptop only for work, and simply turn it off at the end of work. During the day, I can grab my iPad if I have personal e-mail, etc.
  - goodpoint 5y ago
    WFH != unscheduled and sedentary. You can set up timers e.g. pomodoro and do quick chores frequently. [edit: care to explain the downvotes?]
helsinkiandrew 5y ago
This is the biggest improvement in my ‘quality of life’ from working from home. I’m still not totally convinced I don’t like working with others around me, but the ability to eat well, integrate exercise and chores into the breaks away from the screen i’d take in the office anyway are priceless.
dartiss 5y ago
Absolutely, 100%. And I find too that it doesn't even reduce down your working time too - an awful lot of thinking time in an office is when you get up from your desk and walk to the watercooler, bathroom, whatever. I do so much thinking and working out whilst doing these home chores.
ngngngng 5y ago
Personally I have a MUCH easier time paying attention if I busy my hands with something mindless like dishes. This has been ruined lately by me becoming the guy that runs the meetings, but hopefully I can change that soon since I really dislike running meetings and would much rather wash dishes.

Totally agree, I cook more food, learned more recipe, wash my clothes more frequently, my house is more clean and organized. Contrasting to a 9-5 job, I would rather just order takeaways after getting back home from the office.

chronogram 5y ago
It’s great how everyone works so differently. When I am alone, working from home, I can’t find a proper mental break anywhere and everything becomes a mess and I eat worse. Having a physical work/life split makes me cook more food, learn more recipes, and gives me a constant fresh look at my home and items to make sure it’s clean and tidy. In the WFH situation it’s suddenly 20:00 and I’m starving and just look to snack or even go so far as to order food, but when I work away from home I have the train ride back to browse which supermarket I’ll shop at and message with a friend on how and what we’ll each be making.
- ed_elliott_asc 5y ago
  Have you tried setting alarms on your phone and when you start/stop go for a short walk? One thing I do to separate work from home is to get changed. Wake up in underwear, lounge until work start alarm then get dressed/go for walk/start work - end of work alarm go for walk/get changed - helps me with the mindset of what is work and what is not. I don’t always need to do this, just when it starts to affect me.
- fouc 5y ago
  Can you create a work/life spilt by having a separate office in a separate part of the house? Or even have an external office on the property. If you knew you can work remotely 100% of the time, that frees you up to consider cheaper locations where you can get a better house for the same rent.
- asd4232 5y ago
  This. I like WFH as a concept, but I feel like it would require a separate office room to really work, and right now I don't have the space for that. Working from living room just mixes up work and leisure really badly.
  - alanwreath 5y ago
    I’m my case having a “separate office room” is just occupying the space where I might have had the family computer or my gaming station. I have always had that space, at least since the days of my ok’ packard bell and kings quest!
  - slumdev 5y ago
    I intend this with all the charity in the world, but it does need to be blunt because comments like yours are influencing decision makers to force everyone to come back, whether it's full time or in a so-called "hybrid" model. You've had a year and a half to adjust. If you don't want to move, you could easily rent office space near your home. Your lack of planning does not constitute an emergency for everyone who is happier and more productive at home.
- mark_l_watson 5y ago
  That is a real problem. When I WFH, I do better when my customer supplies a secure laptop to access their systems. I use that laptop only for work, and simply turn it off at the end of work. During the day, I can grab my iPad if I have personal e-mail, etc.
- goodpoint 5y ago
  WFH != unscheduled and sedentary. You can set up timers e.g. pomodoro and do quick chores frequently. [edit: care to explain the downvotes?]

helsinkiandrew 5y ago

This is the biggest improvement in my ‘quality of life’ from working from home. I’m still not totally convinced I don’t like working with others around me, but the ability to eat well, integrate exercise and chores into the breaks away from the screen i’d take in the office anyway are priceless.

dartiss 5y ago

Absolutely, 100%. And I find too that it doesn't even reduce down your working time too - an awful lot of thinking time in an office is when you get up from your desk and walk to the watercooler, bathroom, whatever. I do so much thinking and working out whilst doing these home chores.

ngngngng 5y ago

Personally I have a MUCH easier time paying attention if I busy my hands with something mindless like dishes. This has been ruined lately by me becoming the guy that runs the meetings, but hopefully I can change that soon since I really dislike running meetings and would much rather wash dishes.