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I'd advise against working from home for everyone in compliance with the separation of concerns principle as context switching is not easy at all and it will bu

by steamy 11y ago

I'd advise against working from home for everyone in compliance with the separation of concerns principle as context switching is not easy at all and it will burden the person with a lot of stuff to sort out with regard to the work/life balance and the mixture of the incompatible job/home environments. However, I'd definitely vote for and favor a more balanced approach that combines both remote work from a dedicated office that has been set up specifically to handle this type of activity that is independent and detached from the home environment, and the formal workplace to maintain the bond and harmony between team members.

nosequel 11y ago
I've been working from home for 5 years now and have a dedicated office at home. I don't go into it unless I am working and I leave my work there when I'm done. I have no problems with work/life balance or context switching. Of course you need to make an effort to get setup, but the benefits outweigh the risks 100x for me.
- steamy 11y ago
  If it works out for you, who am I to judge you? But in my case it didn't work out even though I had a separate room in the house set up for this specific task. I had to abandon this arrangement as my productivity and social life suffered and went out looking for a small office to rent and set up accordingly. I have also tried some coworking spaces but I felt there was something missing and I was not getting the full deal of this approach. I guess also I'm very conditioned to the usual morning rituals to prepare for the day from washing up, having breakfast, dressing and leaving the house to work. I could not really escape this routine and it took a toll on me till I moved to my cozy office and started to see a markedly increase in my productivity and social life well being. So, at the end of the day it boils down to personal preferences and what suits and suits not an individual.
  - nosequel 11y ago
    Totally agree with this. I've interview several people for remote work and some people love the idea, some people are highly skeptical. Of the two people I know who got hired who came into the job skeptical of WFH, both ended up quitting and going back to office jobs. Obviously this is a small dataset, but I do get the impression people generally have a gut feeling on whether they can do it or not. Personally even working at home I'm extremely regimented, ex: get up, change, coffee, breakfast, etc (pretend I'm going to an office) so I think it helps.
beobab 11y ago
I remember reading about a chap who context switched from "home" to "work" by walking round the block as his commute. He was reported as saying it really made a difference to him.
- tveita 11y ago
  That reminds me of this study, "Walking through doorways causes forgetting": http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/17470218.2011.571267 http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/17470218.2011.571... Even if you return to the same place, the context switches break your concentration and make you forget things. I guess sometimes that's exactly what you want.

by steamy 11y ago

nosequel 11y ago

I've been working from home for 5 years now and have a dedicated office at home. I don't go into it unless I am working and I leave my work there when I'm done. I have no problems with work/life balance or context switching. Of course you need to make an effort to get setup, but the benefits outweigh the risks 100x for me.

steamy 11y ago
If it works out for you, who am I to judge you? But in my case it didn't work out even though I had a separate room in the house set up for this specific task. I had to abandon this arrangement as my productivity and social life suffered and went out looking for a small office to rent and set up accordingly. I have also tried some coworking spaces but I felt there was something missing and I was not getting the full deal of this approach. I guess also I'm very conditioned to the usual morning rituals to prepare for the day from washing up, having breakfast, dressing and leaving the house to work. I could not really escape this routine and it took a toll on me till I moved to my cozy office and started to see a markedly increase in my productivity and social life well being. So, at the end of the day it boils down to personal preferences and what suits and suits not an individual.
- nosequel 11y ago
  Totally agree with this. I've interview several people for remote work and some people love the idea, some people are highly skeptical. Of the two people I know who got hired who came into the job skeptical of WFH, both ended up quitting and going back to office jobs. Obviously this is a small dataset, but I do get the impression people generally have a gut feeling on whether they can do it or not. Personally even working at home I'm extremely regimented, ex: get up, change, coffee, breakfast, etc (pretend I'm going to an office) so I think it helps.

beobab 11y ago

I remember reading about a chap who context switched from "home" to "work" by walking round the block as his commute. He was reported as saying it really made a difference to him.

tveita 11y ago
That reminds me of this study, "Walking through doorways causes forgetting": http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/17470218.2011.571267 http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/17470218.2011.571... Even if you return to the same place, the context switches break your concentration and make you forget things. I guess sometimes that's exactly what you want.