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Tuesday, February 7, 2012

The Oatmeal on Working From Home

I recently made the switch from a 40+ hour work week in the office to working from home most of the week. This has been sort of my dream forever, but we should always be cautious of what we wish for. The Oatmeal, for instance, warned me about a few habits to avoid in this comic strip. This panel is my favorite:

What are your tips for staying productive, healthy, and social when working/writing  from home? I made a list of RULES (of course I did), and so far I'm happy to report that I've been following them!

11 comments:

  1. Haha, I love The Oatmeal. I can see how you have to be strict with yourself when working from home. I don't have any tips to share but hope to be in your shoes someday!

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  3. Gina, you have ventured into the fun and unknown world of author-hood -my advice, is find goals which work for you and is not solely focused on writing (needs to be well-balanced) -oh and ensure you stick to them without burning yourself out (not an easy feat; but once you master it, it’s great.) I've noticed you are a fellow ROW80'er; so you are already on the right tracks. :)

    I'm a fellow ROW80'er and campaigner so hence was passing via the WriteCampaign; we're in the MG/YA, looking forward to catching up again throughout the campaign. :)

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  4. I love the oatmeal. Thanks for making my day Gina.
    I wish I had any tips to give you. Alas I'm just like the poor guy in the gray cubicle slaving my life away because i have no other choice and hopping it will all pay off someday. (very long sentence... sorry).
    Anyways, we do what we have to do. Good luck to you and do your best :)

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  5. Ha ha ha! I love the Oatmeal!

    I'm a fellow campaigner and just saying hi. I guess I technically work at home... the husband is the bread winner (for now) and I stay at home to write, create, etc... I find that I have to set aside time to get out... I volunteer at my local yoga studio (admin time for yoga)... just to be out and around people so that I don't go crazy!

    Good luck!

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  6. LOL, loved the Oatmeal. That'd be me if I didn't have blogging. I'm returning your visit from the campaign - it's great to meet you! I didn't see a follower button.....

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  7. Get out!
    I write at least twice a month outside of my home - a cafe usually. I also stay active in the community, which keep 'outside' connections and friendships. I'm also fortunate to have community with a group of women who share my religious beliefs.
    But... after working outside the home for many years before I was able to stay at home, it was a big adjustment for me.

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  8. Fellow Campaigner from MG/YA group here.
    I've got a dog to walk thrice a day and kids with friends. Also, I've got a big family and sing in a choir just for fun. Plenty of people to meet...

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  9. Since I work from home too, I'm so with you on this one! Over the last few years, it's been a challenge to manage time and also get out enough for intellectual stimulation ;)

    Using the Pomodoro Technique helps me keep on point/organized with various work tasks, and I walk my dogs three times a day for fresh air, and try to do one date night a week, attend Write Nite, and do something else for myself (like go to a movie or whatever).... I've also joined a few Meetup.com groups to meet people, which has been nice.... Sometimes it's refreshing to rotate out a schedule of places to work... such as home three times per week, once at the library, and maybe once at a coffee shop/cafe. It's nice to have a reason to shower & get dressed ;) But the main thing that helps me with staying productive is to keep the TV off until after dinnertime and to limit non-work related Internet use.


    http://www.pomodorotechnique.com/

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  10. Hi! Fellow MG/YA Campaigner.

    My way of staying productive? I absolutely do not get online before I do my writing in the morning. This is essential. If I get online, 2 hours go by and my "work" day is starting at 10 am instead of 8 am.

    I treat it like a job. I write in the morning, then switch to marketing/promotions after a late breaky. Butt must be in chair writing / editing by 8 AM.

    I set my timer for 40 minutes so that I get up and stretch or do some yoga. I learned the hard way and threw out my neck last year from sitting at computer for too long.

    And I highly recommend David Allen's program "Getting Things Done Fast" which I think has the best organizational strategy out there. And I've tried a lot of them.

    That and I try to get out of my pajamas and clean the kitchen before my husband gets home.

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  11. I'm back! Tag, you're it! You've been tagged in a game of 11 Questions that is being passed around by the Platform-Building Campaigners. You can pick up your questions at this link: http://rungwenrun.blogspot.com/2012/02/11-questions-from-platform-building.html

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