A reader writes:
I’m a full-time copywriter, and I am fortunate enough to be able to work from home during these times. My company has been clear and generous with us about our work and our job security. I’ve been working from home for the past three weeks, and probably will continue to do so until the end of April. I get up at the same time every day, wear my professional clothes, take my allotted lunch break and work my allotted hours.
Here’s the thing: I hate it.
I live in a tiny, narrow studio apartment with zero room for a desk or chair, so I more or less have to work off of the same couch that I typically relax on. Usually I can work remote just fine, since my apartment has conference rooms for residents available, but this has been closed with the quarantine. Our office is being deep-cleaned, so there’s no option for that, either.
I feel like I’m going crazy. My work comes on a contract basis, so some days I’m swamped, and other days I don’t have much to do. Usually when I’m less busy in the office, I’ll work on backlog or pet projects, but right now the idea of having to stare at my computer any longer than I need to makes me want to scream. I’m also afraid to bring this up with my supervisor, because I don’t want to be labeled as someone who can’t do remote work.
Would it be terrible if, when I don’t have any tasks or deadlines, I simply stay online/available and work on something else until I’m needed? I feel like this would be for the sake of my own sanity more than anything else. When the day is done and I close my laptop, I have zero mental energy for any personal projects (creative writing/knitting), which is incredibly frustrating. Even after a weekend off, I feel only dread come Monday.
I’m salaried/exempt, so it wouldn’t be a matter of me not putting in hours — though my supervisor does express that she wants us to be online for seven to eight hours a day (breaks excluded).
What should I do?
Nope, not terrible.
You’re doing your assigned work and meeting your deadlines. That’s a reasonable bar for success right now.
You do not need to fill every spare minute with productive work beyond that.
Normally I’m very “when you’re at work, you should mostly be working” … but you aren’t really at work. You’re in a tiny studio apartment with no room for a desk or chair, in a global pandemic, trapped in your house with levels of stress and distraction that are probably rather high.
Those are not conditions where you need to optimize every minute.These aren’t conditions where you can optimize every minute
You’re getting your most important work done, and that’s enough right now.
Now, would your manager agree with that? Maybe, maybe not. But a good manager would. A manager who can see the situation for what it is would.
Your boss has told you she wants you online for seven to eight hours a day. So stay online for that time. But when you’re done with specific tasks and deadlines, give yourself a break.
You might find that after you ease the pressure on yourself in that way, in a few weeks you’ll have more motivation to tackle things like backlogs or other less urgent projects. If you do, great; don’t goof off just for the principle of it. But your letter is screaming that right now you need mental space. Take it.
P.S. You don’t need to wear those professional clothes at home if you don’t want to! Some people find it helps them, but others of us find we’re much happier in head-to-toe fleece.
working from home is driving me nuts – can I take a break? was originally published by Alison Green on Ask a Manager.
from Ask a Manager https://ift.tt/34yEido
0 Comments