[BimmerDimmer6]

Am I the only one getting tired of staring at my computer screen for 10+ hours a day? I feel like I'm getting frequent headaches. I am curious to see what routines you have adapted that have allowed you to maintain, or maybe even increase your productivity at home.

Is it copious amounts of coffee, a morning drive to keep you grounded, or just pure determination to get through this.

I am a procurement manager for large property developer here in Tampa and am having trouble staying focused at home. Being a type A, I have found that a lack of social interaction professionally has put a damper on my motivation. Sitting behind a screen and making phone calls to clients is not why I got into this field.

The one thing that seems to keep me on track is getting up early, like around 4 A.M and going for a morning run before everyone is up. I find this to work better right now than my usual afternoon runs.

Buddy is a software engineer and I don't know how you software guys do it, it's not in me to do this. He even has a compression sleeve for his wrist. He thinks he is getting tennis elbow.

[CTinline-six]

I spend 8-10 hours a day on the machine now. I usually spent about 5-6 before because I'd be driving to different sites for meetings. It does get dull, and I mainly miss the in-person interaction with the client sites we manage, along with the nice drives to some of them.

I'm in no way complaining though. I had 3 meetings this morning, and for all of them I was wearing pajama pants. Thankful to still be employed.

As far as routine:

I try to use different rooms of my house if I can for work to switch things up. I'll take a drive after work, and have been waking up at the normal time and doing a workout at 6am when I'd normally be leaving.

[aozer]

i go on several walks throughout the day. that is the only thing keeping me sane. every few hours i step away from my desk (aka dining room table) and take my dog for a 20 minute walk at the park where i live.

i also am struggling with finding motivation at work. i have always been the procrastinating type, but now things have been taken to a whole new level.

this is only temporary. it may last for several months. it may even last for years, but things will not be like this forever.

[CTinline-six]

Originally Posted by aozer

i go on several walks throughout the day. that is the only thing keeping me sane. every few hours i step away from my desk (aka dining room table) and take my dog for a 20 minute walk at the park where i live.

i also am struggling with finding motivation at work. i have always been the procrastinating type, but now things have been taken to a whole new level.

this is only temporary. it may last for several months. it may even last for years, but things will not be like this forever.

Moving around is key. Yesterday I had a "shit is hitting the fan" type of day with one site, and the day consisted of non-stop webex meetings. I got up maybe a few times to grab some food. This morning I woke up and was as stiff as a board. Thinking about making one of those standing desks or something.

What's interesting is I can tell which neighbors are bored and which are working. One neighbor I swear was leaf blowing for 4 hours yesterday. It was windy AF, so not sure what he was doing.

When I'm not working I make an effort to do everything else besides be on the PC though. Yard work, working in the garage on some projects, working out, etc.

[BimmerDimmer6]

Originally Posted by CTinline-six

Moving around is key. Yesterday I had a "shit is hitting the fan" type of day with one site, and the day consisted of non-stop webex meetings. I got up maybe a few times to grab some food. This morning I woke up and was as stiff as a board. Thinking about making one of those standing desks or something.

What's interesting is I can tell which neighbors are bored and which are working. One neighbor I swear was leaf blowing for 4 hours yesterday. It was windy AF, so not sure what he was doing.

I feel for him, probably getting away from the wife.

[RickFLM4]

As noted above, gotta move around. Try to get up and walk / stand briefly at least every hour or two. If you place to work standing up do that for some of the day too.

[M_Six]

Another vote for getting out for a walk. Wifey and I are up to 3 miles/day over 2 walks. One after lunch and one after dinner. Plus I ride 15-20 miles most days on the trainer. Still, I'm in front of my machines from the time I get up until I go to bed, other than the aforementioned exercise periods and meals.

[dreamingat30fps]

I guess it depends on what you do. Basically I always have stuff I can do on the computer, but this stuff is not mission critical or on any kind of deadline. I then have requests from clients which I like to get done ASAP.

So depending on how many client requests I have I can spend the whole day on the computer or none. Luckily 99% of the request I get are not time sensitive (although I still like to get them done asap) so I will typically take care of stuff that comes in over night or in the morning then go do stuff around the house. Walk, fix things, wash cars etc.

Typically for me earlier in the week is busier (clients are motivated) but once Thursday comes along it pretty much dies down. I don't think I could go back to cube life.

[Nuckle]

I wish I had enough work to need to stare at my computer 10hrs a day. I am usually done by 9-10am other than fielding some phone calls here and there.

[M_Six]

Originally Posted by Nuckle

I wish I had enough work to need to stare at my computer 10hrs a day. I am usually don't by 9-10am other than fielding some phone calls here and there.

I get tickets (requests for help) and emails and calls at almost any hour of the day and night. But there are lags in between where I could be doing something else around the house and occasionally I take advantage of those. As the semester is winding down, it's starting to get quiet. This summer will be all about preparing classes for the fall and getting instructors who haven't been trained in online teaching up the the standards needed.

[Turkish Pickle]

I stare at my laptop for work and classes, so to reward myself in my free time I stare at my desktop! Have already lost track of days at this point every day feels like a weekend AND a weekday at the same time.

Went on a small drive today which was dope because no cops around and not a lot of students around to jump on the road

[Banana Hammock]

I'm a programmer as well. I spend about 12-16 hours at my desk at home. I found that a combination of a nice keyboard, a comfortable mouse, good posture, and regular stretching helps a lot. Bias lighting behind the monitor helps soften the brightness from the monitor to make it less fatiguing on the eyes.

[Frupal]

I spend about three or four hours on my small screens (iPads: pro 12.9 for this, email, FB and other nonsense and a regular iPad for reading) and then I swim about a mile in my pool. Then I make lunch and head for the media room where I will stream stuff for about 4 hours. Then I make dinner. Then I stream for another 3 or 4 hours. Then I go to bed. Lather, rinse, and repeat; day after day.

Although upon occasion I will take some time to wash and detail the cars. (See pics.) On weekends I drive. Sometimes just to Malibu, sometimes all the way to Santa Barbara and back. I don’t stop or get out of my car. I just listen to country music on Sirius and drive like the wind on relatively empty highways and freeways. It. Is. Heaven!

PS: I found that 2001 CLK 430 in Palm Springs. It is all original and had 24,000 authenticated miles on it when I bought it. I took it in for an oil change at Beverly Hills Mercedes specifically so that they would give it their ‘Super Duper Gold Star 107 point inspection specifically designed to invent repairs so that they can get mo money from you’ deal.

They did not find anything else to repair. The service advisor said: “Well, you're going to need front brake pads... in about 10,000 miles (he did the pause, I got a kick out of it). Other than that it’s like a new car.”

[EricVR4]

I average around 9-10 hours a day on the computer, sometimes up to 12. I don't mind the working at home part at all as it makes me much more productive thanks to people not stopping by my office constantly, or my employees asking loads of questions all day.

That said though, I don't sit still well at all. So every hour I make myself get up and do some mobility work/stretches, or a couple exercises to get the blood flowing and loosen up. This also makes my workouts after work a little easier as I'm not so stiff.

I also eat lunch on my balcony as long as it isn't raining. Or I'll go for a walk if I work through lunch. There's a gas station about a half mile away so sometimes I'll walk over to that to get some caffeine if coffee doesn't sound good, and drink the energy drink on the way back.

Or if it's been a long morning and I'm sick of work, I'll take a long lunch and get on my bike and go ride for an hour or two.

I love working from home but it definitely feels like you're more connected 24/7 since you're always at home and easily available. It took some getting adjusted to just shutting down and not checking things until the next day. I noticed the lack of motivation and ability to focus early on and attributed it to that. Things got better as I started doing all of the above. Being in oil and gas, I'm also just incredibly grateful to still have a paycheck.

[vreihen16]

With the amount of vitamin pee (diuretics) that I'm on, I get at least 20 walks to the bathroom in before lunch...and at least one per hour in the afternoon. I will also close my eyes for a minute or two every so often, to let the tears moisturize them again. Same as if I were at work, except that the bathroom is a slightly shorter walk at home.

My DW's employer sent employees to WFH with a strictly-enforced regimen mirroring their office work day. Two 15 minutes breaks logged/reported at the same exact times every day, plus lunch at the same time every day. She takes the dog out for a walk during her 15 minute breaks, and I disconnect to have lunch with her every day.....

[CTinline-six]

Originally Posted by BimmerDimmer6

I feel for him, probably getting away from the wife.

That I would be fine with.

He is a single guy in his late 50s with very little to do. There is never anyone at his house, he mows his lawn every other day, and he yells at kids as they walk by his driveway. We all joke he will be on the news one day.

[BimmerDimmer6]

Originally Posted by CTinline-six

That I would be fine with.

He is a single guy in his late 50s with very little to do. There is never anyone at his house, he mows his lawn every other day, and he yells at kids as they walk by his driveway. We all joke he will be on the news one day.

Sounds like my Indian neighbor, I'm not sure what this guys does for work, but he's always home and LIVES to cut his grass, he's out there 3 times a week on his diesel zero turn. He then proceeds to fertilize on his non cut days with the same tractor. I bet you he burns 50 gallons a week, its honestly ridiculous.

His yard does look good though, I'll give him that.

[Nivarox]

Mine sits between 4-6 Hours actively . I let it run to play music or watch video . Surfing on the net is not more than 1 hours per day

[BimmerDimmer6]

Glad to see I'm not the only one feeling this way. I have tried walking, biking, etc.. but still ending the day feeling unfulfilled. Just now powering down my desktop for the day, can't wait for this crap to be over.

[aozer]

Originally Posted by vreihen16

My DW's employer sent employees to WFH with a strictly-enforced regimen mirroring their office work day. Two 15 minutes breaks logged/reported at the same exact times every day, plus lunch at the same time every day. She takes the dog out for a walk during her 15 minute breaks, and I disconnect to have lunch with her every day.....

i cant imagine working in a strict office like that, so thankful for the relaxed corporate culture at my office.

[AlpineWhite_SJ]

I’m on an iPad Pro since the wife has commandeered the office with my PC/large LCD in it, so I can move around the house depending on what I’m doing (couch for browsing, dining table or kitchen peninsula for typing). Break it up with a walk, ride on the peloton or yard work outside.

[NorthCountryGuy]

There are some changes in my life at present. I’m an Emerg Med Crit Care doc.
I started in NYC when it was AIDS and not HIV. Been thru anthrax, SARS 1, H1N1 etc...
This raises my eyebrow in that potentially greater chance of getting it transmitted to me, and a chance that I can expire without much to do about it. Hence my significant protective gear when I’m in the shop.
I’m reserved, bordering on reclusive, so lifestyle hasn’t changed.
I was masking and gloving at the supermarket before it was fashionable. Told several cretins to f-off when they asked ‘why you wearin a mask...it don’t do nothin’...I’m from Brooklyn. Don’t take to strangers.
As for computer time...same old...I’m busy.