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Ask HN: How do you switch off from work, particularly when working from home?

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Re: Ask HN: How do you switch off from work, particularly when working from home?

#271

Post by jacobsmith1984 »

sjm wrote: post #120
igetspam wrote: post #76

Dedicate a work space and stay far away from it, when you're not working. Maybe get a large whiteboard to hide it from your field of vision when not working (bonus: whiteboard!). Separating work from personal is the most critical part of being able to work from home without always being "at work." I'm lucky enough to have been remote for years, so COVID hasn't changed my pattern but I know the pattern can be hard. Al…

The first part is great advice but unfortunately not always easy for those in small apartments where that space is precious. One thing that has worked for me is to instead try to detach my work space from being purely work, and give myself time in that space to do "me" things, whether it's reading, video games, creative endeavors... Also giving myself a specific window of "work time", with an alarm set to tell me its…

When I worked in a tiny house next to my bed, I tried several alternatives but the situation was untenable. I had to move to a more distant and cheaper region because that was easier to solve than the lack of space. I hope you can find a space solution because while working at home it is a matter of mental health.

Re: Ask HN: How do you switch off from work, particularly when working from home?

#272

Post by pklausler »

nicoburns wrote: post #5
s1t5 wrote: post #4

Simply switching devices helps. If it's after 5pm and I don't have any meetings or tasks that I can complete by 6pm, I turn off the work laptop and put it away until the next morning.

> Simply switching devices helps. Getting off devices entirely is even better.

I hope musical instruments don't count as "devices". :-)

Re: Ask HN: How do you switch off from work, particularly when working from home?

#273

Post by withinboredom »

sixdimensional wrote: post #212
igetspam wrote: post #76

Dedicate a work space and stay far away from it, when you're not working. Maybe get a large whiteboard to hide it from your field of vision when not working (bonus: whiteboard!). Separating work from personal is the most critical part of being able to work from home without always being "at work." I'm lucky enough to have been remote for years, so COVID hasn't changed my pattern but I know the pattern can be hard. Al…

I have two laptops - work and personal. When it’s time to shut off work, work laptop and cell phone go away, personal one comes out. Works pretty well. What doesn’t always work for me is the physical detritus after a work period - notes, papers, books etc. and even more so, the psychological carry over from difficult or prolonged periods of work. I find that if I work 10 hours a day (common) during the work week, for…

I have a separate hardrive on my work computer that I installed Windows on. I reboot and do my personal stuff there (games, bills, or whatever). It's convenient because it's not straightforward to reboot into a different HD/OS.

This means that if I need to go back to work, I need to shut down my personal stuff and reboot. I call it my "commute."

Re: Ask HN: How do you switch off from work, particularly when working from home?

#274

Post by pkilgore »

ericmcer wrote: post #258
rcconf wrote: post #192

I watched a YouTube video and this person explained a really neat concept. Your life is like a game. In this game, you have different stats and you must increase each stat. For example, in a typical game you may have: - Health - Attack Level - Money - Magic Level In games, you try to increase each of these stats to create the best and strongest character. Life is very similar, but the stats are: - Work - Social Life…

Actually in games usually poorly balanced characters do the best, i.e. adding all your points to strength. Might be true in life as well, especially with hyper-specialization being the only way to stand out in a super competitive landscape.

In a computer simulation or with a bad DM, you can get away with CHA=1 / INT=1 / CON=1 etc due to the limits of the simulation, but life tends to have rather harsh consequences for the MIN aspect of MIN/MAX.

Re: Ask HN: How do you switch off from work, particularly when working from home?

#276

Post by cruano »

m463 wrote: post #265
ericmcer wrote: post #258

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Actually in games usually poorly balanced characters do the best, i.e. adding all your points to strength. Might be true in life as well, especially with hyper-specialization being the only way to stand out in a super competitive landscape.

ok, so then hyper-specialize then reproduce at age 85.

That's a weird way of spelling sugar daddy

Re: Ask HN: How do you switch off from work, particularly when working from home?

#277

Post by digitalsushi »

Haven't seen anyone saying that they've failed, so I'll throw my hat into that ring.

I have insomnia all the time. Work is waiting, 8 feet beneath me a floor below, and my mind spins on emails, passive aggressive remarks, and general strife from earlier in the day.

This isn't a cry for help. It's just an admission, that this stuff is damned difficult for some of us, and I think it should be ok to feel like a big failure.

I will last far longer than 2020 will. And with it, some new appreciations. Maybe. Or at least my half hour commute, which is my best firewall for work so far.

Re: Ask HN: How do you switch off from work, particularly when working from home?

#278

Post by luizfzs »

I have 2 machines: one from work and one is mine. I have only one desk and it's essentially on my living room.

I kept my routine from before WFH regarding time, but I login about 30 earlier (the time I save by not commuting). I log into the work computer at 9am, work, log out at 5pm. I never log into it if not to work.

Everything I do that's not work is on my personal computer.

Re: Ask HN: How do you switch off from work, particularly when working from home?

#279

Post by EGreg »

m463 wrote: post #265
ericmcer wrote: post #258

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Actually in games usually poorly balanced characters do the best, i.e. adding all your points to strength. Might be true in life as well, especially with hyper-specialization being the only way to stand out in a super competitive landscape.

ok, so then hyper-specialize then reproduce at age 85.

and what is the strategy for women? :)

Re: Ask HN: How do you switch off from work, particularly when working from home?

#280

Post by czech »

rcconf wrote: post #192

I watched a YouTube video and this person explained a really neat concept. Your life is like a game. In this game, you have different stats and you must increase each stat. For example, in a typical game you may have: - Health - Attack Level - Money - Magic Level In games, you try to increase each of these stats to create the best and strongest character. Life is very similar, but the stats are: - Work - Social Life…

Sounds like "Jones in the Fast Lane" (1990) from Sierra. Here's a review and gameplay: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yJQ8LyOMl3E
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