Comments on: Give Me a Break… A Blogging Break

By: Raj Dash

Raj Dash — Tue, 05 Feb 2008 09:12:08 +0000

@Lani: Discipline and structure… Ah yes. I try but don’t always succeed.

@Deb: I do find that once I remember to listen to music all day, I get far more work done… and watch less TV.

I admire those of you also taking care of children (and husbands/wives) in addition to working at home.

By: debng

debng — Tue, 05 Feb 2008 03:07:55 +0000

I agree with all of Anna’s points even if I don’t implement them all. My five year old has morning kindergarten so going out to lunch isn’t doable, unless you count the occasional Happy Meal. But I do take time for myself. I visit the library or coffee shop once a week, just to get away. Having to meet the school bus at 11:00 AM tends to rush things, however.

I don’t have the television on during the day because I don’t want my son watching all day. I prefer to listen to music while I work, anyway. I like waking early (usually around 4) working until the the guys wake, and then going back to work until the school bus drops off. Having specific blocks of time keeps me productive and also lets others know my working hours.

I don’t work in my pajamas as I do like to get into the “working” mentality. In my pajamas I feel lazy, changing into clothes gives me a different mindset.

Like Lani, having a young child at home doesn’t always make it easy to work the whole day in the traditional sense, but there are ways of making it work, and thankfully I found the balance.

By: Lani_Giesen

Lani_Giesen — Mon, 04 Feb 2008 21:08:25 +0000

While not a freelancer, I still consider my blogs and my fiction writing work and I should do all of those things, at least in part, but currently do none of them. The TV isn’t a problem for me, but having a 1 year old is far more distracting than TV.

Like you, I’ve never slept “normally” and the most productive times for me are nearly always when the rest of the world is asleep and there are no distractions. And there is something to be said for comfort (like pajamas!) when doing creative work.

Some of those points are valuable even for people who don’t work at home. To work well and live well these days requires a little discipline and structure. I know that doesn’t sound very enticing, but when you “unwittingly become a hermit”, for example, it takes some effort to get the whole life-balance thing right.