From a Walk
Fellow work-from-home-ers will agree that most days you have to push yourself to take a break and get out of the house, even if it’s just for a short while. And if it’s for a long while I find it takes an even bigger push, as all I can usually think while I’m out is, “I should be working… I should be working… I should be wooorrrkiiing… !”
But a finished project is pretty meaningless if you lose your sanity in the process. I live in a completely different quadrant of Portland than 99% of my friends, so getting out of the house for me just means walking to the store, or going across the street to the park.
As you might’ve guessed, these are some of the scenes we witnessed (or created) on such a walk…
I’m curious what you do to get your mind off of work? — And if you don’t work from home, I’d love to hear how you unwind all the same. Goodness knows I could use some pointers!
B&Ws edited with Time Machine II.
17 comments
I hear ya. I have not left the house yet today which is a shame bc it’s finally sunny out after many days of gray. Since I’m currently reading the 900+ page Murakami book, I just turn to that when I need a break from the computer/work.
i read your blog! and look for apartments on craigslist.
Hah! We need to cash in on that photo date!
I was gonna say, I read your blog! ….but someone beat me to it. ;-) Honestly, as long as Andrew isn’t home, I really like to clean. Gets me moving AND I get a clean house. Double +. Usually though, since I have multiple jobs at the moment, I have to just sit and edit in large chunks until I get it done. Not too much time to spare….
Tea! Only if you don’t also drink tea while working, I guess. I am reading the same Murakami book as Alice right now. A good story really makes your mind step away from the “I should be workings” for sure. If I don’t set an alarm, though, I never get back.
Grabbing a book and taking a bubble bath is one of the best ways for me. I don’t work from home, though. I imagine working from home, you want any excuse to get the hell out of the house.
By the way, is there any chance you might be writing up something on the steps you took to start working for yourself? I’m hoping to do the same thing, and I’m trying to consume as much information as possible. The entire thing seems… extremely daunting.
I wasn’t planning on it, but I’ll definitely start drafting something up!
I am SOOO bad about taking breaks and actually leaving the house: I just get so caught up in things, but I am trying to be better about leaving the house and getting fresh air. We have a great walking path right in our backyard. We aso have a gym that just got new equipment… I’m working on motivating myself to actually take advantage of it, haha.
The more consistant thing I do when I need a break from drawing or editing is catching up on blogs and then turning into a fifties housewife, ie: cleaning, organizing and cooking (minus the heels and lipstick). I actually find it to be very therapeutic.
I agree — Cleaning definitely is therapeutic. And I’m much more willing to do dishes now that it’s FREEZING outside. It makes it a lot easier to sit down, clear my mind and get serious work done after I know that the housepartment is taken care of!
PS: I think Cory has the same peacoat that Chris has but in navy blue! Twinsies! :D
Oh man. We totally need to conspire to get them to wear it next time we all see each other! *evil laughter*
I knit. A LOT. And go on photo jaunts, of course.
I also work from home, but don’t get too many breaks that are long enough to allow me to actually leave the house. So I SEW. It’s been a mental life-saver for me.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/julineb/sets/72157627754170122/
I’ve only recently discovered your blog. I’m currently in Bellingham but was a 15-year resident of Portland before this. And I can’t wait to get back, I miss it so much. Your photos are comforting :).
I just loved all over those quilt photos. I hauled in the sewing machine and serger earlier this weekend from storage but have stalled setting them up. Thanks for the inspiration…
Funny timing of this post. I was just reading about this online community for pro photographers. It’s some new thing that is essentially, like, supposed to create an online realm for people to feel less alone, working from home. To me, I felt like… you want people to pay money monthly in order to feel like they are experiencing social interaction? Granted, this online thing was meant to also be a learning/teaching environment, but I must say, i felt like shouting, “Just get out of the house!”
YET—I will work for ten hours straight without even stopping to eat, sometimes. You get into a rhythm, and everything else shuts down. I know it would be healthy to break my time up and get some air, but when i worked from home, so often I wouldn’t. So I started doing a regular afternoon trip to the local café. It kinda worked. But cost money, so there’s that!
Hah! That kinda reminds me of my feelings about gyms — I always thought they were silly because, why pay to go work out when there’s the great wild world just waiting for you to get out and experience it? But then I am reminded every day that unless I have an incentive to get out and experience the world (let alone work out), I will very much just sit at home and work, work, work. Sometimes you just need that extra little push. I can see how a community like that would be helpful for some, but as far as making friends on the internet goes… I think I got that part down, pat. ;)
BAKE or cook something, read, do some type of craft (carve stamps, attempt to knit), go on the internet/watch movies or tv, or go on walks.