Working from a shoebox
January 30, 2021 5:47 AM Subscribe
I live on Plague Island (aka Britain) and we're in our third national lockdown with no end in sight. I am working from home in a tiny one bedroom flat with my partner - and it's at the point where work and life have blurred completely. Do you have any strategies for helping my sanity stay in check?
Some situational specifics:
- Work life balance currently nil
- I'm not getting out much due to surgery 6 weeks ago. Home exercise, like yoga is hard because of space.
- Right now we both work full-time from home, our living room is 4x5m and has a dining table in it which is now the office desk for both of us. This takes up over half the room, we have a couch in there too and now eat off the coffee table.
- In the tiny bedroom there is a little desk/shelf which is useful for back up calls but can't be a permanent desk.
- We have no outdoor space.
It's Saturday and I feel like I haven't had a break in weeks - there's no where to escape to. How would you better add boundaries when all of our personal space is gone?
Some situational specifics:
- Work life balance currently nil
- I'm not getting out much due to surgery 6 weeks ago. Home exercise, like yoga is hard because of space.
- Right now we both work full-time from home, our living room is 4x5m and has a dining table in it which is now the office desk for both of us. This takes up over half the room, we have a couch in there too and now eat off the coffee table.
- In the tiny bedroom there is a little desk/shelf which is useful for back up calls but can't be a permanent desk.
- We have no outdoor space.
It's Saturday and I feel like I haven't had a break in weeks - there's no where to escape to. How would you better add boundaries when all of our personal space is gone?
As someone else tied to a laptop for 9+ hours every day I totally sympathise with the work/life balance thing. Some things I would try:
- Only use video occasionally on calls (if possible at your workplace)
- Book out a meeting-free slot every day to *get a break*
- Go outside during that break to get at least a bit of daylight
- Make yourself unavailable outside your normal working hours so you're not online at all hours. Have fake "walks with friends" scheduled in the evenings and at weekends
- Actually go for a walk with a friend even if you don't really feel like it
- Do really small food shops so one of you has to go to the shop a lot
- Earphones
- Deliberately spend time in separate rooms
- Cook something really process-heavy to eat up time
- Take the opportunity to declutter and sell things / freecycle
- Be honest with each other about needing a break - if you can't get out much at the moment maybe your partner can?
posted by cardamine at 6:39 AM on January 30, 2021 [5 favorites]
- Only use video occasionally on calls (if possible at your workplace)
- Book out a meeting-free slot every day to *get a break*
- Go outside during that break to get at least a bit of daylight
- Make yourself unavailable outside your normal working hours so you're not online at all hours. Have fake "walks with friends" scheduled in the evenings and at weekends
- Actually go for a walk with a friend even if you don't really feel like it
- Do really small food shops so one of you has to go to the shop a lot
- Earphones
- Deliberately spend time in separate rooms
- Cook something really process-heavy to eat up time
- Take the opportunity to declutter and sell things / freecycle
- Be honest with each other about needing a break - if you can't get out much at the moment maybe your partner can?
posted by cardamine at 6:39 AM on January 30, 2021 [5 favorites]
My brother (who also lives on Plague Island and thus has very little space at home) figured out a set-up to solve these problems. He is using a folding table in the bedroom as his office desk, which sounds at first like a total pita... But the fact he has to put it up and take it down every day forces him to separate 'work time' from 'family time'. Just before 9am he sets up his desk, and at 5pm he takes it all down and packs all his work stuff away. (I think he puts his work laptop and assorted files under the bed or something.) I think he finds that, while putting all the stuff away and then taking it out again is time consuming, the benefits are that once it is out of sight he is not tempted to do a bit more work later in the evening when he should be spending time with family instead.
At a minimum I would suggest you reclaim your dining table at the end of the day and stop eating on the coffee table. And make that part of a commitment you both make to stop working at a specific time each day.
posted by EllaEm at 6:48 AM on January 30, 2021 [18 favorites]
At a minimum I would suggest you reclaim your dining table at the end of the day and stop eating on the coffee table. And make that part of a commitment you both make to stop working at a specific time each day.
posted by EllaEm at 6:48 AM on January 30, 2021 [18 favorites]
Can you make your bedroom feel more like a sanctuary? If there are things you can do to make it more comfortable to hang out in, I'd consider setting it up for that.
You might consider replacing the dining room table with two desks, and hiding them from sight with a curtain or room divider outside of work hours.
posted by metasarah at 7:16 AM on January 30, 2021
You might consider replacing the dining room table with two desks, and hiding them from sight with a curtain or room divider outside of work hours.
posted by metasarah at 7:16 AM on January 30, 2021
My partner and I are in a 650 sq ft 1 bedroom apartment and while not technically on lockdown, we essentially follow those rules.
Our solution, which sounds weird is that he sleeps on the couch and works in the bedroom and I sleep in the bedroom and work in the living room. It gives us our own space, but we still have plenty of together time when work is done.
Sharing a bed would be nice, but this is what works best for now.
posted by raccoon409 at 7:25 AM on January 30, 2021 [3 favorites]
Our solution, which sounds weird is that he sleeps on the couch and works in the bedroom and I sleep in the bedroom and work in the living room. It gives us our own space, but we still have plenty of together time when work is done.
Sharing a bed would be nice, but this is what works best for now.
posted by raccoon409 at 7:25 AM on January 30, 2021 [3 favorites]
Rainy Plague Island solidarity!
Seconding the suggestions to make a work/life separate schedule and stick to it as much as you can. Even if you do nothing else differently, dividing the day up into work time and home/relaxing time will make things feel better. Once you hit the point of being done with work, force yourself to really be done with it -- put phones and laptops away in another room if you have to. Be strict with yourselves, it's the only way to make it work.
I've found that board games and puzzles have been really useful as a way for me and my partner to connect over a shared task without feeling like we're in each other's space, as well as being a great way to get us both away from screens for a while. We've played through all three seasons of Pandemic: Legacy, which I can highly recommend as a cooperative experience that can easily devour a month. It also gives us something to talk about and obsess over that's not The Current Situation (even if it is a bit Too Real sometimes).
posted by fight or flight at 7:41 AM on January 30, 2021 [1 favorite]
Seconding the suggestions to make a work/life separate schedule and stick to it as much as you can. Even if you do nothing else differently, dividing the day up into work time and home/relaxing time will make things feel better. Once you hit the point of being done with work, force yourself to really be done with it -- put phones and laptops away in another room if you have to. Be strict with yourselves, it's the only way to make it work.
I've found that board games and puzzles have been really useful as a way for me and my partner to connect over a shared task without feeling like we're in each other's space, as well as being a great way to get us both away from screens for a while. We've played through all three seasons of Pandemic: Legacy, which I can highly recommend as a cooperative experience that can easily devour a month. It also gives us something to talk about and obsess over that's not The Current Situation (even if it is a bit Too Real sometimes).
posted by fight or flight at 7:41 AM on January 30, 2021 [1 favorite]
Can you reorganize to give you more space? Like putting the dining room table against a wall if it is in the middle of the room? I agree with others it is important to have a schedule of work time and personal time.
Also, make sure you are taking supplements for vitamins D and others (C, zinc). They will not keep you from getting COVID, but a lockdown will weaken tour immune system and increase the chance of a D deficiency if you are not getting any outside tine, which seem to increase the severity of symptoms if you do catch something.
posted by Short End Of A Wishbone at 8:20 AM on January 30, 2021
Also, make sure you are taking supplements for vitamins D and others (C, zinc). They will not keep you from getting COVID, but a lockdown will weaken tour immune system and increase the chance of a D deficiency if you are not getting any outside tine, which seem to increase the severity of symptoms if you do catch something.
posted by Short End Of A Wishbone at 8:20 AM on January 30, 2021
I'm working on my lounge table, and key for me is to put away my laptop, monitor and all the associated work tat at the end of every work day. It helps to draw a line under work and convert my "office" back into personal space.
Plus, it means we have the table back for dinner
posted by Faff at 8:24 AM on January 30, 2021 [2 favorites]
Plus, it means we have the table back for dinner
posted by Faff at 8:24 AM on January 30, 2021 [2 favorites]
I’m stuck in a 1bdrm with my husband in NYC and I feel your pain.
You mention that work life balance is “nil” and I think that needs to be addressed first. Sitting at your dining room table at the computer seven days a week is not an acceptable way to live. It’s bad enough doing it five days a week! The major boundaries you and/or your partner need to draw are with your employers.
Otherwise, I try to do something that signals that the work day is over and I’m officially off the clock. Sometimes this means taking a bath, other times it’s as simple as cracking a beer and starting to put dinner together. We have a dog so that does get us out every day. We watch a lot of stupid movies nowadays and try to keep it “light” because god knows there’s enough to worry about.
posted by cakelite at 8:26 AM on January 30, 2021 [1 favorite]
You mention that work life balance is “nil” and I think that needs to be addressed first. Sitting at your dining room table at the computer seven days a week is not an acceptable way to live. It’s bad enough doing it five days a week! The major boundaries you and/or your partner need to draw are with your employers.
Otherwise, I try to do something that signals that the work day is over and I’m officially off the clock. Sometimes this means taking a bath, other times it’s as simple as cracking a beer and starting to put dinner together. We have a dog so that does get us out every day. We watch a lot of stupid movies nowadays and try to keep it “light” because god knows there’s enough to worry about.
posted by cakelite at 8:26 AM on January 30, 2021 [1 favorite]
I hear you on the mentioned barriers to doing yoga, but would you be open to even a modified chair yoga routine, or modifying a regular yoga video like the ubiquitous Yoga with Adriene so that you do what you can and focus on the breathing and getting some movement into your day? I have been in a similar situation (small apartment lockdown with a partner and two cats) for a few stretches over the year, and even though I'm grumpy as all hell about it, the times that have been the most bearable were when I have consciously ended my workday with a physical transition and some exercise. Meditation apps could have similar benefits (carving out space mentally), I'm just far too mad and stressed to meditate.
Seconding the vitamin D - it can't hurt, you're definitely not getting enough if you're not going out and it's cloudy anyway. There have also been some studies about its possible effect on mood. They were not particularly conclusive, but we do what we can.
Open windows if possible?
posted by theweasel at 9:00 AM on January 30, 2021 [1 favorite]
Seconding the vitamin D - it can't hurt, you're definitely not getting enough if you're not going out and it's cloudy anyway. There have also been some studies about its possible effect on mood. They were not particularly conclusive, but we do what we can.
Open windows if possible?
posted by theweasel at 9:00 AM on January 30, 2021 [1 favorite]
Set strict times for yourself. Start work at 9, take your 2 hour break and lunch break, get off at whatever time you should.
posted by kschang at 9:02 AM on January 30, 2021 [1 favorite]
posted by kschang at 9:02 AM on January 30, 2021 [1 favorite]
What ended up working for me is making the bed every morning (with copious firm pillows) and working with a lap desk. At the end of the day desk and laptop get tucked under the nightstand, pillows are piled in an armchair and covered with the "office" bedspread, and it's like I have an extra room.
posted by I claim sanctuary at 11:22 AM on January 30, 2021
posted by I claim sanctuary at 11:22 AM on January 30, 2021
Some possible space solutions:
Not sure if you have any funds to throw at this, but there are folding tables, pull out couches, etc. that might help solve this. Also wall hung shelves, better lighting, etc. might improve the overall atmosphere.
Maybe get rid of the coffee table for now just to free up space?
Could you make your bedroom the office and the living room the bedroom? Then your office would be a place you could leave, and allow you to have a non work area....remove your bed (would need a place to store it, I realize), set up with work spots for both of you and keep any clothes, storage, etc. it that room. Then, get a pull out couch or futon and make your living room a kind of studio apartment . Get rid of coffee table and get a small dining table....
If none of that is feasible, at the very least clean off the work table at the end of the day so you can have a proper eating spot. Having your work stuff always accessible makes it more difficult to keep away from it, so figure out a way to shut down for real at the end of the day.
Any change in the environment would probably help things, minor rearranging, maybe changing up art work, or adding a floor rug would be worth trying.
Good luck to you.
posted by rhonzo at 12:11 PM on January 30, 2021
Not sure if you have any funds to throw at this, but there are folding tables, pull out couches, etc. that might help solve this. Also wall hung shelves, better lighting, etc. might improve the overall atmosphere.
Maybe get rid of the coffee table for now just to free up space?
Could you make your bedroom the office and the living room the bedroom? Then your office would be a place you could leave, and allow you to have a non work area....remove your bed (would need a place to store it, I realize), set up with work spots for both of you and keep any clothes, storage, etc. it that room. Then, get a pull out couch or futon and make your living room a kind of studio apartment . Get rid of coffee table and get a small dining table....
If none of that is feasible, at the very least clean off the work table at the end of the day so you can have a proper eating spot. Having your work stuff always accessible makes it more difficult to keep away from it, so figure out a way to shut down for real at the end of the day.
Any change in the environment would probably help things, minor rearranging, maybe changing up art work, or adding a floor rug would be worth trying.
Good luck to you.
posted by rhonzo at 12:11 PM on January 30, 2021
I eventually reached the point where I needed to accept that this was no longer a short term issue with a definite end date, and needed to spend money* to get my space more suitable for the current situation.
*For instance, I hung a curtain to provide a visible separation between my sleeping and working space.
It sounds like your dining room table isn't really working for you right now, and it's probably going to be awhile before we will be eating indoors with folks outside our bubble. Perhaps your current needs would be better served by desks/ tables that are more flexible. For instance, there are folding desks, standing desks, secretary style desks (where one can close off the desk during non work hours), repurposed desks, extendable tables, and so on. A murphy bed would be another way to use space more efficiently, but working where you sleep could increase the difficulty of separating the two.
Also just throwing this out there... have you considered converting the bedroom into the office, and turn your living room space into a "studio" apartment configuration?
posted by oceano at 12:48 PM on January 30, 2021
*For instance, I hung a curtain to provide a visible separation between my sleeping and working space.
It sounds like your dining room table isn't really working for you right now, and it's probably going to be awhile before we will be eating indoors with folks outside our bubble. Perhaps your current needs would be better served by desks/ tables that are more flexible. For instance, there are folding desks, standing desks, secretary style desks (where one can close off the desk during non work hours), repurposed desks, extendable tables, and so on. A murphy bed would be another way to use space more efficiently, but working where you sleep could increase the difficulty of separating the two.
Also just throwing this out there... have you considered converting the bedroom into the office, and turn your living room space into a "studio" apartment configuration?
posted by oceano at 12:48 PM on January 30, 2021
So, if you already have a smartphone, I’d try to source a google cardboard or something similar. This, along with a pair of noise isolating headphones (Not cancelling, like, in early monitors, or earbuds covered with high decibel protection deadphones), and start cruising YouTube VR channels. It’s not true VR, but if you can isolate sound and your vision, and just lay down and zone in some new, life like scenery, it can help. It’s not perfect, but for close quarters being able to duck out and simulate another sensory experience can be quite helpful.
posted by furnace.heart at 1:13 PM on January 30, 2021
posted by furnace.heart at 1:13 PM on January 30, 2021
Seconding reclaiming your dining table at the very least for the weekends. I give myself a hard stop at 5pm on Fridays and dismantle my work setup and literally tuck my monitors behind the TV and put the laptop under the couch. I am able to turn off notifications on my iPad for work on the weekends, so there's no new count of emails to suck me in.
Dismantling the 'bad corner' really does help. And it goes faster than I expected. It's also a nice little ritual to deliniate personal time vs work time. Sometimes if I'm having a lighter week I dismantle it every night, but if I have a 8am meeting usually leave it up.
posted by larthegreat at 1:15 PM on January 30, 2021
Dismantling the 'bad corner' really does help. And it goes faster than I expected. It's also a nice little ritual to deliniate personal time vs work time. Sometimes if I'm having a lighter week I dismantle it every night, but if I have a 8am meeting usually leave it up.
posted by larthegreat at 1:15 PM on January 30, 2021
The start of next week marks Imbolc in the Celtic calendar. The Celts believed that each season had its birth while the land seems to be in the grip of the season before - and by this token, Imbolc marks the the first day of spring. The arrival of the first lambs and snowdrops is a time to light candles against the dark to spring clean, to plant the first seeds. It was time to watch nature closely - the vigilance for animals coming out of burrows, give us Groundhog Day - the release from the purgatory of winter to something else.
This year, the arrival of spring seems particularly important: longer days mean more sun and vitamin D to protect us, they coincide with the roll out of vaccines, movement towards a time when we can spend more time outside. All bad news for Covid-19 and good for us. So - track the arrival of spring and bring frequent reminders inside into your home. For me, I like apps like Seek that let you photograph the emerging plants and animals - while telling you what they are. Plant a few seeds in a tray somewhere and cherish the optimism they represent.
posted by rongorongo at 1:30 PM on January 30, 2021
This year, the arrival of spring seems particularly important: longer days mean more sun and vitamin D to protect us, they coincide with the roll out of vaccines, movement towards a time when we can spend more time outside. All bad news for Covid-19 and good for us. So - track the arrival of spring and bring frequent reminders inside into your home. For me, I like apps like Seek that let you photograph the emerging plants and animals - while telling you what they are. Plant a few seeds in a tray somewhere and cherish the optimism they represent.
posted by rongorongo at 1:30 PM on January 30, 2021
My partner and I both have been working from our one bedroom apartment home since our area has been in more or less constant lockdown since March 2020. We have no patio or balcony. Here's what's helped us:
We each have a small work desk that fits our respective laptops with an external keyboard, mouse, and monitor setup and not much else.
Our work desks face each other and sits between one wall of the living room and the backside of the couch. This allows for the workstations to be mostly or completely out of direct view when we are relaxing on the couch. Alternatively, I have considered putting our eating table behind the couch.
We have decent task chairs for our home workstations.
Getting right-sized furniture for our space really reduced the feeling of fighting for space in our home. Also eliminating any furniture that wasn't pulling its weight in utility.
Related, we have no coffee table. The space between the couch and the tv is where I do yoga or push ups.
We use headsets for our work meetings to avoid exposing each other to additional auditory distractions.
Prior to Covid we purchased a couch with the express intention for it to be comfortable enough for a guest (or ourselves) to take a refreshing nap or sleep overnight.
There is another small desk with an old laptop in the bedroom for when one of just needs the additional privacy/space. The old laptop was a retired ThinkPad that got a Covid refresh with a new network card, faster hard drive and additional faster RAM.
Having the small desk in the bedroom and the couch which acts like a bed in the living room gives us more options for "escape".
Our eating table is on one end of our living room. We keep it (reasonably) clear so its ready to go for mealtime or the occasional hobby project.
The space off of the kitchen where an eating table would normally go has become part of our expanded kitchen/pantry area. This makes food prep easier/less stressful. Anything easier/less stressful during Covid (and all) times is a win in my book.
Related, reducing the obstacles to food prep means I'm eating more balanced meals at home more frequently. I had been relying on too much takeout or endless quesadillas made in the microwave and my mood and body revolted in response.
Increasing regular access to sunshine where possible during the winter has really helped my mood.
Related, improving the lighting situation for both living and work has made a meaningful difference. This can balloon into a real project if you let it, but even the addition of a strategic lamp with a decent quality LED lightbulb helped reduce my experience of eyestrain, headaches, and fatigue. My advice is to not cheap out on lightbulbs if you can help it.
Over time we converted to the Philips Hue system of light bulbs in our living room and bedroom to give us flexibility on the color of our lighting (daytime versus evening) and brightness levels. Our apartment is old and lacks many amenities, so focusing on lighting makes our place feel cozy and is more practical than moving somewhere with nicer amenities.
We made upgrades in general where warranted - such as a new mattress to replace the busted one that was hurting my back. Or procured items that are useful but we lacked - such as more kitchen towels that are usable so that we always have kitchen towels handy for drying hands.
Some of these things are specific to working from home everyday. Other things are focused on increasing quality of life in a way that brings increased comfort and well-being and reduces everyday stressors when internal resources are so easily sapped during the lockdown life. Some of these choices (like the couch) were made leading up to lockdown that just happen to support a WFH lifestyle.
It also helped that we had primarily crappy furniture and home items and slowly replacing those pieces was already a goal of ours.
posted by Goblin Barbarian at 3:20 PM on January 30, 2021 [2 favorites]
Some of these things are specific to working from home everyday. Other things are focused on increasing quality of life in a way that brings increased comfort and well-being and reduces everyday stressors when internal resources are so easily sapped during the lockdown life. Some of these choices (like the couch) were made leading up to lockdown that just happen to support a WFH lifestyle.
It also helped that we had primarily crappy furniture and home items and slowly replacing those pieces was already a goal of ours.
posted by Goblin Barbarian at 3:20 PM on January 30, 2021 [2 favorites]
Though we have more space than you (and I am the only breadwinner), I sometimes need a change of pace. I unplug the laptop from the monitors on the desk and work from the bed. I’m used to using a laptop for everything outside of work, and my desk setup mimics my “normal” office setup. It’s not good for all day, as my work requires a lot of open windows, but for brief periods and some types of tasks it works well.
My point is, take a break from the monitors, use the laptop as a laptop now and then.
posted by lhauser at 9:05 PM on January 30, 2021
My point is, take a break from the monitors, use the laptop as a laptop now and then.
posted by lhauser at 9:05 PM on January 30, 2021
Just thought of something else.
Can you buy a different lamp, with a different color temp, not tye warm yellow of home, but more cold white of office (or if your light's adjustable, even better). Then let your family / partner know that when the "work" light is on, try not to bother you unless it's an EMERGENCY, not for trivial stuff like "honey do" lists, unless you're on break, or "outside" of your "office" area / seat.
posted by kschang at 1:20 AM on January 31, 2021
Can you buy a different lamp, with a different color temp, not tye warm yellow of home, but more cold white of office (or if your light's adjustable, even better). Then let your family / partner know that when the "work" light is on, try not to bother you unless it's an EMERGENCY, not for trivial stuff like "honey do" lists, unless you're on break, or "outside" of your "office" area / seat.
posted by kschang at 1:20 AM on January 31, 2021
Hey, another plague islander here. Things that are helping me:
Putting away visible work stuff at end of day really helps if you can do it - I’m working at a desk I normally use for arty things and realised a few months in that I hadn’t painted anything for ages because I didn’t want to spend time there.
The Hue lights on bright daylight settings have helped when I often work late. Switching them over to a nice warm glow definitely signals to my brain that work is over.
We have a daily team video call at work, last week my boss suggested that if things are getting hard and I haven’t been out in daylight for days (usually for me it’s weekends only), that i could try going for a walk while dialling into the call voice only. I’m going to try it this week.
I’ve been hoarding annual leave hoping that I’d be able to use it for something, but reality is that isn’t going to happen anytime soon. So I’ve been booking random days off and doing very little, just really really unwinding, it feels pretty good.
It’s been nearly a year now, just recently it has felt harder than ever. Still, the vaccine is coming, warmer days to go outside more are coming. Hang in there!
posted by ElasticParrot at 4:54 AM on January 31, 2021 [1 favorite]
Putting away visible work stuff at end of day really helps if you can do it - I’m working at a desk I normally use for arty things and realised a few months in that I hadn’t painted anything for ages because I didn’t want to spend time there.
The Hue lights on bright daylight settings have helped when I often work late. Switching them over to a nice warm glow definitely signals to my brain that work is over.
We have a daily team video call at work, last week my boss suggested that if things are getting hard and I haven’t been out in daylight for days (usually for me it’s weekends only), that i could try going for a walk while dialling into the call voice only. I’m going to try it this week.
I’ve been hoarding annual leave hoping that I’d be able to use it for something, but reality is that isn’t going to happen anytime soon. So I’ve been booking random days off and doing very little, just really really unwinding, it feels pretty good.
It’s been nearly a year now, just recently it has felt harder than ever. Still, the vaccine is coming, warmer days to go outside more are coming. Hang in there!
posted by ElasticParrot at 4:54 AM on January 31, 2021 [1 favorite]
I'm also a plague islander, but have more space at home so my experience isn't so relevant there. The main thing I want to suggest is stopping work at a more definite point. By which I mean taking a decent length lunch break, ideally leaving the house for some exercise/daylight during lunch, and finishing work at a specific time at the end of the day and not doing any more work until the morning.
Now, you might not be able to do this in exactly the way you would prefer due to the requirements of your job/boss, but setting aside definite 'not at work' time is tremendously helpful, even if that time isn't as long as you would like.
posted by plonkee at 11:25 AM on January 31, 2021 [1 favorite]
Now, you might not be able to do this in exactly the way you would prefer due to the requirements of your job/boss, but setting aside definite 'not at work' time is tremendously helpful, even if that time isn't as long as you would like.
posted by plonkee at 11:25 AM on January 31, 2021 [1 favorite]
This thread is closed to new comments.
Here's one group that absolutely has
tips from submarines about living in tight quarters
posted by BadgerDoctor at 6:21 AM on January 30, 2021 [5 favorites]