switching off

The spring cold continues, and it got the better of me today. I tried, unsuccessfully, to work, but my brain is as clogged as everything else, so I walked away from the computer and curled up with my lovely warm handmade blanket, a cup of hot tea, and a documentary on China (which interested me more than usual as my parents have just returned from a trip there, although I dozed on and off through it). My lovely mother-in-law came over and cooked up a big batch of corn chowder for our dinner, and another friend dropped by for a cuppa and a chat.

A quiet day, but significant in that I rarely switch off from work completely, and today I made a conscious decision to do just that.

The not switching off is a big downside of working from home - you never really get to leave the office for the night or the weekend. I find it especially difficult to compartmentalise work, home & family, socialising & friends, and 'me' time. Not that I necessarily think they need to be completely separate, but I do believe I need to confine work to certain hours, so I can switch off from it and give other aspects of my life my full concentration. It's something I've been struggling with for quite a few years - some days I get it right, some days it's all jumbled together and I don't really get much of anything done.

I think that may be the key: do one thing at a time, and do it well. Multi-tasking is often seen as a positive thing, but I'm not convinced. I seem to get through far more in a day when I single-task until the job is done, and only then move onto the next thing. It requires a little more planning, a little more prioritising, and a lot more determination, but the results are certainly worth it.

This weekend, I hope to finish a (paid) job I've been procrastinating about, do something I've been wanting to try but haven't made time for until now, get outside and do something fun with the kids, and take some time out to read.