Working from home and interaction
I have a problem with working from home. I work from home 2 days a week and my job is quite demanding and requires a lot of concentration at most times. My partner does not work but does study from home.
My partner always gets upset with me when I dont always immediately interact with her when she wants to say something and expects me to stop working when our son comes home and to then start talking to him, regardless of what work I am doing at the time.
I feel this is not fair as I have explained to her that there are times when I am deep into something for work and if I stop to do something else then I will lose track and would lose plenty of time having to restart. I am trying to understand that if this is something I must change or should my partner understand.
If it is something I must change then what is the way to change it? Should I just go into the office every day instead?
@Apophis82
Totally Get what your saying. I worked from home for like 2 years at my previous job. Spouse use to do the same thing. we have a dog, which would come in and want me to take him out all the time.
Spouse would come in and randomly start talking and I would be in a Teams Meeting.
For me, I had to establish boundaries. Explained that from this time to this time I am unavailable. As if I am in another physical location.
From this time to this time, I am on lunch we can do whatever.
If there is an emergency that is fine.
If you have a great need, then send me a text and will go from there.
Otherwise, I am unavailable to you.
After explaining this, it took one snap of "I am not here!" and closed the door. Which created some discussion, but at the end. Spouse understood, no J O B means no M O N E Y. and I wasn't being disrespectful, but if I am to work and be at home, during these hours, I am unavailable. After those hours I am all yours.
@Barltik2065
Thank you for this. I am starting to think that it could possibly be because she does not know what it is like to work and especially in a corporate environment.
@Apophis82
More than likely. My Spouse is retired and is home 24/7 with our Puppy (whom is 5 years old, so not really a puppy). So when I was working from home, it was Party Party Party from the puppy and from my spouse.
So I would have to agree that if she has not worked, and not work for Corporate versus DoD or Private, it is a much different culture and work ethic
@Apophis82
The other poster is correct set cold hard boundaries.... and if you have a space to shut off
my spouse worked outside during covid times when most worked from home .... i worked from home and he would come in and turn on TV or start talking to me when i was in meetings/ or doing something that did not have a stop point to chit chat..... i had to go to the bedroom and finish my day as he came home and i had like another hour left.
I had to be direct as say " hey this is not acceptable and what if things were reversed .... he did not take well until one day he did some things from home and i gave him the same respect he had shown me .....
some people do not learn until it hits them in the face.
@Apophis82 I hope you have a private room where you can go and put a sign on the door "Worki Zone, Do NOT Enter" and turn off the phone or put on silent mode.
I try to make lists and do outlines of the projects I am working on so I do not get lost when distracted. I find I need breaks to eat food every couple hours or I lose focus. I sometimes pack a lunch so I do not have to go out of the work room except for the loo (bathroom).
