Hello all,

Since I'm doing Law PhD thesis, I don't need to work at the library. However, I'm not living in the same city of my University and need more than three hours to get there. So I'm working at home.:-( Every day I wake up almost at the same time, I sit alone in the same place, I hardly have my breakfast.... etc. This situation depressed me a lot. I don't know how to control my time. My productivity is very low. Is there anyone in the same situation?

Hello Emaa! Yes I am in a similar situation...I live about 3 hours from the uni, so feel quite cut off from the department. And I sit alone! However I don't mind that when I am writing, in fact it's good, somehow I don't feel isolated then, I guess I am engaging with people. It's the other bits that get to me, I'd like some companionship in what I am doing... maybe we should say hello to eachother now and again! I take it you are an early starter/riser?

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I can understand this issue! I have worked from home a lot and will do so more in future as my job is in a different city to my home (also 2.5-3hours each way!)

Some cities have things like this http://coffeebirmingham.co.uk/superjelly/ for at-home workers. It can be a nice way to get out of the house, talk to people, have a good coffee and hear some gentle background music :) I recommend it!


(Jelly, it appears, is a nationwide thing with groups all over the country, and there may be others like it..)

Hi Emaa,

I was in a similar situation a few years back, and soon enough I found myself working in pyjamas and turning the computer on while I was making my coffee... I felt like a house-troll without a defined life between working and not-working. And of course I started having sleeping issues, because I could not relax in my work place :(

You have probably thought about it yourself too, but if you have enough space you could have a designated study room ? Wake up, have a shower, dress up, put make-up on, have breakfast and go to the room. Or if this is not possible start using the Library. Libraries are great because they have opening-closing hours that can help you organise your life :) (especially crowded libraries with lame internet connection: you need to be on-time to find a seat, and you only use the internet if it is absolutely necessary)

Hello all and thanks so much for your replies!

Eska, I usually wake up at 7 am and directly start working. In fact, as DrJeckyll said, I stay in pyjamas and turn on the laptop in order to work, but I waste my time on the internet :-). What about you?

Thanks Clementine, it’s a great idea but, unfortunetly, there is no similar thing in the city where I live.

DrJeckyll, you exactly described my situation. The closest library to my home is one hour away. However, your advices for working at home are great. I’ll try to follow them tomorrow and write the result here. I'm using to sit on the sofa with the laptop on my lap all the day. I have a study room but I feel :-( when I enter it. It seems that I'm too kind with myself.

Hi Emaa, in the same situation myself although a bit nearer to my university. I don't go in that much because of the cost of petrol, but getting on campus helps keep me a bit more focussed. Setting yourself targets helps of course, and doing a variety of things too.

Thank you DocInsanity. Setting goals is a good idea, but I need to have more discipline to achieve goals.
I need few months to finish my thesis, it is supposed to motivate me, but it does not :-(

Hi Emaa,

I like ot get up early and start work straight away, but lately I've been slacking and keeping irregular hours. Perhaps I will start an accountability thing here and say hello to you on the morning at 7! I too often start work in my pyjamas, or alternatively stay on the sofa in my pyjamas... So I think the advice about getting dressed is good stuff, I would feel in work mode then - or least not quite so much in lounging about mode. Although I do always eat breakfast - porrige or toast and tea.

I too have a small work space. Mine is in my hall, but I find it very effective. I have painted my hall plain white and sit on a nook facing the wall so I have no distractions - I also have no internet access in there, I use an old fashioned cable connection which is only fitted in the living room. I have found that making this a comfortable, pleasant place to be means I look forward to being there and writing, it feels like my special place. I always keep it warm, much warmer than the rest of my flat and I light a scented candle when I am writing, it's a kind of ritual which helps me zone in to my work and leave everything else behind. I use this place for writing only and I go to the living room if I run out of steam, need to do something else or need a break.

I will say hello in the morning, fully dressed I hope!

Emaa is there a public library nearer? I did manage to get chunks of a chapter written in the reference section of a tiny library - for some reason I found a change of scene really helped. Another thing I did when I got really blocked was to move up a trip to an archive that I was going to have to visit at some point. I found that I could work there as I knew that I wouldn't forgive myself for wasting money if I didn't. And when I got back home after a week's absence, I finished the chapter I'd been stuck on for weeks in days.

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Hi Bewildered, thanks for your advice. In fact no near public library to my home. The nearest public library is 30 min away and it opens only three hours a day.

I'll sum up all advices for "working at home":

1- Wake up early.
2- Eating an appeal :-) Because I don't drink coffee.
3- Fully Dress up.
4- Clean the desk.
5- Saying hello to Eska :-) and who wants to join us to motivate each other.
6- Set goals for the day.
7- Working for 30 min and taking break for 5 min (set the timer)
8- Sleep early

Any suggestions?

p.s. my mother tongue is not English, so I'll be happy if you correct me when I do mistakes.

Morning Emaa!

I am, in fact, fully dressed, eating my toast and drinking some tea. My desk is set up in and I'll be doing some writing soon... But I'll be here for abut ten minutes more.

p.s. I am happy to correct you when you make mistakes in English (it is 'make mistakes', not 'do mistakes').

Good morning Eska, thanks for correction :-)
I woke up late today, I had a small breakfast, prepared my tea, fully dressed up (in fact not fully I don't wear shoes ;-) ), I clean my desk and I'll start the first 30 min right now.

Good luck Eska

Hi Emaa, I hope your morning is going well. I've just finished doing some writing and am going to start getting ready for an appointment I have this morning, then shopping with my mum this afternoon... Yes naughty I know.

Glad you are fully dressed, and not dressed up - which would be quite inappropriate for daywear ('dressed up' means either special occasion wear or fancy dress) unless, of course, you are dressed as a banana or similar!

Good luck

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Lol... thanks. So I'm fully dressed ;-) Yes, naughty and a good daughter.
I feel less stress today. It is nice to sit on my desk after a long time. It's so noisy outside, so I turned on some classic music. The first 30 min was good. Today's goal is to analysis some cases and write one paragraph. I cooked last night so I can work until the lunch time.
Now, the second 30 min