Don't feel bad about taking a break

When you're busy, it's difficult to take a break and spend a little time doing something apparently unproductive, but I've just read this report which justifies it.

I've often said that I do my best thinking when I go out walking. I've treated a break for knitting or a little surfing as a treat or a rest, but maybe these things also have real productive value.

http://www.wired.com/wiredscience/2012/01/how-do-we-identifiy-good-ideas/

work / life balance

I've just read this in a fascinating list of business failure post-mortems:

Make an environment where you will be productive. Working from home can be convenient, but often times will be much less productive than a separate space. Also its a good idea to have separate spaces so you’ll have some work/life balance.

I certainly don't have a separate space. And it's true, distractions can spoil productivity. But those distractions are things like Facebook (which I now try very hard to keep closed) and new emails popping into my inbox (which are always far more compelling that what I'm working on at the time).

Those are things which would still be a problem if I had a separate space. Not related to the fact that my home is my workspace and vice versa.

But the really fascinating thing is that the article made me think about productivity and I'd written this post before I really noticed the bit about work/life balance.

And now I have, I still don't think there's much to think about. Sometimes I work, sometimes I live and do whichever I feel is appropriate at the time, and that's not a problem at all.

Day off!

Yesterday I took a whole day off. Anyone employed is probably thinking 'so what', but for the self-employed it is a big deal.

We have to consider whether to shut up shop or get cover. Weigh up the risk of missing something important while away. Plan the job of catching up on return. We also have to manage customers who won't go along with it ("your website says you're closed tomorrow but is there any chance....")

It triggers all sorts of emotions. Excitement in a 'naughty bunking off' kind of way. Worry about the risks and the catching up. Enjoyment of a change from the routine.

I do find that getting out of the routine and physically away from the work allows the mind to see the bigger picture and thoughts, ideas and plans all flow much more freely. This makes the cost of taking time off seem more like an investment.

Trying too hard?

In last week's Thinking Allowed on R4 (and followed up this week), Laurie Taylor covered the subject of working from home, or 'flexible working'.

The main focus of the discussion was whether people feel over-conscientious about sending and receiving emails and phone calls, just to prove that they're actually working.

I think this arises from some scepticism among colleagues about those who are not in the office (hence the title of this blog).

I find it easy to be distracted by social networking or (if I'm desperate for a displacement activity) some housework. I assume that the temptations are the same for others, but being self-employed means that I don't have a conscience about it. Time I spend working I'm earning, time I spend when I'm distracted I'm not earning, and the mix is entirely up to me.

I regard it as being the same as clocking on for an intense 8 hours and then being clocked off for the rest of the time. It's just that the time is more mixed-up.

It's a flexibility I like. A perk of being responsible for my own income.