Sprint used to have an ad that used a pin drop test to show how clear calls on their network could be. This week I had my own annual pin drop test – the kids are back in school and the silence is deafening.
Working from home you get used to certain routines and work habits. Annette Clancy at Interactions talks about rituals as part of “Staying Sane When You Work From Home:”
Ritualise: Create rituals around the beginning and ending of your work day – this is particularly pertinent if you don’t have an official work space in your home. I sometimes burn different aromatherapy oils to transition from one space to another. Clients of mine dress in a particular way if they are in work mode and another when they are not – simply to create a boundary.
These rituals naturally revolve around the rest of the household – for me, the wife and kids. So during the summer, the routines, along with the noise level, reach new levels of fullness. After about day 5 of summer vacation, I get use to the noise. It becomes part of my office chatter (which sure beats “Corporate accounts payable, Nina speaking. Just a moment… Corporate accounts payable, Nina speaking. Just a moment… Corporate accounts payable, Nina speaking. Just a moment…” and repeat). So when the silence returns, it takes some getting used to.
So I fire up the iPod, invite the snoring dog back into the office, and get ready for a few months of new office rituals.
That sounds wonderful – all I need now is a dog to complete my set up! (thanks for the link)