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Discussion on: Remote workers, how do you handle at home distractions?

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Nick Karnik

I have my fourth kid on the way and it is a huge challenge especially during the summer vacation. I can resonate with what you said about floating between rooms. My office is upstairs (above the dining room and diagonally above the kitchen). The challenges that I face come in so many forms (kids, animals, tv, door-bell/delivery, kids wanting to play, etc.).

At first, I was just working from home some days or for a few hours. Then, I worked mostly from home for a few years (to a point where my kids would not understand why I would need to go somewhere outside to work).

I tried bouncing between rooms with my laptop. However, it was irritating because I was constantly on the move and you never know when you might need to find another spot. I tried going to the library and sometimes to coffee shops (which was yet another distraction).

I tried working in the yard (but it was not ideal). I tried the car (bad idea!).

The thing that has always worked for me is working later in the evenings and into the quiet hours or the night. I end up being more tired during the day as I hardly get to sleep. However, that's the only thing that works for me. Other than that, I have been thinking about renting a spot at WeWork, but that isn't exactly quiet.

It takes a lot of effort to be disciplined and ensure that I get stuff done on time. I have started to appreciate the benefits of working out of an office.

In the future, I plan to build an office space outside our house so that it is isolated from all the fun that goes on around here.