As academics, we are blessed (cursed?) with relatively flexible work patterns, which allow a high degree of personal preference regarding the spaces we work in. When I bring up the subject of working from home among fellow academics, I get a variety of responses, which almost always include a variant or two of this one: working from home is distracting and leads to low productivity. People mention the internet, TV, video games, significant others, children and a whole host of other potential distractions that can ruin a good, solid day of reading, writing, grading, or teaching prep. Admittedly, I have no children and my husband works in a lab, but I have to say, I love working from home. But that love is conditional--there are a number of prerequisites that make productivity possible in my home office.
First, my home office is (mostly) its own space. The office does have to double as a guest bedroom, but most of the time this isn't a problem. It's a dedicated space--when in the room I only work, and, when at home, I work only in the room. We are lucky to live in a relatively cheap Midwestern city where you can afford a two-bedroom apartment on two graduate stipends, and being in a relationship means that sleeping requires only one of these rooms. But even when I was (a) living with roommates or (b) living by myself, I have almost always had, if not an entire room, a space dedicated to work at home. For example, when I lived by myself in a one bedroom apartment, I divided the living room with a couch, creating a work space with desk and bookshelves on one side and a TV room on the other. So, not surprisingly, my first precondition for productive work at home is having clearly defined work spaces.
Second, as one of those old-fashioned humanists (a constant reminder from my scientist husband), reading print on paper is not only a preference, it's a necessity. This provides both motive and reinforcement for home office productivity. When engaged in scholarly writing, I like to be surrounded by the books, articles, and archival documents that I'm using. It's part of my process. While I do, from time to time, schlep the minimum amount of material that I need to the library or a coffee shop, I like having access to my entire collection. But these materials are useless to me (and distracting) if they aren't orderly and easily accessible. So another precondition for home office productivity is a well-organized home library. This current shelving system is Ikea and very affordable--but in the past I've been just fine with a mix-matched collection of shelves ala Craigslist. Bookshelves add practical value to my home office, but, more importantly, they physically and symbolically define the room, feeding the feeling that it's a dedicated workspace.
Third, I've found that I need to dress the part. I won't lie. It's tempting to work in my PJs, and sometimes it happens. But my most productive work from home takes place when I'm dressed for the day. That doesn't necessarily mean that I dress business casual, but I try to put on something I wouldn't mind being seen in at the library or in my department. I'd add just one word to Gottfried Keller's formula--clothes make people
productive. (With a moniker like Herr Doktor don't think I won't bust out an obscure reference to nineteenth-century German lit every now and then!) :)
Finally, I've had to come up with strategies to contend with distractions. In the mornings I have to motivate myself to relocate from the living room (where I have breakfast, play on the Internet, and watch TV) to the office. Once I'm physically in the office space I'm pretty good at staying there and working consistently. Sometimes it's a tough transition, but at least it tells me my spatial boundaries at home are working. Food/coffee can also be a distraction, particularly if I'm writing, so I try to stay in the office, except for lunch. For me the biggest (and cutest) distraction, however, is our mini-schnauzer. She keeps me company while I work, but those sad puppy-dog eyes make it tough not to want to play a game of tug-o-war or take a walk to the local dog park. To compensate for the sad puppy-dog eye effect, I try to make time to take her on a morning run or a short walk outside to chase birds and squirrels at lunchtime.
My love for the home office may not be unconditional, but it's grown with time and cultivation. What's your take? Do you find working from home to be wonderfully productive or woefully distracting? What are your preconditions for working from home?
I think I'm the only person who hasn't yet contributed to the work spaces discussion, so here it is: my favorite work space. Other favorites include Other People's Houses and Offices, but when I start becoming like something out of Gorey's "The Doubtful Guest," I move on over here. It has amazing coffee, pumpkin pie in June, and looks like Hogwarts: The Coffee Shop. It's the perfect place to read The Magicians or work on a syllabus while contemplating the addition of The Magicians. Surely there's a postcolonial angle.
