I am living the dream. I get to stay at home, work and take care of my family at the same time, which is important to me. Being a solitary, introvert type, this arrangement suits me very well. It also gives me a million headaches daily.
It is not guilt-free. I question why I deserve to be this lucky that I don’t have to go out the door to work, and I don’t really take advantage of any of the possible perks. I do not sleep late, do not stay in my pajamas until late afternoon, I don’t take naps in the middle of the day, and I do not allow myself to be sick when I should be working. Unproductive days leave me exhausted and frustrated, and I usually have no one to blame but myself. I am alone at it and always the fault is only mine.
I often wonder what I should do to make this experience a happier and more productive one. I am generally disciplined but easily demotivated. One thing that helps a little is to clearly break the personal or home time from the work time. I change from my pajamas early in the morning, I do my hair (aren’t I something else?) and I put on clothes that make me feel good, like a comfortable dress, warm cardigan and a soft scarf. I make a large pot of coffee and go upstairs to the “office” to start my work day. I am thinking of creating two different log-ins on my laptop, one for work, and one for fun and personal stuff, to keep the two separated. That might help a little. And any bit of help is welcome because this dreamy situation is always going to be a struggle for me.
Maybe you can also set yourself a specific working hours and me/family hours. Since you’re at home you will need to have time to cook, do laundry, etc.