Ask HN: Has remote work made you procrastinate more?

When you get demotivated and start procrastinating look back at what you did to remind yourself what you can do.

Oh and write lists. Lists are cool. Don’t procrastinate by spending ten hours reading HN trying to find some list software though; just use whatever you have on your phone already (I just use reminders on iOS). Don’t use some outliner software on a PC because you need that on you all day every day.

There are a lot of extra stressors that are involved in surviving through a pandemic, and honestly maybe your goal of not just surviving, but thriving, is unreasonable. Maybe just getting through it so you can kick-start your life on the other side is just fine!

For example, if you were in an accident and had to undergo extensive physical therapy, you'd be a lot more understanding with yourself if you weren't also running marathons at the same time.

Be kind to yourself, OP. This shit is hard and you're doing an important job just getting to the other side of it.

But I transitioned into it from a one year sabbatical in 2014.

The job I had before was full-time emloyment in an open office. I think, I never procrastinated more in my life.

Currently, I'm self-employed. Now, I simply work explicitly less and take time off more often, so the procrastination turned to something more enjoyable.

OTOH when you procrastinate at home you end up working late to make up for it.

Now that we get some stationary lessons, it's going better, and I've got some contact with my peers.

As a result I have more high value deep work days where I can get difficult things done.

The biggest thing is being able to proactively manage my own burnout without a manager physically breathing down my neck.

I have found that maintaining a daily routine is an effective way of dealing with procrastination. I still get those moments of thinking I should be wasting my time rather than doing something productive but knowing that it is only an hour until lunch, or 2 hours 'till nap time helps me push thorugh the tedium.

I have also found that anything that requires creative thinking is best done early in the morning and simple mechanical stuff late in the afternoon.

My easiest rule to adhere to, and my one concession to my procrastinating alter ego, is that from 12 noon until 2pm I can do what the hell I like.

Who says you should do them?