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Discussion on: Pants Optional: Working Remotely

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Michael Scott Shappe

I agree with a lot of this. I've also been blessed with a career that has allowed me to work remotely most of the last 7 years or so--and even before that, I often managed finagle random telecommuting days on a semi-regular basis. It's pretty awesome.

There's one and only one part I take issue with...but I also recognize this is entirely a "me" thing and not an "everyone" thing.

I always--always--wear pants if I'm actually working. It's a mindset thing. If I'm at home, and wearing pants, it's work-time. Any other time of day I'm at home, pants are bullshit. But work-time == pants and vice versa.

Similarly, I always start my day with a shower, and all the other routines of someone who is about to go out and deal with other human beings. A shower, almost more than my caffeine addiction, is just part of waking up in the morning--it's not really today if I haven't showered yet.

I eat both breakfast and dinner out a lot of the time--which is not cheap, I'll freely admit. But because I spend my whole day at home otherwise? Getting out of the house is actually a part of my sanity and self-care. Unless it's snowing. Then I stay the hell home :-).

And, as at least one other person in the thread as mentioned, I start and end my day at more or less regular times. Keeping boundaries around "work time" is important whether or not you work in an office!