Last week, I blogged about working in silence versus working with music on, and I stated that I preferred silence for my editing. This week, however, I have not been working in silence. I’ve been working with a much different kind of soundtrack than what I am used to:
BANG! BANG! POUND! POUND! BZZZZZZZZ! GRRRROWWW!
That’s right. My husband and I are getting our tub converted into a walk-in shower, and so we’ve had contractors in our condo most of the week. They began demolition last Wednesday, installed the shower Thursday, and are now working on drywall and painting. The shower doors will be installed two weeks or so from now; for the time being, there is a curtain so that we can use the shower. More drywall will be put up this coming week.
But I digress. I love our new shower and I am incredibly thankful that we were able to replace our tub with it. However, the noise of the project has made for some interesting workdays.
Believe it or not, although unpleasant, the frequent banging, pounding, and drilling is bearable because the contractors have been polite enough to keep the bathroom door (which is right across from the door to our office room) closed and speak to each other softly. I’ve also been keeping the office room door closed. I still sometimes wince when I hear a drill or saw whining loudly, but the contractors can only do so much to keep the noise level down.
And surprisingly enough, having contractors in the condo during the weekday has an advantage.
Normally, during the workday, I sometimes stop my Toggl timer (which tracks how much time I spend working) and go out into the living room and take a break for fifteen or twenty minutes. With the contractors around, however, I’m less likely to do so. This is because they often go in and out of the condo, taking a path through the living room. I don’t want them to see me in there and think that I am goofing off or that I don’t really work. Hence, I’m more likely to stay in the office room and get more work done. If my brain is really fried, I can get up out of my chair and lie on the wall-to-wall carpet in the office room for ten minutes while I recharge. (Not the most comfortable thing, I know, but it does help my mind.)
Have you ever had workers in your home while you were working at home? How did it affect you?