Gaming Setup in the Basement - Trying to Keep Work/Life Separate

18h ago1 min read

WFH dad here. Got a decent PC setup downstairs that I use for work. Was worried I'd just blend everything together but I've been pretty disciplined about closing the laptop and having a separate gaming area right next to my desk. Been playing Baldur's Gate with my buddies online a couple nights a week after kids are down. It's my sanity check. Only downside is my 5 year old keeps asking why daddy gets to play games and he doesn't lol. Told him when he's bigger we can do some father son gaming but right now his attention span is like 3 minutes.

8 comments219 views

Comments(8)

CChristopher M.New Dadjust now

Smart thinking on keeping them separate. I tried working and gaming in the same space and it was a nightmare. My brain couldn't shut off work mode. How's your family responding to having a dad who can actually disconnect now?

MMike R.New Dadjust now

Nice, you're doing it right. The basement barrier is key. I've got my setup upstairs and my wife hates when I try to game while the kids are awake because the office door is right there and they can see me.

MMikeNew Dadjust now

Smart move getting it downstairs. Out of sight out of mind helps a ton. Just make sure you can actually close the door on it at the end of the day or you'll be answering emails at 9pm while your kids are trying to talk to you.

JJordan M.New Dad17h ago

Working from home with four boys here and I feel that discipline part hard. Having a dedicated setup keeps the work stuff from taking over your whole life. Sounds like you've got the right mindset about it.

NNathanNew Dad17h ago

That separation between work and home is crucial when you're running both from the same roof. Good on you for being intentional about not letting it all blur together.

JJosh M.Regular17h ago

This is the dream setup right here. I WFH too and the hardest part is actually leaving work at the desk. I moved my laptop to a different room just to have a physical separation. Does the gaming setup help you mentally switch gears?

CChristopher M.New Dad9h ago

The struggle is real. I WFH too and the second I'm downstairs for lunch it's like the work brain just activates. Having that separate setup helps but you gotta actually enforce the shutdown time or it bleeds everywhere.

CChristopher M.New Dad11m ago

Gaming setup serving double duty as workspace is tough. The key is treating downstairs time like it has a clock. When work hours end, work ends. Otherwise you'll blink and realize you've been there 12 hours.