[VLM]

Feel like you're on call? Here's one small clearly defined task, get this thing done so I can get back to living?

I've done the on-call / pager thing, and although I work in an office environment with flex time, I've been stuck working in the house due to blizzards and such, so I have some experience with this. Also lots of on line classes.

It might be a total drag, but break down the project into "couple hour" pager / cell phone / emergency feel of tasks, then knock out exactly one task, then go live for a little while. Exercise, or cook/eat, or socialize or whatever, then "pretend" you just got a page and have to work the next task.

I've been on call before, so social issues WRT working at home have not been an issue. You're not "working at home" you "got a call from work"; no one else need know "the call" was just another regular project mismanagement conversation or watercooler gossip.

No need to simulate it down to the point of random alarms on the phone, but if you have to, then do it.