Working From Home
Working from home? Me too!
Since working from home was going to be a short 4 week stint until we flattened the curve I decided to work from the Dining Room table. As the Shelter in Place continues maybe you find yourself trying to adapt one of your spaces as a home office. Since I had worked from home for a short while between offices I had developed some ways to make it work. Here are a few things learned along the way that might help you.
Tip 1: Define your work day
Now that the edges between home and work are blurred a primary concern for me was how to define my work day. A valuable piece of advice received early on was to start and end my workday consistently as if going to or leaving the office. This meant at the end of the day I put away my work things and in the morning I put them out again. I’m a bit obsessed with order so this was a true life saver for me. My work papers fit in a basket that sits neatly on a closet shelf so it was easy to make this adaptation.
If you have a designated office in your home and don’t have to put away your things at the end of the day make sure to leave the office and close the door.
Tip 2: Get Dressed
It is tempting when working from home to stay in your jammies, since no one on Zoom will see your bottom half…don’t give in to the temptation, take a shower and dress for work. You can still wear comfortable clothes that maybe you wouldn’t for the office but make sure it’s not your jammies! This tip will also help you with Tip 1.
Tip 3: Change of venue
When at the office most of us are up and down with trips to a co-worker’s office for a quick chat, to the conference room for group meetings, or the iconic water cooler. So part of managing work at home is to take breaks and change where work is done throughout the day.
If I have heavy work on my laptop, I work from the Dining table (my designated office for now). If it is reading a document or writing a blog, as I am doing now, I sit on the sofa with the I Pad. Having a change in venue and shift in technology has really helped my psyche and my focus...for some reason the I Pad doesn’t distract me the way the lap top does. This has been such a helpful tip for me that when things open up again my first purchase will be a chaise lounge or comfy lounge chair for the office.
Tip 4: No Space for a Big Office create a little one.
If you don’t have the room for a separate office create a little office in a closet, nook, or cranny. Recently when designing a client’s home with 3 growing boy’s they requested designated homework spaces in each boy’s room. Two of the boy’s rooms had ample space for a full desk but the little one’s did not. We were able to design a floating desk in a 36 x 24 recess in his room, it’s the perfect size for him.
Another option is to purchase several tall open bookshelves to separate your work space from your living space or just add a desk to the Living Room or Bedroom. Don’t forget to put away your work things at the end of the day or they will haunt you and lure you back to work.
Tip 5: Designated Rooms
It may be that you like to work at home on occasion or most of the time and want to designate a specific room just for that. For a client we renovated and repurposed an underused small room, being tucked away from the rest of the home it was the perfect space for an office. Another wanted one designed to house his extensive comic collection and as respite from a long work day, for this we were able to utilize space in an oversized garage.
Whether a permanent home office or temporary and you are dedicating one of the rooms in your home as office space built-in custom bookshelves may be out of the question. Be creative purchase some open shelves online and have them delivered to your home. An armoire would also work as well to hide the papers and office supplies. or a low cabinet can work to store documents and supplies and is a perfect spot to set office equipment on top.
Also add a comfortable chair or chaise lounge for more comfortable seating and that change of venue as discussed in Tip 3. Add in a throw rug for sound absorption and warmth, personal items or artwork to personalize the room, and paint the walls to make it yours.
Tip 6: Reward Yourself
Always reward your self at the end of the day, whether you’ve accomplished a lot or just a little. My reward is a trip around my garden, a walk on the beach with my dog, Oliver, and a nice glass of wine to signify the work day is over!