SINCE LAST WEEK, many of you will have found yourselves in a new reality: working from home.
You may now be sharing a space with roommates or spouses, perhaps attempting to keep kids occupied while you manage a video call, and trying to make your new ‘office’ feel workable without the presence of an ergonomic chair or a high-res screen setup.
Parking yourself on the couch from 9-5 for the foreseeable future might seem like a lovely idea to begin with, but you’ll probably soon find that the spot doesn’t exactly encourage productivity.
But, fear not. As a working-from-home veteran, I’ve learned there are some things you can do to make your space more user-friendly.
If you can find a dedicated work spot in your home, no matter how small or makeshift, you’ll be off to a good start. Then, you’ll want to look at some simple ways to make that spot a truly enjoyable place to work, from finding the right cushion configuration to having a designated spot for your coffee mug. Here are my tried-and-tested guidelines…
1. Upgrade your makeshift desk
Not everyone had a home office set up when COVID-19 made its arrival and sent thousands of workers home from their office spaces. Whether you’ve found a piece of plywood in the shed, or borrowed a table from your kid’s room, your ‘desk’ might need a little sprucing. If that’s the case, look for a tablecloth or a sheet, or even a piece of fabric that you can lay over the desk and give it an intentional new look. It does not have to be fancy, but it can help your desk feel cosy and inviting.
2. Lay out your space for each day
Every time you get up from your desk, you’ll run the risk of getting distracted, so avoid that by keeping the essentials to hand – all the bits and pieces you’d usually have on your office desk. Lay everything out in a way that makes sense for the way you work, setting out your laptop, notebook, pens, chargers, Post Its, and anything else you might need during your working day.
3. And have a designated home for your mug of tea/coffee
If, like me, you’re finding that working from home requires more caffeine than usual, it’s time to make that a part of your dedicated set-up. There are two requirements here: you want your coffee or tea mug to be close enough to comfortably reach for it while you work, but you don’t want it to be too close that you risk toppling it onto a laptop keyboard. Find a spot on your desk for a coaster or small placemat that will be your caffeine spot. Line it with a napkin, either paper or fabric, and look forward to a steaming cup to start the day. Or…er, hour.
4. Add strategic lighting
Your new working-from-home set-up could very well be in one of the darker, previously unused corners of your home, and if that’s the case, setting up a light source to brighten your space should be a priority. A dark work space is going to make productivity even more difficult than it has to be. Search around your home for a light that you can temporarily repurpose as your ‘desk light,’ or even ask your friends or family on social media if they have an extra lamp they could leave on your doorstep (or you could collect from theirs) to use for the next while.
5. Cushion your seating
If you’re currently perched on a wooden dining chair or even a hard stool that’s the only thing that fits under your makeshift desk, think cushions. Find a throw pillow you can tuck under your tush to make your work-from-home spot a little more comfy, or even a folded blanket that could bring warmth to your chair situation.
6. Add a few uplifting photos
Photos can work wonders to give us a boost throughout the day. Think of the photo you use as your phone’s home screen; mine makes me smile every time I see it. Find a few photos from around your house, or print one on your home computer and fold it to fit an empty frame. Choose photos that remind you of a peaceful time, like a beach landscape from a favourite holiday or a photo from a big family gathering. Or choose photos that lift your mood — a picture of your kids being goofy (rather than whining in the next room, which they may well be doing for the next few weeks) or a snap from a fun night out.
7. Relocate a plant
There’s something about a plant, even a faux one, that breathes a bit of life to a space. It reminds you of the outdoors when you’re stuck inside during the work day, and it can give you a little sense of camaraderie to have something to keep alive. Most supermarkets are still selling plants, so if you don’t have one around the house, pick one up with your next shop. If you’re not feeling confident in your green thumb, a cactus or a succulent should do the trick.
8. And have a strategy for the afternoon slump
While you probably won’t be able to get much of a change of scenery throughout the day when you’re working from home, you can change up your environment ever so slightly. When you start to hit that afternoon slump, make another cup of coffee or tea, grab a treat from the pandemic stash. My personal favourite is (safely) lighting a candle to change the atmosphere a little. Creating little rituals throughout you can do every day will help add a sense of normalcy and routine to this new temporary reality.
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