If it looks like work from home is going to be a permanent part of life, it is past time to really get serious about your work space. Do you have a dedicated workspace? Is it as far away from distraction as possible? If dedicated work space is not available or possible in your home is it time for a move or a hybrid choice of office space? Some decisions may have to be made that are an investment in your career success and in your comfort in your work/life balance.
Light can be helpful or very disruptive. It is an irritation when light hits your computer screen at just the wrong angle and you cannot see a thing! It can also be frustrating when lighting is too dim. Our human circadian rhythm needs natural light to avoid depression and to orient ourselves in the passage of the day. Optimal lighting includes natural light and some ambient light such as a desk lamp. Also consider a ring light for your Zoom, Skype or Team communication. Don't be tempted to work in a dark room, just because your screen is lit up.
Temperature. It is disconcerting to try and work in a cold office. Whether it is a small space heater, a sweater or warm socks, be comfortable! I like to have a cool office with a warm sweater. That is my optimal work environment. Find yours and tweak the artificial environment to your advantage. This summer I did take advantage of some air conditioning, but most my mornings were cool, just with an open window on the shady part of the house.
Privacy. When Covid hit both my spouse and myself began working at home in an open loft situation. It did not take long to find that it was not working well. His booming voice during work calls seemed to coincide with my video streaming just as soon as I began teaching! Within our first year of our working from home experience, we found different housing more conducive to the both of us working from home, and we went through a move to accommodate. Looking back it was the right thing to do, (even though disruptive at the time). Sometimes the law, regulations or industry guidelines require complete client confidentiality and secure document storage which means a lockable, private and secure office space. Consider how much privacy and separation you need to be your most efficient and to do the job.
Desk area. Computers, printers, phone, pen and paper, lights, mics, storage, it can get a bit crowded! Figure out what needs space on your desk and what does not. Do you need a credenza or alternate table space as well as your desk? Do you have multiple activities such as drafting or teaching that require a different space than the business of the day? This may mean dividing your office into work zones for different tasks. I can have a few piles going on at the same time in my office, work and creating can get messy, but everybody needs a work space. It is common sense to have the room you need to function.
Organization. This is not just about space, but it is also about what you really need? Do you need paper copies? Can it be digitalized? Do you have the storage you need. If you have a month end or year end, can items be boxed up and removed from your office? Holding on to too much in your work space clutters the mind, not just the space. My tax items go into a specific drawer and at year end they go to a plastic bin for appropriate storage until their shredding year. If you are relatively new to working at home, discovering the flow of storage can be a life changer! Having a place for everything leads to habitual behaviors. This is a time saver if you always know where your things are.
Noise. To my surprise I have found some people can't work without it! After the hub bub of a busy office, a very quiet and sole home space can be unnerving to many. Background 'white noise' can be helpful and there are ways to accomplish this whether it is a white noise program or music running in the background or even an open window. Some prefer nature sounds and some prefer quiet. I find that it is usually a balance, that needs change throughout the day. A change up in your audio surrounding can be invigorating by the shift your brain makes to reconcentrate. Not too loud though, or you can loose focus.
The Chair. This is one item to invest in. Be comfortable and ergonomic. Carpal tunnel, neck strain, back strain, even jaw pain can come from a bad chair. If you are at your desk, phone, computer for hours on end, your seating/standing arrangement needs to be comfortable and not a stress on the body.
Business Hubs. This is an innovation I am finding of great use at the moment. Small business hubs are springing up in urban neighborhoods and small towns. These are spaces where you can rent an office for a day, by the month or by the year. You can rent a classroom space/boardroom for an hour or two. These facilities will often have a coffee station or have a coffee shop onsite or nearby. Many times there is a reception area that is staffed and gives a professional experience for meeting clients or colleagues. This is one answer to multiple problems that can pop up in a 'work from home' environment. The expense can be quite minimal, it can solve issues of space, privacy and even boredom. A business hub can be a solution if the house is full that day, if you need space for a meeting or just a more professional setting. It is a hybrid that many professionals are taking advantage of to make working from home successful.
Help is at hand. If you are just not great at figuring out how to make this work and you are in the position to do so, hire an organizer or a designer. I am amazed what these professionals can do to help. When I had my office space overhauled, I did not realize I did so many things in my office other than work! An entire cabinet of 'stuff' went into the garage for storage and use in other parts of the home. Freed up space also freed up the mind.
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