Working from home has become a new reality for a lot of us due to the rapid spread of the novel coronavirus across the globe. And while it’s been a major adjustment for most of us, we’re also about four months in and getting to the point where things feel like they’re starting to normalize. We don’t know how long it will last, but working from home is going to be a major part of many peoples’ lives for the foreseeable future.
With that in mind, there are some ways to work from home more successfully than not. Here are some tips on creating the perfect work from home space for yourself.
- Set up a comfortable space for yourself. Seriously, this is the best time to invest in a good, comfy chair. And not just something soft and squishy, but something ergonomic that you can easily work from without hurting your shoulders, neck, back, or wrists. You’ll want to carve out a specific place in your home if you don’t already have an existing home office to work out of. Having natural light is massively helpful for your mood, and making sure that you have privacy from others in the home (or nosy neighbors) will save you additional stress.
- Adapt your small spaces accordingly. Of course, the above is just not possible for everyone, especially those who live in small apartments. If that’s the case, it’s still important to designate a workspace for yourself, such as a kitchen table or part of a bedroom that you can work from. Have space in your home that you can dedicate to work and other spaces that you can dedicate just to relaxation and home chores will make all the difference.
- Create boundaries between people you live with. Similar to creating a designated space where you work, you’ll also want to make sure that anyone you live with is respecting that space and giving you the time you need to get work done. It’s especially important to set this up if you have children and are expected to check in to work meetings via Zoom or another video platform regularly. While everyone will excuse a kid bumbling through in the background, it might get to be a problem if it happens too often (just read the room in your workplace and see if it’s something they would make allowances for or now).