Work from home but better
Remember how we were all told that the lockdown was for only a month, and offices would reopen soon? Here we are a year-and-a-half later still working from our homes. WFH brings with it a whole new set of challenges you might have never experienced while hustling in your office. The biggest hindrance perhaps is converting our comfortable homes into a professional work base. A dedicated workspace can be a huge help in achieving a work-life balance and being productive.
Every self-appointed work from home office should motivate you to work and be present in that space. How to do that you ask? Man’s Life is here to help you with a list of decor ideas for your home office.
Research says that everyone should keep their working space separate from the space they relax and sleep in. Not everybody has the luxury of having a study room for themselves. For those working in a different city and living with roommates or if you are part of a joint family, WFH has a totally different definition. Having at least four people working simultaneously through the day, can be chaotic and distracting in equal measure. Screen or room dividers are ideal to create a partition for privacy and to compartmentalise your room. This way, you’ll have your own work area at home separate from the rest of your family or roommates.
If you have figured out a dedicated workplace, invest in a desk next. Get yourself a desk that is conducive to your needs and has ample space to fit your laptop, coffee mug, phone and your notebook at least. If you’re not keen on investing in full-blown new furniture for your house, buy a sofa-laptop desk instead. This way, you can work from your couch and still have a tablespace that reminds you of the office.
If your job requires you to sit in one place for hours taking calls and shooting mails, a comfortable chair is a must-have. Choose a chair that is ergonomically designed, matches your overall feel, but above all helps you maintain a good posture through the day. If you don’t want to spend extra money on a new chair—buy yourself a handy chair accessory like a back-support mesh or comfortable cushions.
Depending on how late into the night you work, your workspace must be able to provide you with ample light to keep you going. Having a desk lamp or a LED table lamp will provide enough light. If your home office/space doesn’t have enough natural light, then having the right light sources helps in keeping your energy levels high and prevents you from straining your eyes, keeping your eyesight in check.
Make your walls work for you. Motivation is the driving force for productivity and it’s greatly inspired by what’s around you. Drab walls can get monotonous and bog you down. You need a workspace that invigorates you, makes you enjoy the time spent in your work area. If you are somebody who likes visual cues or gets cerebrally motivated—find yourself artworks and typographic prints to adorn your walls. Paint the wall in a colour you like, get personalised artwork, put up family pictures—the options are endless!
Ever gotten yourself a cup of hot coffee to start your day with, but forgotten all about it while reverting to mails only to find it cold an hour later? An electric cup warmer is what your desk needs. Place your cup on it and watch it bubble away without you even getting up from your chair. If that is not the privilege of WFH we don’t know what is. Take a breather while sipping coffee, soak in some sights from your balcony or windows and walk around for 10 minutes, and get back to your desk, recharged.
A cable organiser is an absolute essential for your desk. Your table holds enough electronic items to have it swarming with cables all around. Investing in a decent cable holder, organises your workspace leaving ample area on your desk for other important stuff. Now you won’t have to frantically search for one end of the cable while holding the other and even trying to figure if it’s the right one in the first place! One less thing to worry about!
Productivity increases when you take short breaks throughout the day. WFH has made it difficult to set boundaries between home and work. So, keeping yourself in check is a necessity. Set a timer on your desk clock for 30 minutes and work till the buzzer goes off, take a break for ten minutes and start over. This technique helps you work without any distractions, which in-turn helps you focus better. You can now enjoy your time at home by finishing work on time without procrastinating.
Your home office space should be a reflection of yourself and the work you do. There are plenty of options out there to make up your home office the way you like it. A workspace tailor-made to suit your needs will not only help in making WFH bearable, but also increase productivity and focus.
[All Image Credits: Shutterstock]
Shraddha Shetty