During these challenging times, many of you will find yourself working at home and continuing to work hard to keep the business you own or are employed by operating as best as possible. For many, working from home is a new experience, for others not so much. Those who regularly operate from their own living space will more than likely have a designated area to focus on work, and to be as comfortable as possible throughout the average working day of 7.5 hours.
Using a laptop on the sofa or sitting on the floor will only become uncomfortable after a couple of days, so it does seem sensible to create your own space. Why not use your time at home to create a space for you to work in comfort, allowing you to be more productive and focused. Here are a few things to consider whilst creating your temporary home office…
Consider everything you need in your office
This is one of the most important factors to consider before you begin. So, think to yourself what you need to use it for. You will need enough space to comfortably carry out your job, sit in a good position and have an area for your paperwork and stationary. Therefore, here are a few things to consider:
Computers
Many of you will already have your own PC or laptop – you may have even been provided equipment by your employer. Either way, make sure your new space has enough room for your equipment, has access to plug sockets and where wires can be safely tucked away.
Administration Space
During this time, the majority of communications and work will be carried out online, but keep any paperwork or folders tidy and easily accessible. Have a small area where you can work away from your PC or laptop. It’s better to have a clean and organised space so you can operate to your full potential.
Break Out
You will not be meeting with people during the lock down, but it’s a good idea to consider having a seating area near to your desk, allowing you to take regular breaks and change how you’re sitting.
Furniture
You will need to consider the size of your desk or use a small table from your home, how much storage space do you need? Placing furniture with access to plugs? If you can, avoid using your kitchen table or worktop, and continue to use these to prepare meals, eat and relax. As you will be spending a considerable amount of time at home, it’s sensible to have functional areas kept tidy.
On a whole, it is all down to personal preference and allocating yourself the space you will need and making use of suitable furnishing and equipment to get the job done. So, make a list of what you need to do to start pulling it together.
Creating a Healthy Work Environment:
Creating a healthy work environment is paramount, so your workspace must be designed in a way to ensure you are comfortable and there are no health & safety risks. Another factor you will need to consider is lighting. Bad lighting can cause eye strain and will cause permanent damage. Therefore, ensure you have enough light to see comfortably. It’s also important that you have a source of natural light coming through a window so position your desk in a place which offers you natural lighting.
Why not paint your new space?
When we think about colour psychology, we often dispute the idea but in fact it is very real. All colours can offer a different sense of feeling. As we cannot leave our homes and you have spare time on your hands, you could even go so far as paint your new office to ensure it’s as comfortable a space as possible. You might have paint in your garage or loft that can be used up. Using specific colours on our walls can have an impact on how we feel. Here’s some ideas…
Cool Colours: Colours such as blue, violet and darker greens are considered cool colours. They are often associated with the feeling of peace and relaxation. Although this may sound great for your office, this colour palette can be distracting.
Neutral Colours: Dominant in nature, lighter greens are considered a neutral colour along with white and grey. We are often comfortable in green surroundings as it follows us wherever we go. I’m sure you already know, green has an organic, fresh, restful feel to it and can increase concentration. The colour on a whole would be perfect for the office and will enhance the balance of an office space. Likewise, white and shades of grey are comfortable colours, which depict the feeling of comfort.
Storage Space
Storage can come in the form of shelving, filing cabinets, bookcases etc. All of these can be utilised and put home in your office to provide easy access to stationary and other resources. There are many ways in which you can create your temporary office, just by using items you already have in your home.
