Your Home Office Should Work For You, Not Against You.
It's almost June and things still feel pretty....weird. It feels like a lifetime ago that we were all living our lives, going out freely and not worrying about a pandemic, but here we are. And because of the new normal, there are a lot of people who had to scramble to begin working from home at a moment's notice, and it's looking like the time away from the office will not be over any time soon.
When things started shutting down, I honestly thought it would just be a few weeks. I know that sounds crazy now, especially considering how things have changed, but I had no frame of reference for what we were getting into. I'm guessing you didn't either.
So what do you do when things change drastically and quickly? You adapt. You make do. So you set up your laptop at the kitchen counter or on the couch and you get to work. You try to ignore all of the distractions around your house. But once the novelty factor goes away, it's time to assess whether your working environment is actually working FOR you.
If you were used to working at an office, working from home could be quite an adjustment. I truly believe it can be a good environment for a lot of people - although I struggle with the lack of water cooler conversation, personally - but you need to put in the time to thoughtfully consider your home office/work space and make it really work for you if you want to maximize your joy and comfort during your time working from home.
Spend some time clearing clutter away from your workspace. The more peaceful you can make it, the easier it will be to focus. If you have the luxury of a space with a door, all the better. Then when the work day is done, close the door and be done.
If you're working from your kitchen table/living room etc., make sure that you close your laptop each night and take time away. It is so hard to create a boundary around work and home when you don't have a defined space, but it helps your brain to have a clear breaking point between focusing on work tasks and being off duty.
I'm working on some virtual and in-person consultation packages to help you navigate the home office dilemma, and will get more info out about them ASAP. In the meantime, stay safe and sane!
