Home Offices Space and Organisation
How many of you, like me have been working from home and playing musical chairs … trying out different areas of the home to work in.
Moving dining tables and sideboards and contemplating clearing out the spare room, Stacking books on the coffee table and moving lamps around the kitchen.
If you have been working from home since the first lockdown then you may have gotten over the initial issue of working alongside your partner and just getting into a routine with home schooling.
What I hope to do within my blogs this month is to provide some tips and advice that will hopefully make life a little easier during these uncertain times.
It is so important that we have a defined work area and areas of the home for certain things. ie home schooling so that we can ensure that our families continue to thrive.
I recently had the pleasure of meeting with the wonderful Vikki Brannigan of Vorganised.
Top Tips From Vikki
Our homes used to be used about 30% a day – for eating and sleeping. Now our homes are offices, boardrooms, schools, gyms, nurseries, restaurants and quiz venues.
Our house is a home and I don’t have a home office space, I have… a kitchen table. We both work from home and we’ve learned to make it work.
Time Management – Planning your day is key! If there is someone else working at home too, it’s worth knowing their day so that you can manage shared spaces.
Manage the kids and know when it’s safe to put the kettle on! I like to plan my day in hours.
Plan in meetings, tasks, lunchtime and tea breaks. I set hourly alarms to help me manage my time effectively.
If you can, take your tea break outside or even better, could you take an extended lunch and go for a walk or run before it gets dark?
Childcare – if you are both working from home and have kids to home-school or look after and have a lot on, this is how we got through the first lockdown. A typical day would look like this:
Breakfast – all eat together.
Morning – I would look after the girls allowing my husband to work (he would get up before us to get a head start).
Lunch – we all eat together.
Afternoon – My husband looked after the girls allowing me to work.
Dinner – all eat together followed by bath and bed for the girls.
Evening – power hour – to tie up any work-related loose ends and chill.
The key to making this work was communication. Communication between employees and workplace and between adults in the household.
Don’t get me wrong, not every day looked like this, but it gave us structure to work with.
Define expectation: a strong belief that something will happen or be the case. Manage (don’t lower) your expectations. It’s an unusual time for everyone.
We are social beings who love habit and both have been temporarily taken away from us. You are not superhuman and no one wants you to be. Do the best you can – you’re doing great.
Exercise – getting up, getting ready, getting to work, moving around at work, getting home, going to the gym, wandering around the shops, staggering home from the pub.
We move quite a lot, covering a significant number of few steps doing our day to day activities. Everyone knows exercise is good for us – mentally and physically.
I don’t know about you; I have never seen so many people out exercising. Before 2020, we heard: “I don’t have time, by the time I get in from work it’s too late!”
In my opinion, today is the most important day to get out. Break your day up, get some fresh air, get some space and you might even spot something new – I found a post box!
Hands up if you used to have an extended lunch on a Friday or pay day drinks? Those were great little pick me ups. Why have you stopped doing this now you work from the kitchen or home office?
Get your music on – you get to choose what you listen to! Light a candle – you can’t do that in the office! You could do a little treatment like a facemask (no, not the PPE kind!!)
“If you were given a beautiful green flowering plant that was bursting with health and vitality, but you didn’t water it, what do you think would happen to it? It would likely change from being vibrant, healthy and upright to a sad lifeless droopy heap. The same would happen if you gave it coffee, fizzy drinks and wine, instead of water.”
Get your sparkle back, Sally Beaton. – When did you last have a glass of water?
Working from home space – If you can, try and position yourself near some natural light – I love to watch the squirrels in our garden – I would never have seen them if we were working in the office.
Is your workspace inspiring – you will be there for about 8 hours of the day. Check your set up – your body, back and wrists. Can your employer provide any equipment to help you?
Once I have finished my working day, I like to clear what I can away. In the morning, pulling my laptop and notebook out is now my new commute to work.
Can you free a cupboard or drawer for work belongings to be stored in the evening and over the weekend?
Routine and quick wins – routine is key! Create a positive routine – get up, showered and dressed. And I mean properly dressed – get out of pyjamas and wear clothes you could pop to Asda in.
If you get dressed properly you are far more likely to go out for some fresh air. Quick wins – pop a wash on, do some dishes, pick shoes up from the front door or drink a glass of water!!
My favourite – meal planning. This is the perfect time to try some new dishes. Find a recipe to try and do it. Or use the slow cooker at lunchtime and no cooking is required in the evening!!
If you need some professional help organising your home/work space, contact Vorganised for more information.