How Lockdown has changed the future of our homes – The Home Office
for the home office
Since March 23rd we have been in lockdown. During this time, we have truly lived in our homes. We have worked, played, slept, cooked, eaten, exercised and taught our own children, all within the four walls of our homes. None of us ever thought we would be asked to do that. Our relationship with our home has changed. Even though we are seeing the easing of lockdown the way we live in our homes in the future will be different.
In this series we will give you tips on how to re-purpose areas in your home to meet these future demands, from creating a new home office to making your home more comfortable, with a focus on emotional and physical well being.
The Home Office
Working from home has come of age because of Lockdown. Our private space has now become public. Our rooms are backdrops to video meetings and conference calls. Balancing a laptop to send an email in the evening is no longer sufficient as we need to spend all day in front of our devices. Above all we need to be professional. We need a designated area for a Home Office, creating a healthy work life balance.
Making a designated space for regular home working.
Top Tip 1
Time to ditch working from the kitchen table. Find a designated area to set up the office so that you don’t need to move everything at the end of the day. Ideally, a small room so that you can shut the door or a tucked away area so that you can concentrate and have few distractions. Visually separate a room, if necessary, by creating two different design zones to help you get the most out of your new workspace.
Top Tip 2
Next ditch the kitchen chair. Invest in a comfortable, adjustable chair and a height adjustable desk. When sitting at the desk your elbows should sit comfortably at right angles on the table and the seat height should allow your legs to be at right angles too. Adjust your chair and table as required. Check out this link for some guidance:
https://www.ergotron.com/en-gb/tools/workspace-planner
Top Tip 3
Sort the storage. Invest in a small cupboard or drawer unit so that you are organised and choose a design that complements your decor.
Top Tip 4
Go professional – sort your background. Check what the room behind you looks like when you are on a video call. Make sure your space is tidy, organised and reflects your style. Check positions of mirrors or windows so that they don’t reflect onto your computer screen. Shut the door, if possible, to keep your children and pets out of the room. Some platforms allow you to add your own background during a call so choose an appropriate picture to display.
Top Tip 5
Ditch the decorative table lamp. Buy a proper desk lamp to give you good overall lighting on the desk, or even better a position near good natural light. This will lighten your mood, keep you connected to the outside world and make you look confident on a video call. Check out this multifunctional, cool lamp:
https://tinyurl.com/ydgznj25
Top Tip 6
Wifi must be good so upgrade and buy a booster if necessary. Get advice from tech savvy friends.
We’ve got plenty of ideas to breathe new life in to your new home office.