Over the past month, many of us have found ourselves working from home. For some, this may feel normal, but for others, you might be scrambling. At MKB, we’ve had a lot of experience crafting beautiful, functional home offices and want to share that experience with you to help create a workspace that is both productive and enjoyable.
TIP 1: Designate a workspace or home office.
While seemingly obvious, setting aside designated space for productive work is essential. A big challenge of working remotely is keeping your work and home lives separate. If you aren’t able to physically delineate between the two, your productivity and home life will both suffer. If you are accustomed to going into a physical office every day, try to recreate that space as much as possible. Try reserving a guest bedroom or take over the basement, that way you can set up your desk, work during the day, and walk away when the day is done.
TIP 2: Make your space a comfortable, inviting place you enjoy.
Some of the best home offices we have created have large windows with lots of natural light or scenic views. Adding a comfortable chair, appropriate work surface, and personal memorabilia make the space inviting and productive. Entering your designated workspace will help you turn “on” at the beginning of the day and get to work. On the flip side, leaving your workspace will also help you turn “off” at the end of the day and fully disengage. That’s why it’s important not to spread yourself across your home. While it might seem great to be able to move from desk to couch to bed, if you let your laptop creep into your “home” space, it makes it harder to separate the two.
TIP 3: Create set working hours and give yourself a “commute.”
If you are working from home, it’s likely there are other family members at home with you as well. Give yourself, and them, set hours that you are in your “office”, times when you can be interrupted, and commit to “going home” when you’ve finished working. Not only is it important to keep the routine of your working hours, but your “commute” as well. Your morning commute not only gets you to work—it gives your brain time to prepare for work. Just because you’re not traveling doesn’t mean you shouldn’t carve out equivalent routines to help you ease into your workday. In the same way, your evening commute does the reverse. It gives you time to wind down from a hectic workday and mentally prepare for your evening routine. Consider going on a walk or run, doing a virtual workout, or something simple like enjoying a cup of coffee on the porch, before and after your workday.
In this unprecedented time, it can be hard to find a new normal and a new routine. We are in this together and we are here to help in any way we can. If you have a dream home office or even a dream home you want to bring to life, we can help you! Contact Morgan-Keefe Builders today to get started.
