7 things to Set Up a Home Office during a Pandemic

I hope each and every one of you are staying safe, calm and sanitised. In stressful times as these it is imperative to be productive and focus on being positive and effectively occupied. If you can work from home thats great! but working from home is not as easily done as said.

After my Baby was born I restarted work from home immediately and it was a roller — coaster. It was the most challenging yet rewarding experience that I still use the learnings from. I worked from home for 3 years before starting to go regularly to office / studio. It helped me ease in and go into my lifestyle change slowly while continuing to be a hands on mom even today — my daughter is now 9 years old.

Home ; as the definition goes “the place in which one’s domestic affections are centered.” Basically thats where the heart is. Separating and keeping a balance between the heart and mind has been a constant struggle for the human race.

WORKING from HOME is easy and perfect on one hand — and — impossible and frustrating on the other.

The only way it is possible to do any kind of PROFESSIONAL WORK at home is to separate out only two things.

1. Designated Space

2. Designated Time

My Table with my teal lamp near the window — all from Ikea India. My Mug from Nicobar. Notebook from Moleskin and pen from Lamy — — and no i don’t get paid to mention them :-)

Today I’m talking about the space.

Home Office needs to be a space to be calm and focus. A space where you can turn off the domestic madness and switch on your entrepreneurship. But that is not always entirely possible.

Setting up a focussed Home Office is the first step to start working from home. It doesn’t need to be fancy. It doesn’t need a zillion things. It can be as fancy or as frugal as you choose to make it.

Depending on the work to be done you might need to set up some stuff. Here is a list to get you started.

Our Home Studio with three tables with adjustable heights. The desk in the foreground doubles up as a lil fortress when we need a break — that in another article….

1. A Desk
   to keep your work organised and separate from the rest of your life. Even if you are sharing the space or using the kitchen table, segregating a section of it for your ‘work’ will help you start and restart work as you go through your day. Having to put away ‘work things’ every single time is super painful and letting things be littered across the house also doesn’t leave much mental space for being productive.
2. Supplies
   You will need your supplies stationary, pens etc available and have a place for them. Dedicated supplies for work helps stay on the job and also is a good excuse to plunder your kids stationary or remember to visit the lovely stationary store — when that opens!
3. A Laptop
   even if your work isn’t online or doesn’t need the computer always — this helps. It acts as the mailbox, the research centre, the accounting desk, the organiser and planner, the marketing tool and the colleague to gossip with. Assess your work and see if a printer will be a relevant investment.
4. A phone line — depending on your work you might need a dedicated phone line. I tend to use my mobile phone for it — just because its more convenient than the landline.
   But make sure : NO WHATSAPP! keep professional life focussed.
   Also keep an official-call cut off time will help you keep your sanity and not let work seep into your personal life 24×7.
   A space for calls : Even if it means that you get up and step out to take certain calls. it helps you be and feel more professional.
5. Put up a Sign
   Let everyone in your home and later your neighbourhood know that you are ACTUALLY WORKING from home. They will be less inclined to call you for the new show that is trending or share the juicy just off the shelf gossip brewing on the next floor.
6. Keep Refreshments close
   The water, tea or coffee corner should not be so far away that on the way to get a drink you lose focus from where you were at and need to re program yourself after every break.
7. Light it up
   Make sure the space/corner has enough light to suit your needs and mood. you shouldn’t be straining to see clearly. It will increase your fatigue level. It shouldn’t be too bright that the glare of your laptop is blinding. It should also not be mood lighting that could lull you into slumber. So make sure you try to get it just right.

The Peg Board doubles up as a brainstorming space, a background for videos as well as inspiration.

Additional to this these are a few things that I am really really thankful for having at this time of being restricted to the confines of my Home studio.

1. A standing table — this has really really helped my back and overall helped me stretch out even in stressful times.
2. A fantastic chair — I really resisted spending so much on a chair — but I am really thankful to Roy.Studio for insisting on buying them when he did before this lock down started.
3. www.Zoom.us — yeah everyone is on it — everyone is using it — even my mom is calling me from the other room on Zoom Call.

Our Stress Busting Officer Haku has his view of the world as well.

Make the space as light and energising as possible. For me daylight (shielded by blinds), fresh air and a happy space is important to keep me from straying or getting demotivated.

Some greenery in a nice pot helps me feel good even on days that I don’t take a break. Painting the space a bright lighthearted colour or putting up a nicely done DIY “Home Office” sign is a quick and cheap way to personalising it.