How To Create A Sanctuary Fit For Working From Home
Have you found yourself working from home, now that the global pandemic has forced us all to shelter in place? This new way of living can put us through a roller coaster of emotions! Whatever the emotions you’re experiencing in any given moment, let me assure you that you’re not the only one feeling that way! The proverbial, “we’re all in this together” rings true.
Did you know? I haven’t always worked from home. Up until 4 years ago, I was getting up in the morning, getting dressed and going TO work for the day. Working from home was an imaginary idea until I started my own business as a Professional Organizer.
Though working from home was a choice I made when I entered into the fantastical world of entrepreneurialism, I know that this has become the NEW NORMAL for many of you; a new lifestyle that has been imposed upon you and your family, thanks to Covid-19. Your kitchen and bedroom are now your home office. Your dining table has turned into a classroom. Your living room is now your yoga studio. There’s much that is out of our individual sphere of control; where we can / can’t shop, who we can / can’t visit, services we can / can’t access, just to name a few.
So, what CAN we control?
Our space. Our home. Our sanctuary.
I’ve pulled my Top 3 Tips for How To Organize A Work-From-Home Sanctuary. Your Work-From-Home Home, if you will. This is based on my very own personal experience of setting up the most ideal home office and from working with countless clients over the years.
1. Determine your FEELINGS goal.
Yes, your feelings. How your home makes you feel plays a big part in your overall well-being. Pre-Covid-19, your home was the place you returned to after a long day at work. Now, your home is the place that you work in AND live in. When it comes to being able to work from home, you want your home to support your need to be productive and creative. Perhaps even quiet and free from distractions.
- Annoyed?
- Distracted?
- Relaxed? Maybe too relaxed to work?
- productive? Ok. What do you typically have in the work-place that you can mimic/duplicate at home?
- Calm? Ok. What can you introduce into your home to give you this sense of calm? Soft music? A door you can close? A routine for the family?
- Supported? Ok. What does that look like for you?
Once you’ve figured out how you feel now vs how you want to feel, you can start working towards creating a space that helps you to FEEL the FEELS that you want.
2. Location, location, location.
This was a biggie for me when I was figuring out how to organize my home office space. Here are some key things to consider when choosing the ideal spot for working at home:
- Natural light – working near a window where you have natural light and fresh air coming in can do wonders for your well-being, productivity and health. If you can’t find a good spot with natural light, then artificial light is the next best thing. Good lighting is key, my friends!
- Ergonomics – sitting in bed with a laptop is a sure way of getting your back out of alignment and a visit to the chiropractor may be out of the question right now. Where can you sit that can support the ergonomics of your body? Dining table? Couch with a small side table so you can sit up and look at the laptop without straining your neck?
- Privacy – if you can’t close the door to a home office, perhaps you can determine a schedule with your spouse where you trade off care of the kids when you need to close the door to jump onto a Zoom call.
I have a code with my fiancé – if you see the earbuds in my head, please do not disturb (I may not be listening to anything at all but it’s my signal for the need to be left alone). I’ve learned that he can’t read my mind, so I must communicate my needs.
There is no right or wrong spot for working from home. YOU are going to be your best judge of where you feel most productive. Whether you’re working from the garage or from the kitchen island, the next tip is the most important!
3. Declutter your space.
Visual clutter = Mental clutter
You’ll need to remove clutter if you want to feel productive. Once you’ve figured out where you’re going to set up your work station (be it permanent or mobile + temporary), decluttering it will give you mental clarity and you’ll get more done in a shorter amount of time. Depending on where you decide to “set up shop”, here’s what you can do:
- Remove unnecessary items from the kitchen island
- Clear your coffee table
- Recycle old magazines and junk mail
- Put books away
- Take out the garbage
- Do the laundry (and put it away)
I can’t stress enough, the importance of starting off your work day with an uncluttered space. It’s ok if your work space gets messy during the day while you’re in the thick of it all. You should see my desk sometimes! The important thing here is to have a home for everything so you can put it all away once your day is done.
My friends at Good Space Plans Online are offering a special package to help you with redesigning your space to accommodate the dual function that it needs. Here’s a lovely message from them:
Chances are the space you’re using in your home right now has become a smorgasbord of functions. Your living room is now a gym; your dining room a classroom; and the once-forgotten nook in the corner of your bedroom is now a home office. You might become aware of how easy it is to get lost in the clutter and hubbub of it all. But fear not. We believe in optimizing every space to fit our client’s personality and needs. That’s why we’ve developed a brand new “Home-Life” Discount Package to serve you.
The Home Life Discount Package is taking $500 off our regular “Your Space” package, starting as low as $800 per package. This discount is available until the end of May.
It’s our way of helping you create more function and style in the space you spend all of your time in, especially now when we’re being asked to stay indoors.
Don’t know what to do with your clutter? SOS My Space is stepping into the wide wide world of Virtual Organizing. Give me a shout and let’s set up an online virtual clutter coaching session for you. There are packages for all budgets and needs.
xoxo
Quincilia Siah
Your Clutter Coach
Thank you Quincilia! I’m in the planning process of converting a bedroom into my home office. Thinking about how I want to feel in my office made me rethink some of my plans. What an important tip as how you feel while working has such a powerful impact!