How to Create Your Own
Home Office
Let me preface this by saying that since moving into Frowhome, Alex and I are lucky enough to have our own home office space but for years we worked practically on top of each other from bedrooms, spare rooms, living rooms and dining tables. Basically we worked anywhere we could make a space our own and continue with some sense of normality and routine.
I've found over the years it completely depends on my mood as to where and how I need to work and recently with my routine being turned upside down and so many work changes being taken out of my control, I've needed a little more structure in my working day.
That doesn't always mean that I need to sit at a desk from 8am until 6pm to be productive but I am finding I need to tick off a small list of necessities before I can open up my laptop and really get my day started.
So here's what I've discovered being self employed and working from home over the last few years and hopefully no matter the space you're working with, a few of these tips might help you too!
Find a Little Daylight
This is top of the list for me and one I try to accomplish no matter where my office for the day is going to be. Whether I'm at the dining table, at the kitchen island or starting emails in bed (which admittedly happens far more than it should do) a little daylight always boosts my mood and in turn my motivation. Living in England I'm acutely aware that even in Spring and Summer sunshine isn't guaranteed but even just being close to a window and some fresh air makes a huge difference. Even more so now us non essential workers are indoors 7 days a week, being close to a window is a luxury I feel I need.
Get Comfortable
No judgement here on what this means to you right now, especially with so many things being out of our control. Working from home for the foreseeable might mean a little rejig before you can work out what's best for you but whether that's a space at the dining table, a desk in your bedroom or simply your lap on the sofa take the time to get comfortable. Comfortable for me is ensuring I'm wearing something put together but not rocking sleepwear, picking a spot in the house that feels calm and relatively quiet and setting up in a space where I don't need to get up and stretch every 15 minutes from feeling hunched over. The right level of comfort is key.
Remove Any Distractions
Hands up if you're a procrastinator too? Hands up if you're not normally a procrastinator but you certainly are right now? I am the queen of procrastination if the opportunity arises and infact if I was to hazard a guess, I'd say I've stepped away from this blog post at least 3 times in the last hour... make that 4 actually as I've just ironically scrolled through Instagram for 20 minutes... No matter what space I'm working from though, my immediate area has to be free from distractions - no TV, no messy cables, no loud music and if possible periods with no phone. A tidy space always equals a tidy productive mind.
Make it Your Own
If you're lucky enough to have your own space with a small desk to work from right now, it might help to add some bits that make it feel your own. Perhaps a real plant, some artwork, even something as small as a pen pot to keep things tidy - putting my personal stamp on a home office set up has always given me the motivation to keep a routine. In our first London flat I had my little dining table with fresh flowers every week, in our second London flat I had my own desk with photographs scattered around and now I have our home office with Inthefrow memorabilia - always something that brightens my space. Personality always helps me to stay motivated.
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