Some individuals have found the transition to remote working rather difficult. Spending time within the home on professional tasks, a place that should ideally be dedicated to personal space, can be challenging.
At first, some are inclined to try and practice their roles in rooms that aren’t designed for professional lifestyles. Dining tables and sofas alike become office settings for teleworkers. At first, they can feel suitable but, in the long run, they prove to be a hindrance to productivity and even health. Others might try and establish a rudimentary office setting in their home but soon realise that it is not distanced enough from their areas of comfort, leading to difficulty switching their mind off from work.
To make a home truly suitable for remote work, something that all of those who want to work remotely in the long term should seek to accomplish, residents must take their living space seriously and endeavour to establish a well-defined and practical office space.
Perhaps the most important aspect of an office should be its separation from personal living spaces. This can be challenging for small homes but isn’t impossible. Should the option for an outbuilding be possible, it should ideally be taken. Offices can very easily and successfully be established in log cabins and summer houses, giving residents the opportunity to separate entirely their professional life from their personal one.
For those without gardens or the space to establish an outbuilding, a spare room is appropriate. Ideally, this would be a room, such as an attic or storage room, that can be entirely dedicated to professional purposes. If the usage of a room must be split between various tasks, such as a second bedroom and an office space, then efforts should be made to divide the areas or embrace modular furniture, so that the room can adapt suitably to various utilities.
Once a room has been established, home offices should be designed with focus in mind. Distractions from noise, other residents, and devices should be minimised, as they would be in a shared office space. Another way to minimise distraction is to ensure that a professional space is sufficient with everything it needs. When residents are required to move around the home to obtain tools for their work, they will find themselves becoming less productive and susceptible to procrastination.
A professional home working space should also be pleasantly designed. This is important because not only should residents be enthusiastic to spend time in their own office setting but because the space is also likely to be on show to coworkers during video conferences, meaning that a room should present respectability and dedication.
Finally, comfort should be considered. Those who seek to save money on their office equipment and furniture will soon find themselves paying in comfort. Generally, office roles require individuals to spend considerable time in front of computers and sat down. This isn’t always ideal for personal health and alternative furniture, such as standing desks, as well as a change of habits to ensure regular breaks and movement, should be considered.
