Set yourself up for success

MAKING A POSITIVE CHANGE: Home Decor Working from home? Set yourself up for success By Joy Rafferty

Covid-19 has inarguably changed everyone’s lives in some capacity or another. For so many of us, working from home has become the new normal, if even for a short time. And for a lot of people, it is something that will continue, in some manner, for the foreseeable future. Even if your job does not require you to work from home, you may have children that will be learning from home. Schools all over the country have various plans that range from 100% remote learning, to hybrid programs of limited days in person with the rest left to virtual classroom time.

In any case, it is safe to say our families are home more than ever before. And sharing the kitchen table during the day may have been fine when we thought it was going to be for a short time, but that may not be cutting it anymore with our “new normal.” Having a dedicated home office space has become one of the biggest topics when it comes to home organization. It’s not always practical to spread your work out on the kitchen counter or table and keep the piles there for days if you actually want to use it to eat there too. It’s also tough to talk on the phone or participate in Zoom meeting with the kids and the family pet in and around you constantly.

To remedy these issues, many people are turning various areas of their homes into better work and study spaces. Whether it be an entire spare room, a corner of your bedroom, a space in the basement or a nook in the kitchen, it’s great to have a place that can be used for

the specific purpose of working. A place you get up and go to each day that makes it feel more like you’re working.

There are several things to consider when thinking about setting up a home office space. Will you be sharing the space? Do you need multiple workstations? Would you rather have a separate space for each person? Things you’ll probably want to have, no matter where you set up camp…lots of surface space to spread out, good task lighting, access to power, file drawers, cabinets/shelves for supplies, a space for a printer/scanner, etc.

If the room will be multipurpose, you will want to be able to put things away to keep it neat. If you are thinking of using a guest bedroom as an office, consider replacing the bed with a wall bed/ Murphy bed. This option allows you to have a real bed for the occasional guest, but only when you need it. It then frees up all the precious floor space and gives the room a much bigger feel. Then having a workspace or two won’t feel so crowded and you’ve now got a multi-functional room!

We might not be able to change the new normal of working and learning from home, but we can change the environment we do it in. Take a positive step in decreasing stress by setting up well thought out spaces that allow each family member to work to the best of their ability. That way we can all love where we live and work! SWM Editor's note: Joy Rafferty is owner/marketing manager for California Closets in DeWitt.