Real Estate

Set up your workspace:

• Not having a well-equipped home office area when people begin remote working can make a temporary decrease in productivity.
• Divide your living area into more distinct zones; an office requires a committed space, even if its only a desk. Avoid using the dining table by day as an office workspace.
• By creating a devoted workspace, you will be able to divide personal time from office time and discover more semblances of weekends, family time.
• Do not sense the urge to work every waking hour. This will also give a visual cue to your cohabitants that you are in work-mode.
• Place your desk in a comfortable space within your home. Ideally near a window where you can catch a bit of sunlight and see the passing of time.
• If you have delighted houseplants or fresh cut flowers organize them within view of your desktop/laptop. The liveliness, greenery and fresh scent will keep you going.
• If you have a proper quality office desk chair you are already ahead of most working from home.
• An ergonomic chair will aid you in getting through long hours without back pain, numb legs or other workplace injuries. Many stores are still delivering if you need to purchase workplace furniture. Alternatively, check if your company can lend you a chair.
• As an option, use pillows for below your bottom or your lower back, and a box or books on the floor to get your feet in the right position.
• A task lamp is a must for attaining optimal working conditions, especially in a home environment. Find a floor or table lamp from somewhere in your home and adapt it to your work scenario. Ideally you need one where you cannot see the light instantly in your eyes and is dimmable. There are great options on the market now for dimmable and colour tunable app-based bulbs which can effortlessly turn the mood of any space into perfect conditions for the task at hand.
• If you have a pinboard, magnet board or even just blank wall space next to your desk, it would be an ideal space to recreate some of your real office space.
• Pin up schedules, phone numbers, notes etc. along with inspiration and photos of colleagues or office moments. This will keep you quick and tuned in.
• Stack some books and magazines that you have been meaning to read. Now is the perfect time when you are uninspired or missing motivation to pick them up and digest new ideas, content and industry learning.
• Have a blazer on the back of your chair or hanging on the wall next to your space. If you need to pop into a rapid web meeting, you can quickly look expert without too much hassle.
• Think carefully about what is in the back of you. Will your kids or spouse sneak up on you? Is the background easy and conducive to Zoom/TEAMS meetings? Consider placing your workspace where you have a wall or screen at the back of you. Possibly a nice bookshelf, art wall, plants etc. Creating a vignette for your calls makes you seem to be professional from home and shows off your style, business enterprise and status.

Make a routine:

• First thing in the morning clean and disinfect your workspace. Make sure your phone, keyboard, mouse, desk, chair arms are all clean and ready for the day.
• Put on some background music, get the room temperature/humidity simply the way you like it.
• Make yourself a serving platter with all the great inspiring and energizing items that will get you via your morning. A great coffee or tea in your favorite mug. Have a bowl of a few healthy snacks like almonds, cut fruits or veg nearby. Make yourself a large pitcher of water; think about adding fruits to make it exciting with a glass to refill.
• Make a list of what you would like to attain for the day in order of priority. Tackle the hardest, most tedious or items you want to do least first, so you get them out of the way.
• Make sure you check in with your team and boss daily to ensure the drift of information, expected tasks and deadlines is all understood.
• Make sure to get up from your chair often, stretch, grab a coffee, check in with your family/friends etc.
• Choose a certain day or hour for extracurricular learning. This may be in the form of web tutorials, live learning sessions, team brainstorms and so on within your field. Make it a habit. Its the perfect time to extend your knowledge, new ways of doing things and what other industry professionals have been up to.
• Find your best time to do fitness. For most, doing a quick 30-minute exercise before you start work is the equivalent of a proper jolt of caffeine. It will open up your mind, get you focused and feeling fresh. Make it part of your daily routine.

Be grateful for the benefits:

• Working from home gives you greater flexibility in working hours where you can take breaks or work early/late when needed with all your stuff on hand.
• No need to feel about the commute time traffic, parking, weather etc.
• A home office can allow for far less distraction.

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