Back about a decade, working from home was a luxury for the privileged ones or the freelance journalists and writers alone. The advent of the internet influenced many other professions to take the liberty of trying to work from home. It again was a domain of freelance workers working for their clients in different time zones. Working from home was never a luxury for them but a compulsion. Improved networking, speedy internet, and live smartphones have made all this much easier. Thanks to Corona crisis the home office has now become a necessity for many of us.

The Call of the Day.

Setting up a home office and working from home still was the need for select groups due to the nature of their work. The COVID-19 break out then changed everything abruptly. Working from homes with masks, sanitizer, and social distancing is now the talk of the town. Remember the town today is the whole world termed as a global village.  Medium to large businesses are making arrangements to teach and train their staff to work from home. It is now the need of the hour.

Setting up a Home Office

Hence working from home is no more an option but a compulsion. It is now high time to sort out things in a more organized way. Taking a laptop to your bed can be fine for surfing the net or spending time on social media or watching the soups like Game of Thrones and Diriliş: Ertuğrul. It is surely not fine, professionally and medically approved for a serious and long time working. Though at home but work needs a work environment.

Make it a Work Environment

What exactly you need to set up an office at home varies from person to person. It depends upon the resources, your preferences, and the nature of your work. The easy way is to select a space first and make a checklist of what items you require to stuff in. A desk, a chair, a laptop, and appropriate lighting, are almost a must. Rest is the varying needs one can consider to match particular requirements.  

But consider differentiating between needs and wants. Keep the home office as smart as possible. An empty corner, a space under the stairs, or a spare wall side near a wide window can be the best places in-home to select for styling your office. Take as minimum space as possible and keep it clean and tidy. Avoid filling it with things that are not directly related to your work.

Sufficient Lighting.

The first option for the lighting surely is the sunlight. A window side is best to have sunlight providing a shiny look around. The other way out is to arrange proper lighting in suitable directions to give a capacious look. You need shiny happy surroundings to boost your productivity. A dark, gloomy ambiance is surely not a fit choice for office work. Sunlight is an energy booster that helps you keep concentrated. Make it the first preference if the space near a wide window can be spared.

Managing Space  

Once you have selected the space the next thing is to measure from all sides. Make a sketch in mind or on paper preferably. Set a place for a desk and chair, making sure that entry and exit to your chair are not blocked. Just place it in a way that while sitting on the seat you can have a look at the wider side of an open space like your drawing room. the living area or a see-through look at the lawn from your window.

It will help you avoid getting bored, all the time looking at the wall or screen of your laptop. Machines are needed by man but man must avoid becoming a machine. Small lively distractions provide relief to the human mind. You also need a small side shelf to put aside the necessities of your choice. For me, a beautiful wase, a bunch of books, and eye-catching artwork frames on the wall are a must. Everybody has a right to live with choices. You can find the things you get inspiration from.   

Dividers if Needed

Not needed by everybody but provide a good look and better space arrangement if the space is capacious enough to allow it. It becomes a bit more needed if the nature of your work requires more privacy or less noise. If you have to make some recordings and frequently need to talk to your customers on phone, WhatsApp, skype, or any other app then a closed cabin can be a fit place to meet your needs.

Multi Usage

Now just think that you are a freak TV lover. Setting your chair and desk in a direction facing to living room LED can serve the purpose. You need not leave your place to watch your “most wanted” program but to tilt a bit moving your revolving chair to look eye in eye at your LED. Similarly, the window can “broadcast” to you the entry and exit of the main door of the home. You can be looking at movements to and from the house while watching the kids playing on the lawn.