How to Setup Your Home Office

HOME
Written By Noemi Castro

MARCH 27, 2020

In the midst

of the Coronavirus outbreak, many people across the nation are working from home, some for the very first time. 

If you never worked from home before, this abrupt and drastic change might be a bit jarring and you might be wondering, how to set yourself up for success if we are here for the long term. We are going to start there. This blog post might be simple, but hopefully, it can be useful and will help you - well, actually get work done. Before we get started, we are going to assume two things. 1. You have all your work equipment - work laptop, mouse, broadband internet, etc. and 2. You are all plugged in and ready to go.

1.DESIGNATE A PLACE IN THE HOUSE, TO CALL “HOME”. 

Pick a place. Any place… Okay, Just kidding, don’t actually pick any place…

You may have grown up with your mother telling you “everything in this house has a home.” If you didn’t - it simply means, everything in the house has a place where it belongs — like a cup or a spoon, etc. Let’s start by assessing your home environment and identifying the most conducive place for your work gear to “live" (my guess, at minimum, a laptop and mouse) and where you can “go” to work.

Ideally, this place is somewhere in your living quarters that you can get up and move to when you are ready to start the work day in the morning, and where you can leave your work when you are done - which also, by the way, helps maintain healthy boundaries from work, while at home.

As for small spaces, I used to live in a studio apartment in the center of San Francisco for 3 years. That designated work place doesn’t have be in another room. It can simply be a desk or kitchen table across your 400 sq. ft apartment.  

What you look at matters. When identifying a place to be your work from home “home”, look for beauty. If possible, find a beautiful view to face, like a window. This is especially helpful if you are confined to an apartment, where smaller living spaces may induce feelings of claustrophobia. These days, my work from home station faces the street and a cherry tree. I can see the sky, clouds, and hear birds. It just makes it easier to work when I am feeling a sense of expansiveness by connecting to nature and the outside world, even if it is just through a window.

2. KEEP IT SIMPLE.

What are the essential functions of your work from home routine? You work station does not have to be your everything station - i.e. ideation station, planning station, creation station, research station, etc. The more things you bring into your work from home space, the more clutter and distractions will be there to drain your mental energy and capacity. Nail down what you really need and what you don’t need to get the job done as a starting point. Then add the extra’s so long they do not overwhelm you, your space, and your process.

3. MAKE THE PLACE YOUR OWN.

You now have your work from home “home” designated, and you now have it pared down to the essentials. Finally, let’s add a few items that support you. Whatever work you do, take a moment to identify the 1 or 2 or 3 items that might reflect the type of energy you’d like to create for yourself. It might be a photo of your family, a mentor that inspires you, an image that reminds you of your aspirations, or a word or slogan that lifts up your moon and sets the tone for your mind set. Maybe it is arranging your favorite houseplants to keep you company, especially if you are quarantined in a room, apartment or home alone.

The bottom line is, because we spend so much time engaged in our workspace, make sure your work space is working for you by nurturing you. If you are one of the millions of folks currently under a stay at home order like we are in California, find your 1-3 items you already own that might be useful or inspiring. We can stock up on non-essential inspirational nicknacks once our favorite retailers open their doors again. In the meantime, we will have to be creative. Even if it is a handwritten sign to ourselves. You’ve got this. :)

A QUICK REVIEW OF CRITERIA TO CONSIDER FOR FINDING A WORK FROM HOME “HOME”.

  • A place you can get up and move to at the beginning of the day and a place you can leave your work at the end of the day.

  • A place that supports maintaining healthy boundaries if and when you need it, especially if you share your space with your significant other and family.

  • A place that nurtures you, like a window with a view and a few physical objects that nurture and inspire you through the work day.


4. DON’T FEEL LIKE YOU HAVE TO COMMIT TO ONE PLACE IN THE HOUSE ALL DAY.

When I work from home I get antsy and I get tired of sitting in the same place all day long. That’s quite natural. Give yourself permission to move about your space. If you have space to roam in your home, it might mean moving from your desk, to the kitchen, to your couch, or even (if it works for you) the bed. The point is, if you need to move, move. Allow yourself to find the right spot in your house for the type of work you need to get done. Distractions at home are tough. If you need to move to avoid distractions, do it. Not leaving your home is even tougher.. Give yourself micro-variety to get through it, then take a solo walk if you need to as a break in between. Then, when you are done, return your work gear to their designated “home” and move on with your day.

If you really like utilizing different parts of your home through out the day, consider baking it into your home schedule. In other words, designate areas of the house for different aspects of your daily routine. For example, where you do your home yoga routine, where might you journal to identify and align with your day’s focus (I use the passion planner day journal - even under quarantine), and where you drum up creative ideas for your project. It’s all about variety and optimization as you move about your day, all the while having a home base you can always return to.

5. IF YOU ARE WORKING FROM HOME WITH KIDS.

If you are working from home with little ones due to daycare and school closures, here are some resources to help you tackle the trifecta of working from home, managing day care, and k-12 online learning:


I wish you strength, patience, health and peace of mind. We are in this together,

Thank you for taking this journey with me.

From my heart center to yours,

NOEMI

Noemi Castro

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