As restrictions lift and people begin to feel their way back to their pre Covid life I am asking myself - what really was normal life? Was it running around like a lunatic? Picking up your kids from school while still on a business call with your clients, just to drop them off at home and continue working; rushing out again an hour later to take them to their gym class, squashing in a business meeting, running back home, arranging dinner, continuing to work well into the night?
Is that what awaits us as we make a slow and steady return to normal?
For many of us COVID 19 has shown us the fragility of our way of life, at the very least it has given us a chance to re-evaluate certain things. Some of those are personal - finding a balance between being a mother, a business woman and still having some time for myself – some are more practical.
One thing that became really clear to me early on was the importance of having a dedicated place in my home in which to work. A place in which to focus without distractions, to work- and equally importantly to walk away from at the end of the working day. A place that did not intrude on family life or act as a constant and unwelcome visitor, permanently reminding me of its presence, demanding my attention long after I had officially stopped for the day. A place designed efficiently for the way I work – from secure storage to privacy for international calls to sound proofing for calls to clients in alternative time zones.
Many people predict that post Corona working practices will no longer take the form they did. Working from home can offer greater efficiency, less travel time, less pollution, less expensed lunches and of course significant savings on expensive office space. If this prediction is right the single most important thing you can do to be successful in this brave new world is to create a home/work environment that really works. Not the make shift, make do, that you have been using for the past 2 months -the edge of the kitchen island or the corner of the dining table - but an area that really reflects your work and functions fully for the job you do.
Here are a few tips to take away:
Identify and designate a space. Think about light and power. You may well require areas or even a whole room to be rearranged – don’t be scared to try out alternative layouts.
Define exactly what you need to work efficiently: storage, several computer screens, a place for sketching etc.
Order, buy or arrange these working areas and storages accordingly. Think about colour, form and design – it should work for your home décor and for your profession.
Make sure your background space is always neat and tidy (your background shows on zoom calls and speaks volumes about your professionalism).
If any or all of that sounds overwhelming or if you recognize you need help with this please contact me by email on tamar@itzuvpnim.com and I will schedule a free half hour online consultation with you to get you started.
ABOUT
Tamar Freudmann - Itzuv Pnim : I have been designing, renovating and remodeling living spaces for over nine years. Contact me today at tamar@itzuvpnim.com and visit my site for more information www.itzuvpnim.com
