Working at home, what was once a preference has now become a necessity for many due to the COVID-19 outbreak. Several professional offices and businesses have begun taking safety measures, one of which was social distancing and working from their homes. However, despite the lack of travelling and insufferable morning traffic, working from home is not for everyone. And with a multitude of distractions, it can be hard to stay creative. So here is a small guide on how you can keep yourself creative at home during these trying times.

By Marianna Piccolo, founder, MY PICK ONE

1.Switching up your location

Humans are creatures of habit. Every morning, you go to your office to proceed to work at your dedicated space. Your brain knows specific spaces are for creative work, therefore setting one up will allow you to focus better and get work done faster. Therefore, to help your brain focus, you should set up a dedicated space where you will work. This dedicated space will act as your office and should be the perfect balance between an isolated and public room. If you have rooms that are not in use, transform it into your new office space. Or if you have a house with different floors, you can commit an entire floor for office tasks if it helps stimulate your creativity.

2.Good lighting

When choosing the right place for your desk, it is always important to consider the lighting. Try to work in areas of your house that have ample lighting, whether it be artificial or natural. Light helps keep your body awake and makes you feel more active as you work. Of course, there is also a matter of personal preference. If you feel more comfortable working in less light, a backlit keyboard and lamp should be enough for your office setup.

3.Office specific furnishings

As appealing as it may seem to sit around different parts of your home working, this can greatly hinder your creativity. Hence, it’s best to work in a dedicated room or your own floor. Nonetheless, you need office-specific equipment to focus better on your work. A good office chair can do wonders for your back and can make it significantly easier for you to work from home. Moreover, with the help of a well-planned work table, you can work in a clutter-free and well-organised environment. And when looking to get a new worktable, opt for one with ample space to accompany a laptop or desktop along with a few other frequently used items. You should also look into an ergonomic standing desk if you are getting tired of sitting around as you work.

4.Prepare your table

Setting up your table goes much further than placing it in one of your rooms. You will also have to adjust and set up all sorts of wiring and connections. A major goal with your home-based setup is that you spend more time on your desk working than going about your house for items essential to your work. So make sure that wherever you place your desk, you get proper wifi signals. You can also set up a separate router nearby to ensure your connection is never interrupted.

5. Storage and shelving

It is also essential to have ample storage and shelving around your desk, according to your most common job tasks. The quarantine might not end for at least a month. Therefore, you should have just enough space for your files and other essential items.

6. Listen to your favourite music

Finally, keep your playlist ready for when you are working. The opinion around listening to music while working is very subjective; some people prefer listening to it, whereas others do not. However, it is very common for your house to get a little noisy when you are working, especially if you have children or live with roommates.