With India under lockdown and people being forced to self-isolate to protect themselves against the spread of the Coronavirus, many of our homes are serving as workplaces, gyms and social hubs. It is perhaps the first time, for most working professionals to be having such a deep and consistent interaction with their home. Hence, making your space feel comfortable, safe, and a place you enjoy spending a lot of time in, is more important now than ever — irrespective of your situation.

Due to the pandemic, people have realized the importance of such a home office and are reorganizing their homes to integrate this. This trend is most likely here to stay even in a post covid situation, as companies might need to incorporate this working methodology to save infrastructural costs. With this it become imperative to optimize our workspace to create a working environment that is pleasant and more importantly, that the user resonates with.

Any individual working from home should start by locating an undisturbed corner or area within the house, especially if there are other occupants as it’s likely that they’ll have their own schedules that may contradict the others. It’s also essential to select a space where movement isn’t frequent and where the lighting conditions don’t work against the screens and other visual surfaces as collaborative work needs video conferencing and this plays a big role in the visual clarity at both ends.

It is also essential to arrange your workspace as visual clutter can prove to be a significant distraction. Adding a simple tray for your loose items can make all the difference, especially if you have a pet. Investing in a lockable storage unit is also advisable for safe-keeping, particularly so if kids are around. If you are the organised sorts, an open shelf storage works well. But if not, then a closed storage can help in keeping the physical and visual clutter at bay.

That said, one should not refrain from keeping objects with sentimental value as they enhance a sense of wellbeing in your workspace, without adding clutter. One could also consider adding objects that help one relax such as speaker/headphones for music or foot hammocks to create a sense of serenity and comfort. In all, a home office is certainly a necessity here onwards. It’s time to plan and reorganize and settle down in a revitalized working environment, built by you and created for you.