Introduction
Working from home has a lot of perks, including a flexible schedule and fewer people asking about your lunch plans. But it also has drawbacks—like the fact that you might feel like you're in prison sometimes. If your home office is turning into a literal prison with bars on the windows and keys on the door, here are some ways to make it seem less like an island prison:
Stop thinking of it as an office.
● Don't think of it as an office. If like many people, your home office is a space that's meant to be quiet and private, you may be tempted to treat it like a separate entity from the rest of your house—and that's where things get weird. It's normal for any room in your home to feel different from all the others: Your bedroom is for sleeping; the living room is for relaxing with friends; even bathrooms can have their own unique energy (as anyone who has ever walked into someone else's bathroom can attest). But if you're going to spend time in this space doing work-related tasks—and if you're going down this path, we very much hope that's what happens—it needs to feel as integrated into the rest of your life as any other room does.
● Use it as an extension of yourself. The best way to make sure this happens? Use whatever furniture pieces are already there! For example: If there are two chairs facing each other at either end of the desk where I do my most important work (listening intently while on calls), I use one chair for me and one chair for my dog, Jessie, because she likes being near me when I'm working so much better than lying on her bed by herself. She also gets up on her hind legs every now and then just so she can look out over me at what I'm doing since dogs are interested in everything human beings do all day long... but only when they're not snoozing or eating treats or sniffing around outside or playing fetch with squeaky toys... etcetera."
Make it a homey place.
It’s easy to make your home office feel more like a place you want to stay. A few simple adjustments can make it feel more like home, and help you work better.
● Use pictures of your family and friends. They can be digital or printed, but the point is that they will remind you of the outside world when you start feeling trapped in your own little island prison.
● Get some plants! They will improve air quality, look pretty on desks, and make the room seem more welcoming overall.
● Make sure there are comfy chairs for everyone who might be working at your desk (or standing) together—this could be a regular chair or sitting on top of a big cushion or bean bag! It’s important to have somewhere comfortable for people who work together but don't always hit it off well during meetings because they're not sitting face-to-face with each other so there's no way for them to tell if someone's being rude until afterward when it's too late...
Let your work migrate outside the office.
Have you ever been chained to your desk, forced to stare at the same four walls and no matter how hard you try, you can't get out of that mental rut? That's because people who work in offices tend to think of their workspace as a prison. But there are ways around this problem—and they all involve bringing your work with you wherever you go.
● Work in a coffee shop. It may sound obvious, but working in a coffee shop can be extremely productive if done right. Go somewhere with comfortable seating and good wifi, but also make sure it's not too noisy or crowded so that nothing distracts from the task at hand (or rather: on the screen).
● Work in the living room or kitchen table—anywhere but your office! This way, even if family members interrupt by coming into the room where their mommy/daddy works on important stuff all day long*, they'll see that said task involves reading articles about presidential candidates instead of organizing files or doing taxes (ahem).
● Use public transit time wisely by reading articles about presidential candidates or checking email for urgent matters only (and then returning them as quickly as possible). You might have heard about people doing something called "working while commuting" but this isn't exactly true—unless perhaps we're talking about telecommuting via a phone app like UberConference where everything except voice chat takes place over data networks instead so there's no need for headphones because audio quality doesn't matter since nobody hears what others say anyway!
use anything but a laptop and you are definitely not on the clock. A tablet or smartphone will do just as well, if not better—especially when compared to your desktop which is too big and cumbersome for this.
Get off the island.
One of the best ways to make your home office feel less like an island prison is to use it as a meeting space.
With the right furniture and colors, your home office can double as a comfortable area for parties or even just catching up with friends over lunch.
Another great way to get off that island prison is by using the room not just as a place where you work, but also as a place where you do other things that help you relax and unwind from work.
If you're anything like me, having my own private space means I need something else in there for when I need some peace and quiet. So I always have music playing through my speakers (and sometimes earbuds) while working on projects: it helps drown out any distractions from outside noises or people who might be around the house during their daily routine (I live alone). The best part about this is that if someone needs something from me while I'm working, they can easily find me by looking through my front door windows or knocking on my office door—which makes them feel more welcome than if they were standing awkwardly outside asking what's going on behind closed doors every five minutes."
Technology makes it easier than ever to make a home office comfortable and enjoyable.
Technology has made it easier than ever to make your home office feel less like an island prison. With online tools, you can stay organized and on track, stay connected with other people, make it easier to stay motivated, and focus on the task at hand. These five tools will help you get started:
● Calendar apps keep track of your daily schedule so that nothing falls through the cracks. They’re also great for keeping track of deadlines or events that are important in the near future.
● Task list managers let users see what they have left to do in one place—no more scrolling through emails or looking up notes on a piece of paper! That way there’s no chance of missing anything important (or forgetting).
● Collaboration software lets teams work together wherever they are; no more sitting around waiting for someone else's turn! It also makes it easier for coworkers who don't know each other well yet--so everyone gets along better from day one!
● Cognitive behavioral therapy apps help users learn how their minds work so they can recognize negative thoughts before they spiral out of control mid-daydreaming session...and then replace those thoughts with something positive instead."
● Use free video editing tools to make better presentations. Get the one that’s easy to use. You can compress videos and even create GIFs for your social media posts.
Conclusion
While it’s true that there are still some disadvantages to working from home, the advantages and benefits far outweigh them. If you’re thinking about making the switch, I encourage you to go for it!
