Remote working used to be a trend but, since the pandemic, it’s become more of a way of life for many people. Working from home can be chaotic, especially if you’re a parent, but having a dedicated workspace in the form of a home office is the best way to ensure that you’re actually getting work done.
As someone who works from home, it can be tempting to just carry your laptop around with you all day and squeeze work in whenever you can. This can be especially appealing if you’re a parent, since you’re trying to wear so many hats at once. However, having a home office is definitely something you need to consider because working remotely doesn’t negate the need for a work-life balance.
Creating a home office doesn’t need to break the bank either, especially not when you can get high-quality office furniture from Andrews Office Furniture to fill your space without emptying your bank account.
Setting Clear Boundaries
While remote working offers you flexibility, the lines between your professional and personal life can quickly become blurred. When your office is the kitchen table, work can very quickly spill into family time. Work emails get answered during dinner, reports get finished after bedtime and video calls are impossible without screaming children in the background.
Having a dedicated workspace creates a psychological boundary, and a physical one. A closed door will help your children understand when you’re unavailable, reducing interruptions. Stepping into your office will also help your brain register that you’re entering work mode, and leaving the space at the end of the day will aid your transition out of that mindset.
Improved Productivity in a Limited Time
As a parent, it’s probably quite rare for you to have uninterrupted time. When you’re juggling deadlines with school pickups and homework, it’s likely that work usually only happens in short bursts.
Having a dedicated home office will help you save the time it takes to keep setting up a work station, unpacking your laptop, charger and paperwork every time you want to work. You can just go to your office, dive right in, and step away whenever you need to.
Safety and Organization
Nothing is childproof; any parent can tell you that. As much as you may try your best to keep your work documents and electronics away from prying hands, it’s likely that accidents can still happen. You don’t need to wait for someone to knock an orange juice over onto your laptop to decide that you need an official workspace in your home.
A separate office will allow you to secure any dangerous items like electrical cords, heavy equipment and small office supplies. It also prevents your children from damaging any of your expensive work equipment, like laptops and monitors or scribbling all over your important work documents.
Ergonomic Support
A lot of remote working parents start out working from the dining table or on a couch, which can really wreak havoc on their backs and necks. Having a home office means you can invest in proper office furniture, like:
- An ergonomic chair
- A desk at the correct height
- A suitable monitor setup
- Good lighting
Buying office furniture doesn’t need to be excessively expensive either, as there are many companies that sell high-quality secondhand office furniture at a fraction of the cost. Having long-term comfort while you work is a necessity, especially when juggling work and parenting already puts so much extra physical strain on your body.
Professionalism During Video Calls
Remote working often requires you to have video calls with your colleagues, clients or managers. Having a home office means you have a controlled environment where you can have these calls that’s free from distractions, and it also prevents embarrassing interruptions or awkward backgrounds. This is especially vital if you’re working with sensitive client data or private company information. In this case, having a lockable office might just be a security requirement.
Teaching Your Children About Discipline
Your children learn by observing. When they see you stepping into your office to focus on your work, it teaches them lessons about:
- Responsibility
- Routine
- Time management
Your actions teach them more than you ever could with words. You’re also reinforcing lessons about boundaries. They know that when your office door is closed, that means they should only bother you if there’s an emergency. Modelling this level of discipline is also a great way to teach them that work time deserves undivided focus… just like their homework.
Financial and Career Stability
Working from home may offer you flexibility, but maintaining your performance is the real key to long-term career progression. Work shouldn’t be something you only do when you have a spare moment or in between your other responsibilities. It should be something you set time aside to do and prioritize during those hours.
Having a home office supports consistent productivity and will help you meet your targets, attend meetings and stay professionally competitive.
Long-Term Well-Being
The beauty of remote work is flexibility, but without structure, that flexibility can quickly descend into chaos. A home office is the best way to create structure within that flexibility. You can always step away for school pick-ups or unexpected needs, but you’ll always have that central, dedicated base to return to when you’re done.
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