Work Home Environment 

Suggeted Video.
10 DIY Hacks To Improve Your Home Office.
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  • Avoid making your home office too antiseptic.
  • Made-to-measure desks are easy to construct.
  • Your office should reflect your style.
  • Two monitors are a good idea.
  • Ergonomics are important.
  • Tidiness is important.
  • Good WiFi very important
  • Natural light is good if available.​
Wellness.
The following points are dominated by the fact, that I have found, the single biggest issue in working from the family home is the family!  In the early years, the words "I'm working" became my catch-phrase and a 'trigger' for ridicule through the response "He's working!"  It took me some time to understand the simple fact that a home is a home and not an office.  So, the following points describe how I have managed to work productively from home and still have a family.

  • Keep Calm:  There are great advantages to be gained from working from home but it is not always 'smooth sailing'.  Whatever the reason for working from home, the fact remains it is your home first and office second.  This means that everyone in the home has rights.  When these rights cut across your work, it is you that has to compromise.  In the long term, fighting this is futile and could be damaging to all of your family relationships.  Agree guidelines and boundaries specific to your work but, when people break them, stay calm.
  • Don't blame take responsibility:  Keeping a good work-life balance when working from home is very difficult.  A set of guidelines will make matters better but never perfect.  Remember, when a member of the family disrupts your work it is just a mistake not an attempt to ruin your life.  It is you that needs to be understanding and see if a change in the guidelines would have prevented the situation.  If not just live with it.  Work rules are important but the family always comes first.
  • Seek out tranquility through meditation:  'Take a breath' is a common saying that comes from the world of meditation. Pausing, just for a moment, and concentrating on your breath will save you from all sorts of family arguments.  There are many books written on the subject and I cover some of the points on the mindfulness page.
  • Recognise when you are tired and take a break:  One of the biggest problems in working from home, especially when you are self employed, is the tendency to work every hour possible.  There always seems to be something else to do.  The problem is that this mind-set creates work practices that are not sustainable.  Everyone needs to rest.  Trying to concentrate on one thing 24/7 is not possible.  Every successful  person I have ever met 'programs-in' leisure time.  In a home office it's easy.  Stand up and spend time with the family. 
  • Have the resolve to rest when you need a rest:  Know your body, recognise the signs of fatigue, be strong enough to do the right thing and rest.  In this context, a rest can mean just a change of scenery and need not last too long.
  • Make peace with your weaknesses and the weaknesses of those around you:  One of my many weaknesses is my irritability. When I become absorbed in my work, the smallest of interruptions can become a major incident.  After-all, if I needed a cup of coffee I'm perfectly able to ask for one!
  • Make peace with everyone around you:  One of the real problems of working from home is the feeling of isolation. Professionally, help is at hand (through your 469BCe membership) but, personally, it is important that you work on the friendships that you have outside of your immediate family.  Friends can be a source of strength - don't neglect them.
  • Be happy:  The reason I have spent a lifetime working from home is to spend as much time as possible with my family. Despite any disputes about my highlight pens not being for colouring-in, I have achieved what I wanted and for that, I am very happy. So, every day, remember to count your blessings.

How Can I Help?

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Suggeted Videos.
1. Quick SIPs Garden Building Construction.
2. Home Office Design Ideas.

What's Next?

My wife remembers my first home office well: it was in our bedroom. I moved two bedside cabinets against a free wall, laid a chipboard sheet between them and had my first desk.  It didn't look much like the desk in the video but it did the job and cost about £5. Along with a dining room chair, the set up was more than adequate.  My first point then, is that spending a lot of money, before you can afford it, is not, necessary

Looking back, the main problem was having to use the bedroom.  Our first apartment had two bedrooms but it was dominated by the needs of our one year old.  If at all possible, try to set up your office in an area not used by others. Over the years I have used spare rooms, hallways, purpose built sheds and a converted garage.  All of which benefited from the fact that their sole use was as an office. My second point would be that any dedicated space is better than working in a communal area.

Fast-forward 33+ years, I now have a built in desk that spans the width of my dedicated home office and a massive office chair that really looks the part. I have lots of shelves for storage and space for all of the technology I need.  I appreciate the style shown in the video but choose to keep the whole office efficient rather than homely.  My third point then, is that the office should reflect your temperament and attitude to work.  I'm not a fan of style over substance.

Finally, make it easy for yourself to work.  Do everything you can to remove obstacles and distractions.