Living Well at Home: How to Create a Space That Supports Your Lifestyle

Our homes have become our offices, blurring the line between our professional and personal lives. Having a dedicated workspace can be a valuable way to establish those boundaries. Setting up your personal space will benefit your downtime, whether that time is spent alone or entertaining guests.

Four-legged associates

Dogs and cats can enhance your life in untold ways. But when working from home, they can be a distraction and their needs may be harder to meet. However, there are ways that you can set up a work-life balance that will benefit both you and your pet. Setting up your home and workspace with the intent of helping your pet enjoy having you around more and making them comfortable when you need a break or have guests will be good for both of you.

When it comes to establishing boundaries for your work-life balance that includes your pet, sticking to a routine can be a great way to start. If you need to be available to work between certain hours, setting Fido up in his own space outside your workspace will keep him comfortable and let him know you are not at home to play with him. If Fluffy likes to walk across the camera on video calls, it might be a good idea to take her out of the room when she is going to be more of a distraction than therapeutic.

Often, pet owners will have built a bond with their dog or cat that may not be suitable for when guests are around. There may be times when even you need a break from them. During these times, having a separate place for them to be comfortable and feel safe is important. For dogs, having a kennel gives them the natural feeling of safety that comes from a wolf's den. Finding activities for any pet can keep them occupied and leave you free to do your thing or entertain your guests.

Fashionable but functional

Your living and working space furnishings say a lot about you. Whether you have a designated space for working from home or your lifestyle is more free-flowing and open to sharing your space with guests, the right furnishings can make a difference in how you get things done. Oftentimes, when it comes to furnishing a home, people follow the latest trends, forgetting that trends change.

For a home office space, furnishings should enhance your ability to get things done. A snazzy desk that looks good may not be the best for your personal workflow. A chair that costs thousands of dollars may seem like a good idea because it costs thousands of dollars, but maybe those dollars would be better spent elsewhere. Choosing workspace furnishings should first address their functionality, whether they enhance your personal work experience.

If you are furnishing a space for a personal escape or to entertain guests, a set of matching furnishings may look nice, but may not be practical in terms of comfort. Following a color theme is one thing, but if your lifestyle is such that you or others will be using the furnishings regularly, you (and your guests) will appreciate furnishings that are comfortable and long-lasting.

Keeping connected without wires

Technology has enabled working from home to become a possibility for many people. Online collaboration on documents and through video conferencing keeps business moving forward. But your personal technology setup can be just as valuable as everything happening online. A great way to up your technology game is by using wireless headsets. Giving you the freedom to move around your office space or home, a good wireless headset will keep you connected without actually being physically connected to your computer.

On the personal side, a wireless headset can free you up for listening to music or making personal phone calls as you get things done around the house. A high-quality wireless headset can be paired with your phone for listening to podcasts or music as you do things around the house, freeing you from cords while enabling you to keep your ears happy.

Saving time

Time management can keep you focused on your work and help organize your personal life. If you think about it, your job requires you to stick to a schedule of meetings and tasks. When working from home, establishing a schedule for the time when you are not needed for meetings can keep you focused on the tasks you need to complete. But remember: when you are working in an office, there are times that you might step away from your desk to talk to a colleague about things other than work. These sorts of built-in mental breaks can help recharge and refocus your attention, and they are just as important when working from home. Establishing a schedule of working for a set period of time before taking a few minutes to do something else will ultimately save you time because the time spent working will be more productive.

In your personal life, establishing a schedule with set times for different activities can help keep you focused on getting things done. If you have a to-do list, block out your day with each activity. Even if you are not sticking to that set schedule, having it available can be helpful when you come to a point in your day when you are looking for something to do - you can easily look at what you had planned at that time, and voilà! you are no longer trying to find something to do. By doing this, you will find your personal time to be more productive, even if that time is spent reading or watching TV.

Breaking away

Breaks are important, especially when working from home. However, even during your non-working time at home, being able to get away can have numerous benefits. When you are planning your day, professionally or personally, be sure to schedule set times for breaks. Stepping away from your work tasks for a few minutes is akin to chatting with a coworker about their weekend. Taking time between activities in your personal life will give your mind and body a chance to regroup and prepare for what is next.

Ashley Nielsen

Ashley Nielsen earned a B.S. degree in Business Administration Marketing at Point Loma Nazarene University. She is a freelance writer who loves to share knowledge about general business, marketing, lifestyle, wellness, and financial tips. During her free time, she enjoys being outside, staying active, reading a book, or diving deep into her favorite music. 

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