Mindfulness: Setting Up Your Home Office and Working from Home

Setting Up Your Mindful Workspace.

With the challenging times we are facing here in the US and across the world some companies are requiring their employees to work from home entirely. To some, this may seem bittersweet, no commute, no traffic, no one around you to disturb you but now needing to pay attention to social distancing and everything that comes along with mitigating the spread of the Corona virus.

Setting up your home office to work efficiently is not an easy task as you may have found out or are about to. I’ve worked from home for about 5 years now and am happy to share some tips to help you work mindfully in your new surroundings.

Extra Time. One of the first things you’ll notice is the time you’ve saved getting ready in the morning. No more traffic or early morning showers can easily add 2 hours to your day, but that doesn’t necessarily mean you should sleep in late or work more hours.

Develop a routine. This may not be as easy as it sounds because you’re now in a new work dynamic regardless of your location. Expect difficulties, accept that they will occur, and find a solution. What you come up with at first may not be what you end up with. Keep that in mind and be flexible as you find what works best for you.

Exercise. Now that you don’t have to commute to a work location use that time to take care of yourself. You don’t need to spend an entire hour working out at home as 30 – minutes is enough. YouTube has great contributors with content to suit your needs. This is a wonderful opportunity to connect to your being.

No TV. Keep it off. It’s an unnecessary distraction and prohibits you from focusing on the task at hand.

Work Laptop. If your company has provided you with a computer don’t use it for personal use. No email, no bill paying, no reading anything on it that does not relate to your job.

Office location. Make sure it’s comfortable for you and do not work on your bed or bedroom. Your bedroom should not be a work environment but should be where you retreat after a long day.

Office set-up. It doesn’t need to be fancy; it only needs to be serene and comfortable.

Breaks. Like working at your former physical office location where you had breaks why not do the same here. Work for 2-3 hours and then take a 15-20-minute break.

Lunch. Take it! Don’t answer emails or calls. This is your time to reconnect with your being.

End of your day. When your workday is over, it’s over. Respect the boundary between your professional life and your personal life. If you let either encroach on the other, you end up being unbalanced with the harmony you’re working so hard to develop.

I understand this is a new experience for most and am more than happy to help in any way I can. Please feel free to reach out and I will do all I can.

Wishing you peace and ease,

Vladimir

Blue Lotus Meditation And Mindfulness Center is a registered 501(c)(3) religious organization.