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From always about, To Inside a lot...

• Emma Clayton, Liverpool •

 

It is without question, for some of us these times that we are living in are some of the weirdest, most confusing times. Not every day a national pandemic breaks out and completely puts the country on lockdown and our lives on hold. If someone told me two out of the three years I’d spend in England for university, I’d most likely be locked inside and sat at my desk instead of a lecture hall, I would of a) not have paid these international fees, and b) I wouldn’t be able to believe them. It took a lot of us by surprise, but at las, here we are. Goodbye morning commute, hello working from home.

 

Getting used to working from home was the task that I for one, greatly underestimated. In my head I thought “wow, no getting up early to get the bus for my 9:00am! This is great!” What a win, am I right? WRONG. What no one told me was that when you roll out of bed at 8:45am, reach for your phone and join your 9:00am zoom call with no camera, no microphone and still in bed, that not a lot of knowledge sticks.

 

Realizing quickly that my current arrangements were not working for my information consumption and my self-motivation, I decided I needed to change. In my opinion the key to the perfect “work from home” space is the right amount of comfort. Thanks to Condor Properties, I loved my house and my room but it needed “remodelling” if they wanted me to go to university in it as well.

 

First thing that was a must for me was a super tidy bedroom. The less clutter on my desk, the more I wanted to sit at it. So yes, clear all the unnecessary crap off of your work space and set up your laptop and books.

 

Secondly, put a pillow on that desk chair. You want to be upright and not in bed, but that doesn’t mean you have to suffer. Put a pillow on your chair (always one with a back for posture), so when you’re on your third hour of your seminar you won’t make the move from your desk to your bed because you are uncomfy. No excuses of cramping up, just comfort to keep going.

 

Lastly, natural lighting. If it’s one thing I learnt from moving to England from Trinidad is do not take your daylight for granted. Especially in winter. Our bodies need that vitamin D and underestimate the difference natural lighting can have on your mind-set to want to sit down at a desk and do work.

 

For me they key to working from home is the right amount of comfort. You don’t want maximum comfort because if you’re like me, you will fall asleep. But with a mixture of a clean space, satisfactory comfort and natural light, I was able to get myself out of the lockdown “funk”. Thus allowing me to enjoy working from home a little bit more.