A Shift to Long Term Work from Home
As the pandemic drags on, many people who originally thought their work-at-home status would be temporary are having to scrap the idea of returning to the workplace anytime soon. In fact, since the pandemic began, a number of employers are reconsidering their need for conventional offices.
This means creating a productive home work environment has become more important than ever. For individuals with ADHD, it is critical to get the home workspace right. There are many factors to consider when trying to be productive working from home, but the starting point is the physical space itself.
Assess Your Workspace Options
The basic elements for a productive workspace, especially if you have attention challenges, are:
- Minimal distractions – Consider your proximity to things like food, television, or anything that might be a continual source of interruption. Is the workspace subject a lot of traffic area in the household?
- Physical comfort – You’ll want to have furniture that is comfortable to use all day long. If not, you may want to upgrade what you have. Consider the lighting, temperature, noise level and even strange smells. All of these “background” factors can distract you from what you need to accomplish, especially if you have ADHD.
- Uncluttered immediate work area – Ideally, you would have desk area with only the items you absolutely need to do your work. Keeping it uncluttered is important to avoid being distracted.
- A good fit with the type of work you do – Can the work area accommodate the tools you need for your work? Is the background suitable for video conferences? Is it a lot traffic area in the household?
Using these factors as a guide, start with an assessment of the various locutions in your home that can serve as an office. Rank them in terms of their suitability. Even you have an area that is perfect, have a backup space in mind. From time to time, you may need to work in alternate locations depending on who is in the house and what other activities are going on.
Invest in Your Workspace If Necessary
Depending on your current workspace options, you may want to upgrade your furniture or reconfigure / expand your household structure to make it more “work from home friendly.” This is especially true if you are going to be working remotely for an extended period of time or perhaps permanently. Also, it may become necessary if you have school age or college age children who are also doing their schoolwork from home, or have other family members living with you because of the pandemic.
References
https://www.additudemag.com/working-from-home-adhd/
https://chadd.org/for-adults/organizing-the-home-and-office-space/
https://untappedbrilliance.com/the-6-things-every-adhd-workspace-needs-for-maximum-productivity/