Checklist for dedicated space

A dedicated space:

By creating a dedicated space for yourself, you are creating a physical and mental separation between your work life and your home life, which promotes a healthy work-life balance.

If you spend too much time working from the living room couch or bed, those barriers begin to blur. You’ll never really feel like you’re “off” work.

Adequate Lighting:

Adequate lighting levels are critical to a productive and comfortable workspace. You don’t want to have to deal with headaches and eye strain from squinting in lighting that makes it difficult to read.

Your Desk:

Ideally, you’ll have space for a traditional desk where you can create an ergonomically correct workstation. You can make a table, counter, or other flat surface work in a pinch if your space forces you to get creative.

A set of house & office rules:

When we start official work and some personal in-home then must follow some ground rules:

1. House rules are ultra-important, we must dedicate a small space with other family members or roommates.
2. Our biggest rule is our “closed-door” policy. When the door is closed, we know the other person is in “do not disturb” mode. We strive to pretend like the other person isn’t even home. A closed-door means important conference calls or deep work sessions are happening.
3. Our living space is fairly small but we are fortunate enough to have two bedrooms. And we keep a workspace in each. 
4. We must use Slack to communicate with each other throughout the working day. It may sound silly to Slack someone while sitting in the next room. But I find Slack to be far less disruptive than barging in on each other’s spaces every few minutes just to chat.