The pandemic and the arrival of Omicron, the fastest-spreading variant of Covid-19 and the fastest-spreading virus in human history, is taking a toll on everyone. A study published in Frontiers in Global Women’s Health in October 2020 showed that women have more trouble sleeping and have more symptoms of depression and anxiety than men. When women work from home, these problems make focusing on work more difficult.
Create Your Workspace
It becomes much easier to concentrate on work if you are in an area separate from the rest of the household. Being in a designated office space immediately puts your mind in work mode. You must not be able to hear sounds from the rest of the household. Neither should you be able to see things that could distract you from work tasks. Multitasking must not include doing household chores during work hours. Being in your home office must be like being in your previous office but better.
The advantage of creating your home office in a she shed or cottage detached from the main house is that the short physical separation establishes that psychological state of going to work. At the same time, it has the benefits of not having to commute and being able to eat lunch in your own kitchen or dining room.
If you have a detached garage, you can convert that into your home office. It will allow you to do away with stuff you no longer need that has been stored there, out of sight. Clear out the clutter and move items you still need elsewhere. Hire a contractor to renovate the space. He will likely use a scissor lift that needs floor protection. Make sure your current garage flooring will not get damaged.
Other options you can explore include an accessory dwelling unit (ADU), a prefabricated cottage, or a tiny house built from a repurposed container van. Your choice will also depend on what your state and county will allow on your property.
Creativity Against Stress
To further boost productivity and your ability to concentrate, you must find additional means to address stress. This is also essential to ensure your general well-being. After all, life is not just all about work.
A separate study published in Frontiers in Global Women’s Health in December 2020 showed that creativity and the creation of something help lessen the impact of stress. The act of creating even just a simple design on the foam of a cup of coffee is a method of expression that is meaningful and valuable. Such small practices develop the habit of being present in each moment. Even if other people may not see the act or the created piece as creative, what is essential is the experience and perception of the maker. The goal has been met if the experience enables the person to be immersed in pleasure. During those moments, the person is often distracted from the surroundings and other concerns. The ability to have several moments of creative joy each day will help an individual deal with the pandemic’s uncertainties and difficulties.
You do not have to possess any exceptional talent in the arts to be creative. Merely expressing yourself without any expectations of the outcome is an enthralling journey. In addition to making your coffee foam pretty, you can try creating an art journal to express what you are feeling now. Alternatively, you can express what you are aspiring for. You can make collages from old magazines and combine these with strokes of acrylic paint or watercolor. Add words to express yourself further. These can be single words, phrases, or paragraphs. The journal itself can be made from pages of old magazines coated with gesso. Like a diary, you can keep this to yourself. You might also want to share each page online in groups for art journaling. You can learn a lot by joining such groups. Eventually, you may want to explore painting with watercolor or painting on canvas with acrylic or oil.
Some women enjoy learning how to crochet or knit and make items for themselves and their loved ones. These are lovely, heartfelt gifts made with love. Some learn how to design and sew clothes. Others find making a quilt relaxing. This is also a good way of recycling old clothes.
Your Sanctuary
Whatever creative outlet you choose to do after work, you can also do it in your home office. This way, the space becomes not just for tasks but also for relaxation and personal time. You can immediately detach from work after work hours and turn to your pleasure. You will always have something to look forward to. Afterward, when you go back to your main house, you are refreshed rather than drained from work.
