WFH: Importance of spatial separation and optimal lighting

Vishal Singh, Founder and Managing Director Vizion Lighting, talks about the importance of spatial separation, optimal lighting, timing and discipline, especially when working from home for extended periods of time.

As the Covid-19 pandemic continues to spread across the globe, several organisations have resorted to, or in some cases, been forced to work remotely. Some industries are being affected harder than others, with the world of architecture and design bearing the brunt of the pandemic. From supply chain disruptions and the postponement of trade shows to outright country-wide shutdowns, people throughout the design industry worldwide are assessing the impact in different ways. With the sudden shift to remote work, home office is the new normal for working professionals across the globe, and could very well stay this way.

In these times, it becomes necessary to optimize one’s home office to and create an ideal work environment. Here are a few things to consider to set up a home workspace…

Spatial Separation: Demarcating one’s workspace from the rest of the house can help the user designate, where work physically and mentally, starts and stops. It also acts as a visual indication to other residents that work is in session. If it’s not possible to allot a separate room for work, one can look for pockets where a threshold can be introduced. The aim is to change the space in what that it signals a different spatial identity to the other occupants of the home.

Optimal Lighting: We’re all drawn to light, and there isn’t any other medium that has as big an influence on our bodies and minds, as light does. Both daylight and artificial light play a key role in our health and wellbeing. Increasingly, occupants face the conundrum of how they can improve their well-being and create a dynamic, creative and motivating work environment. Alighting atmosphere with a combination of direct/indirect lighting and a significant proportion of vertical lit surfaces is pleasing to the human eye. Moreover, if the desk light is manually controllable, people feel motivated and work with greater accuracy.

Timing and Discipline: It’s surprising how quickly work can wade into one’s personal time if one is not strict about creating a division. Muting incessant notifications, and news updates, and giving oneself time to unwind is vital. Another key work from home tip is to make a schedule —and to ensure that it includes breaks. While we all want to imagine we’re machines that can be productive infinitely and consistently, the reality is that our productivity dips after a spell of intense concentration. The key is to turn off purposefully.