Career By Design

Hi Danielle, 

Great idea for a thread. I became self-employed a few months ago and this is my set up. My side "table" is actually two bedside tables pushed together. Hopefully someday I'll be able to buy some legitimate office furniture (standing desk, real table, etc.)
As far as tips for staying productive, if working home at makes it difficult to focus, here is what I recommend: 
1. Get up and get ready as if you were going to work. That means get out of your PJs and at least put on some jeans. 
2. Structure your day in roughly the same way as you would in the office. If you always take lunch at 11:30, then do that. 
3. Make yourself a work space and use it. If you're on the couch while your SO is on the phone for their job or your kids are watching Frozen II for the 100th time on Disney+, you won't get as much done. No matter how hard you try, "Into the Unknown" is going to get your attention - kidding, kindof... 
4. Try to make your work space as ergonomic as you can. If you start hurting halfway through the day because your monitor is too low or your chair lacks lumbar support, then you won't be as productive. As you can see in my photo, my monitor is sitting on top of a book and several issues of Civil Engineering magazine to get it at the correct height for viewing. My office chair is new, but when I had my old office chair, I sat on a throw pillow and had another one behind me for lumbar support. 

I actually love working from home and feel more productive here than I do in an office setting, but these are things that I do as an extra step to ensure that I get my work done. 

Hope everyone is staying safe and staying sane during this trying time! 

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