How to stay upbeat while working from home during the pandemic
For those of us working from home because our lives have been upended by the coronavirus that is sweeping the world, a light at the end of the tunnel is sometimes all we need.
MUJI, a Japanese company, is famous for its minimal wares.
Whether you used to have a humble cubicle or occupied a nice office with windows to the outside world before the pandemic, things are different now. These days, almost everyone who can is working from home, and as a result, the workspace has gained a new meaning.
Many more people are working from home these days, and the trend is likely to remain after the Covid-19 nightmare is over. According to data offered by Global Workplace Analytics, “five million employees (3.6% of the U.S. employee workforce) currently work-at-home half-time or more. Regular work-at-home has grown 173% since 2005, 11% faster than the rest of the workforce (which grew 15%) and nearly 47x faster than the self-employed population (which grew by 4%) . And 43% of employees work remotely with some frequency.”
Kate Lister, president of Global Workplace Analytics, quoted in a Vox article ”estimates that by 2025, some 70 percent of the workforce will work remotely at least five days a month. “I think the percentage of people with compatible jobs will expand as knowledge-based work continues to edge out jobs that require a physical presence,” Lister said.”
You may have refrained from going overboard with the decorations of your workspace at work, for fear of attracting weird looks or being labeled ‘quirky’. Well fear no more, as no one will see what your workplace is like these days, except you (and your family, if you live with them). And you are more likely to continue working from home for a while, so go wild!
Cartoons and artwork
Posting under the name @zoesees on Instagram, Zoe Si is a cartoonist for the New Yorker. Her amusing vignettes capture the details of day-to-day life.
Will McPhail, another New Yorker artist, has an absurdist sense of humour, which he carries over to his cartoons on Instagram at @willmcphail4.
Cristoph Niemann shares his colourful, inventive artwork under @abstractsunday on Instagram.
Plants
The 'Satsumas' plant stand sells for 329 TL, which is about $46.
'Kakiplommon' galvanised pot is on sale for 7.99 TL, which is a little over a dollar.
A dash of green always livens up a drab living room or a study. IKEA, a company with stores worldwide, has plants and pots for every budget. Here are a couple, Satsumas, a plant support which goes for 329 TL, and Kakiplommon, a galvanised pot that is rust-resistant for 7.99 TL.
Stationery
MUJI, the minimalist Japanese concept store, has physical stores around the world. You can also shop online for furniture, stationery, clothing and more.
Its set of 60 coloured pencils is sold out in the US store, but you can still purchase pencils and mechanical pencils, all the better to brainstorm with, here.
You can also buy inexpensive fountain pens, ink, and roller pens at LAMY’s online shop. The site is in German but Google translate comes to your rescue as you fill your shopping cart.
The international star of daily planners, Moleskine allows you to stay organised offline.
Moleskine, the famed notebook company, has a global store that will keep you stocked with planners, notebooks and the like. The company ships worldwide. The planners especially have a beautifully analogue vibe to them, allowing you to record important moments in your life and differentiate each day that seems the same in quarantine.
Thumbnail and headline photo courtesy of MUJI
Copyright © 2024 TRT World.