Working from home minimizes your chances of getting into direct contact with respiratory droplets of infected people, or touching surfaces that have been contaminated with the contagious virus. However, that doesn’t mean you or one of your home mates cannot bring the virus home from your outdoor errands. To ensure that everyone is safe, you need to prep your home for remote working during coronavirus in the following 5 ways.

1. Invest in home addition

If you have limited space in your home, you might need to consider home additions just in case one of your home mates gets infected. Infections in the home might, for example, necessitate an extra bathroom and a quarantine room. Home additions also apply when you need extra space for your home office. The good thing is that optimizing your floor space is a smart investment because, even after the pandemic, you will still have more livable square footage, which will mean increased comfort and functionality. Besides, renovations often increase a home’s resale value.

Note: If you are a tenant, moving to a bigger home would be your best bet.

2. Create an at-home workspace

Let’s assume that you created a home office as part of your home additions in #1 above. But the new room is not a workspace yet until you make it conducive for remote working. Start by making the room out of bounds for all roommates, pets and kids included. Ensure that the fridge, TV, and bed, among other items that could lure you out of your work mode, are out of sight. Invest in the right furniture (at least an office desk and an ergonomic work chair) to make the workspace comfortable. Noise-proof the workspace and if that is not possible at the moment, invest in noise-canceling headphones. Bring in a houseplant and motivational wall art. Create a background that won’t embarrass you during videoconferences. Anything that will keep your productivity juices flowing belongs to the office, and anything that could distract you should stay out.

Note:

Be careful not to mess up your work-life balance. Stick to a rigid work routine just like you would in a traditional office and “go home” after work. Going home, in this case, means not carrying any work from the office desk, taking a quick shower as you do on a normal workday, watching movies on weekends, having indoor date nights, reading a book after work, and going for evening walks. You know, the normal after-work stuff!

3. Cleaning around the home

Thorough cleaning is an important precaution that can significantly lower the risk of at-home coronavirus transmissions. It is, therefore, important to clean and disinfect high-touch surfaces in your home office e.g. the desk, chair, door handle, keyboard, and computer as regularly as possible. Other high-touch surfaces include kitchen and bathroom surfaces, remote controls, light switches, toys, doors, and all furniture in the home. Remember to wear gloves while at it and to follow all cleaning instructions as issued by the WHO. If you are unsure of the right products to use against the virus, refer to recommendations from local authorities.

4. Stock on food and meds but do not stockpile

You need a consistent supply of food, prescription medicine, and cleaning supplies when working from home, but there is absolutely no need to panic buy or stockpile. Just stock up on what you need for about a month and leave the rest for other people in need.

5. Bring the gym indoors

Since gyms have closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, it is time you invested in home workout equipment. If you don’t have the budget for that, try simple exercises such as push-ups, climbing stairs, and running around your compound.

Working out regularly is therapeutic; it gets your mind off work deadlines and challenging life expectations. At-home workouts can also be effective in keeping type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, and obesity away.

Conclusion

In whatever you do, do not panic. This pandemic will be over soon for as long as you play your part in flattening the curve. Lastly, avoid scare-mongering platforms for the sake of your mental health and eat healthy foods for the sake of your physical health.