(Guest Writer: Luigi La Tona, Chief Operating Officer, StorHub Self Storage)

The Need For Space - How Can Occupants Do More With Less?
6 Short Tips To Keep Your Home Clutter-Free

Ever since the Circuit Breaker announcement, working adults have been trying to get used to the "new normal" of working from their homes. Now that we are spending every waking moment at home, the mess beside the bed has been growing and rapidly becoming unavoidable. Studies have shown that a messy bedroom leads to difficulty in sleeping, and dirty kitchens to making poor health choices.

Getting rid of the unwanted junk or de-cluttering is not simple, and as beneficial as it can be, it is not easy for everyone. People tend to use physical objects to reinforce feelings of comfort and security. For example, the old wallet or handbag that we have rarely used but cannot bring ourselves to throw away because of its "sentimental value" only collects dust and occupies space.

For some of us, tidying up activates the brain's pain-processing regions. Having an alternative storage space allows us, however, to keep these items safe and nearby without having to discard them.

To be more productive and efficient in working from home, and to enjoy the time that you spend there, here are some of StorHub's top tips that you can implement immediately.

1. Ergonomic Environment

A workspace that is designed for efficiency and comfort makes all the difference. Not only does this entail a big enough physical space, but also the stations you work on.

Hunching over the coffee table or slouching on your sofa with your laptop on your knees can create long-term problems for your back and posture. Maybe it is more logical to use the dining table where you eat and share family time. Or maybe not.

The first step in creating an 'ergonomic' workspace is to set out a specific area to make your work stress free and easy.

2. Let The Light Shine In

Moving stuff that is not so frequently needed in the house, out of the house, to make space in front of that window, lets in natural daylight – invigorating for working and studying at home!

Natural light enhances mood, relieves stress, and helps you get quality sleep, to say nothing of the benefits of Vitamin D. Opening up a view of the outdoors also helps relieve any feeling of being confined indoors.

3. Next, The Curtains

Curtains are a deceptively versatile tool that can be used to do more than filter light entering certain areas.

Use them as a partition to help you create zones in your room. For example, split up the sleeping and study areas in your bedroom so that they demarcate the space and enable you to be in a peak state of mind when studying at home. You can also use curtains to separate different parts of your house and create inspirational spaces.

Need a quiet space to record online classes? Cordon it off with curtains! Don’t like how your children are constantly turning away and watching the television during home-based learning? Block that telly with curtains!

4. Using Your Spare Room For More Than Just Storage

Using a spare room as a part-time storeroom happens often in Singapore. Instead of using these spaces in your house as an extension to your already full storeroom, now is the perfect time to give them new life.

As we're spending more time at home, reimagine the rooms. How about turning them into your children's play area, your home office for important paperwork, or even a simple quiet corner for you to enjoy the latest video games?

It is as simple as finding where you will put your current home storeroom items so that you can have your cake and eat it too.

Above Image + Thumbnail Image © StorHub Self Storage

5. Bringing Your Special Interests To Life

Do you have other special activities or interests that you conduct from home - your side business or hobbies you have been planning to pick up but haven't had the time or space to do so?

Maybe this is the ideal time to bring back the favourite pastimes of your childhood - or even learn a musical instrument? You will need a calm, clutter-free space to allow you to concentrate; identify the ideal spot and curtain it off to ensure you will have no distractions.

Now is the perfect time to designate specific spaces for these special interests in your life. One project on top of the other creates unnecessary clutter in the room and the mind. Unless you’re also learning how to juggle, allow yourself to think clearly in each of these spaces without juggling clutter around. Then, you’re sure to find greater success in each.

6. Clutter Is Clutter

Clutter is clutter. Plain and simple. This mandatory moment is upon us and we can take control over how we want to shape the space we work, live, teach, and play. When your office work, private paperwork, and children's schoolwork become a pile of papers on the dining table, you need to re-evaluate what is important in your life.

Working from home requires rigorous organisation, and that means ensuring you have to handle the documents you need, while the ones you don’t need can be moved into storage.

You are also more likely to need a printer to print that paper, not to mention other associated consumables, so making a clear home office space becomes even more important.

Conclusion: Creating Space With You Amidst The Circuit Breaker

The ideas and tips above are ways to help you to start to declutter effectively today. By moving the non-essential items lying around your apartment or house to proper storage spaces and facilities, we can all enjoy the benefits of a stress-free indoor stay-in as we do our part to fight through Covid-19 together.