Our homes used to be our refuge from the world – the place where we decompressed after the stress of the workday and shifted our focus to personal relationships and activities. Now they have become our world, creating an overlap that makes all those conversations about work/life balance seem almost moot. Who hasn’t seen the ubiquitous photo of family members crowded around the dining room table, each with their own laptop as they hold meetings, attend classes, or type away on documents? All this togetherness has many people feeling physically and mentally hemmed in. In fact, according to a recent New York Times article, a surprising number of people actually miss their commute because it has effectively erased the line between home and work and robbed them of valuable “me” time. As a result, people are seeking to recreate this compartmentalization by transforming spaces within the home.
The home renovation business has been booming since the official declaration of the pandemic last March. However, what began as an opportunity to catch up on DYI repairs has expanded to include complete overhauls. One example are the open floorplans, so popular pre-pandemic, that are being tossed aside to create home offices and other private areas. Like any large-scale projects, these renovations need to constantly be managed with regard to both time and substance – not a simple proposition, especially if you are staying in a second home or temporary housing. Here are some ways in which an all-in-one lifestyle management solutions can help you make the transition smoother, whether you are physically present or not.
See the Big Picture: We can’t blame this one on the pandemic. As discussed in this November 2019 post, employees’ use of multiple apps actually decreases efficiency and increases stress and the risk of security breaches. The same is true when trying to juggle various components of any project. Lifestyle management solutions, with their ability to store and share photos and spreadsheets, give you a grander perspective of how your vision is coming together, allowing you to make adjustments when necessary.
Keep Track of the Details: The pandemic has caused longer timelines between project milestones, due to shipping delays and the availability of supplies. Workplace requirements such as social distancing and regular sanitizing has slowed down the process as well. No app will completely ease your frustration, but having a place to keep track of the people involved and their shifting deadlines will make it easier to manage your own expectations and decrease your stress level.
Overall Lifestyle Management: As mentioned above, one of the side-effects of the pandemic is a blurring of the lines between the various aspects of our lives. There’s not much we can do to change that right now, but we can use it to our advantage. Integrating your home renovation schedule – be brainstorming sessions with the architect, follow-ups with contractors, or blocking off times to be out of the house when the work is being done – with your other responsibilities can help you create a more manageable day-to-day for you and your family. With the end of the pandemic finally in sight, we are started to get glimpses of what the world might look moving forward. We are also realizing that changes we had assumed temporary may very well become the norm. For example, some predict that by the end of 2021, 25% to 30% of the workforce will be working from home multiple days a week. While such forecasts don’t provide anything close to the comfort of certainty, they do give us insight into how we can prepare for what comes. Technology can be an incredible tool in this regard; the trick is to use it in a way that keeps us in the driver’s seat rather than at the mercy of circumstance.
