Coronavirus - Making The Most of, and Prioritising Areas in Your Home

For several days now, I’ve been sitting, watching coverage of the coronavirus pandemic as it, minute by minute, consumes every single aspect of what once was, our normal every day lives. Without a shadow of a doubt, every single one of us is affected by this, somehow, someway.

For me, yesterday, 18th of March, 2020, marked what would have been my father’s 76th birthday. We lost him 3 years ago, ironically, just 2 days before his 73rd birthday, on the 16th of March, 2017. Some would say it was no surprise that his death came so close to his birthday, as he wouldn’t have wanted us to forget losing him so easily.

I never got to see my father before he passed. I was living in Bahrain and didn’t make it back in time to say that desperately wished for goodbye. This is one of the most excruciating downsides of living an expat life, tragedy hitting at any time, and not being able to do anything to avoid the long journey home when there’s a race against time, and all you want is for the God-awful journey to be over within seconds.

In January 2018, not long after my mother had visited me in Morocco, she suffered a heart attack. It came completely out of the blue, and once again I found myself making that painfully long journey back to England. Thankfully she survived, however not without suffering major complications. It resulted in spending the last 2 years rehabilitating her from being completely bed-bound, to walking again.

Fast forward to today. Having slowly built up her strength with the assistance of her medical team, my mother is completely unrecognisable from how she was back in 2018. Truth be told, we honestly didn’t think she’d make it. Dubbed a warrior by her wonderful rheumatology consultant, for the progress she’s made in comparison to anyone she’s ever seen before, we are eternally grateful that she is still with us. 

Now, as we the public, free fall into satan’s abyss, the coronavirus, I cannot tell you how utterly frightened my mother and I are, for her safety and welfare. The best chance of survival my mother has, is to strictly adhere to our Government’s advice, and that we both self isolate for at least 3 months. I am sure there are many people out there, with parents, grandparents and elderly relatives in situations similar to this. So I whole-heartedly understand the fear and anxiety we are all feeling right now.

This is not the first time that I, myself, have been confined to the indoors. Having lived through the 2011 Arab Spring and experiencing a lock-down in Bahrain, albeit for a much shorter period of time compared to now, it is an extremely surreal and cathartic experience; one which nobody can, or should take lightly.

Now, I’m not here to spread doom and gloom. Mainstream and social media outlets are doing a good enough job of this already. What I wanted to do, was share with you my story, so that you all know I am coming from a place of absolute integrity, love and compassion, for the space we all find ourselves in; and to help people survive being indoors as best they can.

With the British government’s announcement yesterday of school closures, and for people to work from home, the four walls of our homes are going to become incredibly claustrophobic and suffocating, if we don’t prepare ourselves for this huge, unprecedented change to our lives. So, how do we prepare?

Let’s begin with gratitude. I for one am grateful that I am living in England, and that my mother lives with me. I am lucky that I get to spend every single day for the next 3 months with her. It could have been far worse, I could still be in Bahrain and she, all alone in England. Every cloud, as they say! So, whatever your circumstances are, let’s find the positives in them. Write them down and remind yourselves of them regularly, if that’s what it will take to keep you afloat.

Turning to your homes. You, your kids, your family, perhaps even your parents, will be spending almost all of your time in your homes. Like it or not, you’re all going to be on top of each other, and if you don’t create a plan and organise how you will all operate within your homes, you’re going to get sick of each other, pretty soon.

Not only that, your house is going to turn on you too, probably sooner rather than later. Every single nook and cranny of your house is going to highlight to you, in flashing neon lights, what’s wrong with it. Everything you put off for tomorrow, or you previously felt you could get by with, is now going to come and bite you on the ass, demanding your immediate attention. The only way you will keep your sanity, and not become overwhelmed, is by breaking it all down, and prioritising it.

First things first, you will need to organise your home into a multi-functioning space, in which you and your family will not only live in, but work in, and study in. Below are the top 3 spaces that you will need to set-up and organise in your homes as soon as possible:

Kids’ Study Area

With school closures being confirmed, kids might be forgiven for thinking their stay at home is an extended snow day. Even if in the first few days they are given a break, the novelty will soon wear off. Therefore, it is incredibly important that a space is dedicated for them to use so they can continue with their studies. Instilling discipline and organisation into their day, despite them being at home, is going to be the key to success.

I remember when we were kids, we lived opposite my dad’s brother, so the kids were forever in and out of each other’s houses. I was the youngest, and my eldest cousin was 6 years older than me. A typical working day consisted of 8 kids in total and 2 adults, all huddled into my uncle's tiny little terraced house, whilst my parents were out at work. I can tell you, we were a very rowdy bunch indeed!

During the school holidays, my uncle, who could have easily been mistaken for an army colonel, would set strict studying rules, despite it being the holidays. The mornings were set aside for study and the afternoons for play. The eldest two would help the younger kids with their studies, and also teach them everything they were being taught at school. As a result, when we went back to school, we’d all have a heads up about what we’d be taught in the future. By the age of 5, I could count up-to 20 in French, read music scores, and science and maths were popular subjects being drummed into us. It might sound scary, but it was actually quite exciting, and we would look forward to learning what the others were being taught at school. It also eliminated the stress and anxiety that we may have felt about what was to come in the years ahead.

As I mentioned, this was a terraced house, so there was hardly any space. However, my DIY-mad uncle had built a lean-to at the side of the house, and this was where we studied. There was a set of chairs and a couple of school desks which my uncle had bought, and that was it, our home school. Once we’d finished studying, class would be dismissed, we’d all get a treat and off we’d go to play in the garden. It worked brilliantly. The kids didn’t get on top of the adults, and the adults didn’t get on top of the kids.

So, whilst you may be thinking that your home cannot accommodate a study area, believe me, it can! If a tiny little terraced house could accommodate 8 kids and 2 adults, your home can too! And, I’m sure you won’t have 8 extremely hyperactive and rowdy kids, sky high on e-numbers to contend with, all in one go, day in, day out, EVERY SINGLE DAY! 

Most houses these days have spare rooms, conservatories, garages and even open nooks and dead spaces under the stairs, or at the stairs landings. Any one of these spaces can be dedicated for the kids study area. And, whilst it’s not ideal in terms of parental supervision, there could also be enough space in the kids’ bedrooms to accommodate a study area. Take a look around your home and identify a space which you can convert into a study room/area. You’re bound to find something!

Home Office

It’s without question that most people will have to work from home. Some might have already been doing this to some extent. For others, work was firmly at their employer’s office, and home was home. So not everyone will already have a space set up in their homes to work from.

As with the kids’ study area, find a space within your home that you can use to set up an office in. Again, ideal spaces are conservatories, garages and spare rooms. If none of these are available to you, you could think about rearranging your living room so that a section of it can be dedicated to a home office. Now, I don’t mean the sofa, coffee table and you sitting with your laptop perched on your lap! This might work for an hour or two but it is certainly not going to work, day in, day out.  Nor do I mean you sharing the space with your kids. You’ll drive each other insane, and none of you will get any work done!

Approach your home office with the same level of professionalism and respect that you would give your office or workstation, at work. You will need a big enough space for a desk, a printer and your laptop. You will also need enough space to move around in, so that you’re not crashing into things, every time you try to get up. Not only will this be a space in which you’ll be working in, but somewhere where you will be holding virtual meetings and conference calls. Make it look and feel as professional as possible. If this means that you need to buy yourself a proper desk and chair, then do it. It is a necessary purchase for you to keep your sanity, and be able to work to your optimum, despite being at home.

Dining Room/Area and Kitchen

In these unprecedented times, it is inevitable that you will be under immense pressure, and stress levels will be through the roof. So it is crucial that there is a space in which you can retreat to, switch off from work-related activities, and regroup. 

You need to nourish yourself and your family extremely well during these stressful times. In order to do this, there must be a dedicated space in which you all sit around the table and enjoy your breakfast, lunch and dinner together. I cannot stress enough how important this is. It might have been the case that previously, your dining room was only being used for special events, dinner parties, Sunday lunches, etc. Now it will be used all the time. Clear out and organise your dining room so that it is free of clutter, and make it feel welcoming, so that it is a place you and your family look forward to dining in.

Likewise, your kitchen needs to be set-up optimally and organised in order to accommodate the additional demands. Not only will you be cooking all your meals at home, it will become the substitute for your local coffee shop and office pantry. A place where copious cups of coffee, tea and other beverages will be made whilst you get through your working day. Organise your cupboards to accommodate the additional demands. Buy a coffee machine if you know you can’t get through your working day without several espressos or cappuccinos. Buy a panini maker, if this is what you’re used to eating for lunch. Arrange everything so that it is all to hand, and you won’t drive yourself bonkers because you’re rummaging around trying to find something.

By organising and arranging your kitchen and dining room, you are eliminating the stress of being caught off guard and flapping around every mealtime, when the kids shout “mum I’m hungry!”, which I assure you, they will, and often!

Once you have decided upon and dedicated spaces within your home for the three aforementioned areas, the next step is to make them look and feel welcoming. If these spaces have been neglected, or were previously used as dumping grounds or just dead space, clear them out. Get rid of what you don’t need. Give yourself and your kids a treat by decorating them. Not only will it breathe fresh air into these spaces, it will also give you a boost. Psychologically, your mind won’t be begrudging the fact that you are being forced to “just make do”. Instead, you are making a conscious effort to honour yourself with these special spaces. It’s amazing what a lick of paint, some fresh wallpaper, shelving and new furniture can do to boost your subconscious mind, especially at a time like this. And remember, whilst it might not feel like it right now, whatever changes you make to your home, big or small, it is an investment, so choose wisely and make the best of it.

There you have it. You’ve identified, dedicated and organised, the top 3 areas in your home in which you will be spending almost all of your time for the next few months. The next thing your mind will start wondering into is all those DIY tasks you’ve been putting off. So as to not overwhelm you, I will be writing about this in another article and providing you with practical solutions, on how to approach this in a structured and organised manner.

Until then, please stay safe!