Sophie Johnson is a lecturer in Fashion Business and Promotion. When working from home, she likes a cosy, quiet and well-organised workspace with easy access to the sofa for lunch breaks with her dogs.
My home workspace is… currently in my lovely cosy living room. I have previously used the conservatory as my work space, with a great desk and views of the garden, but found it was sometimes too hot in the summer and definitely too cold now the winter has hit. But I have a lovely set up by the window in the lounge - not too far from the front door for when the amazon man comes!
My favourite thing about my workspace is… my french bulldog lamp! My desk at home is a lot prettier and less cluttered than my office desk. I love being in the lounge because as soon as lunch time hits I can jump straight on the sofa. It’s nice to be able to walk away from your desk and feel like you are having your break. Also it’s right next to the WIFI box which is handy for Teams meetings.
My workspace companions are… my three doggies! Simba is a 2.5 year old French Bulldog who we rescued in March last year and we have since rescued another Frenchie Nahla who is 4. Hugo is our old man rescue and he’s an 8 year old Frug. I do lots of work with a Frenchie rescue called FLOOF, so it’s lovely to be able to spend more time with them, go out for lunchtime walks and sometimes they even like to jump up and say hello! It’s true what they say about dogs as therapy animals, they can very quickly de-stress you after a long day.
While working, I like to listen to… Sometimes I have no choice, it’s the dogs snoring. Generally I find I can’t listen to anything when working as I struggle to listen and write or read. So it’s mostly silence and dog snores.
Since working from home, I’ve discovered… how much more productive a working day can be! I normally commute around 32 miles from door to door and I can sit on the M6 for up to 90 minutes most days. Starting the day without that commute helps my mood and concentration. I’ve also discovered how much I like McDonalds breakfast deliveries… not so great on the waistline.
