Desks, Desks, Millions of Empty Desks

When I found out last fall I was going to be laid off, visions of isolation began dancing through my head. I would be stuck working at my tiny desk in a gloomy corner of my 12 x 17 studio, all day long. Alone.

I quickly recruited several other office-less friends, all willing to spend $200 a month to avoid working at home. And then, I set out in search of desks.

With millions of square feet emptying out in cities all over the country, vacant cubicles have become legion and commercial lease holders very nervous. Here’s how you can make that work for you:

Making Your Home into Your Office

Too many of us never expected our spare rooms or entire apartments would become our cubicles, too. With that in mind, the New York Times signed up five interior designers and five new homeworkers and paired them up to find new solutions for their space.

I was fortunate enough to be one of them.

When the process began, I had visions of four-digit expenditures (to be paid by the newspaper or the designers) on major renovations to turn this crowded and sometimes gloomy 12×17 space into a livable and workable environment.

It turns out, it only took $326 and a designer with some good ideas.

Here are a few small things you can do to turn any home area into a workspace that is comfortable and inspiring—and where you can pull off professional meetings.

Recession Lexicon: Homeworking

This term is so obvious, we’re amazed more people aren’t using it. It’s a little less of a mouthful than “working from home,” which is great for all of us who are now setting up shop in kitchens, spare bedrooms, and alcoves.

The McOffice?

The many people who have been laid off from longtime office jobs are probably finding out something that, as a full-time freelance writer and editor, I’ve known for a while: It sucks to spend all day working at home.

The television is a constant temptation. Household chores suddenly seem a welcome and fulfilling activity. Snacks in the fridge call your name. Loudly. And your days can seem like they’re going nowhere.

The Cure for Aeron Chair Withdrawal

We were barely able to write this post because we’re so busy doing Wall Angels. What are Wall Angels? Practically miraculous—and free—posture-picker-uppers, perfect for new freelancers/consultants/employment-challenged individuals who are hunched over their dining room tables.

Read more…

What Not to Wear in Unemployment

Now that you’re no longer office-bound, your closet is calling to you with its range of options. You’re giddy over the possibilities (suit no longer required? no matter! how about gym clothes!). But before your wardrobe fantasy goes too far, we have some advice.

Here’s what not to wear in unemployment. Unless, of course, you plan on remaining unemployed.