5 Oddly Awesome Work Spots to Set Up Shop During COVID-19

Sick of sitting at home yet? Even if you’ve dreamed of the day when your boss would allow a work-from-home arrangement, the coronavirus quarantine isn’t exactly the remote job situation you really wanted.

If the four walls of your home are starting to close in, it’s time to take advantage of all this COVID downtime and expand your workspace horizons. Though access to the outside world is extremely limited right now, you’ve still got options to change up your workspace.

If you decide to head outdoors – which hasn’t been made totally illegal yet, yikes! – keep a far distance between yourself and others. If you choose to stay in, it’s about time to pick up shop and set your laptop down in a new location.

Don’t go stir-crazy just yet. Take some advice from a long-time freelance writer – that would be me, one of INTIMINA’s long-distance digital nomads – and check out these funky spots that make work feel more fun.

Odd Spot #1: Your Bed (But Make it Extra Cozy)

Working from the comfort of your bedroom – nay, your actual bed! – is the stuff of entrepreneurial dreams. How many times have Hollywood films and TV shows featured a babe in bed, answering phone calls while draped in a fluffy robe and drinking champagne? Now it’s your turn to make this cheesy fantasy a reality.

If you’re like me, you might just wake up, roll over and start answering emails before you’ve even sat up. That’s totally fine, too. But you deserve to be taking real advantage of creating the coziest office ever.

Prop up a bunch of pillows and surround yourself in softness. Bunch up the covers and use them to prop up your laptop (with a book or something hard underneath it to prevent overheating, of course). Have a hot cup of coffee or tea and a breakfast snack on your nightstand. Create your perfect mood lighting, whatever that is: open up the blinds or curtains and let the sun shine in, or draw the shades and light some candles for a relaxing, moody atmosphere.

Some experts say your bedroom shouldn’t double as a workspace and a relaxing space because it blurs the lines when you need to – literally and figuratively – log off. Speaking from personal experience, that’s totally untrue. It’s all about finding the balance between comfort and relaxation, and motivation and creativity.

Odd Spot #2: In a Secluded Spot Outdoors

If there’s one place I absolutely swear by working, it’s out in nature.

I once wrote a multi-award winning speech for a Toastmasters International presentation while perched on a green hill in the Angeles National Forest in California. When I first began my freelance writing career, I wrote my first articles from inside a tent in the Joshua Tree National Park on a solo camping trip. I even took business consulting calls while charging my phone from my car on that same camping overnight.

Point being, working outdoors is awesome! The energy of the natural world is like a fuel for fresh ideas. I’ve never once felt burnt-out or uninspired while composing an article in a tent facing a stunning desert landscape or from a picnic table in a forest.

While many State and National Parks are either closed or offering limited public facilities, like restrooms and information centers, do some research and double-check to be sure this is the case near you. Several parks remain open and are waiving entrance fees to encourage social distancing in nature.

This list is a good place to start seeking your next outdoor work adventure. Just be sure to choose the most secluded spot you can find to pop open your laptop.

Odd Spot #3: Your Vehicle (Bonus Points if it’s a Van or Hatchback)

This spot is going to sound the strangest of all, but hear me out, folks.

If you can’t make it into a National, State or City Park due to COVID-19 closures, you can likely park nearby and still work somewhere with a nicer view than the same apartment wall at which you’ve been staring.

I’ve stumbled onto the awesomeness of the roving car-office by accident and found it to be superior to my place when I just need to get out of the house. Once, while attempting to work from my little tent shelter on the beach, the wind was not having my plans for the day. I was being blown across the sand before I could even break out my shelter.

Thankfully I had some snacks and water, a couple beach blankets and a pillow, and all my working supplies (read: my laptop and cell phone) already with me, so I simply parked my car in view of the windy beach. Then I folded my back seats down, spread out the blankets and pillow, and made a mini office out of my car, complete with a gorgeous, sunny view.

When nature tries to ruin your plans – and sometimes nature is a nasty virus – you improvise.

Admittedly, it’s a lot easier to work from your vehicle if it’s large, like a van, or has a big hatchback-style trunk area where you can spread out. But a regular old back seat and some blankets work just fine if you’ve got the materials to keep it cozy.

Odd Spot #4: On the Floor, Under a Sunny Window, or Somewhere Totally Novel (and Weird) in Your Home

Desks and tables are for normal people, and after the last week or so of quarantine, you’re probably starting to realize that you’re not as “normal” as you once believed. However, whoever claimed “normal” was a good thing must have also been pretty boring.

You know what shouldn’t be boring – or even normal during the corona craziness? Your workspace. By now you’ve probably tested out the home office desk, the bed, or the kitchen or dining room tables as your impromptu 9-to-5 settings.

Now take a look around and discover those secret spots you’ve probably never dreamed of sitting down with your laptop.

I’ll give you a few of my own to get those creative juices flowing: the sun-drenched rug area in front of my open back door, which I cover with a translucent shade for privacy; the floor in front of the arm of my couch, which makes an excel back rest and also receives a lot of sun; or, as weird as it sounds, on the terry cloth rug in my bathroom, a room in my apartment that’s usually the warmest and cozy.

So in short: if it looks like a nice place to work, it probably is. Add some pillows and blankets if you need extra softness or support.

Odd Spot #5: In a Warm Bathtub

Alright, I’ll admit that this last one is a stretch because really, who feels inclined to work while trying to relax in the tub? It’s another movie and TV trope that can, with the right prep, become semi-functional.

However, I’d recommend this one for casually reading over a project or assignment rather than during a conference call or responding to emails. Your wet fingers aren’t ideal for typing and that bathroom echo can’t really be concealed over the phone or Skype.

But seriously, though, this dreamy set-up can work – to a certain degree – if you’re prepared. Try this one near the end of your workday and transition it into the best post-5PM activity your lonely, COVID-free home can offer.

I’ve done the work-from-bathtub arrangement a couple times and find it works best while reading emails or project details on your phone. You’ll want to keep your hands dry or have a towel on hand because smart devices turn wonky with wet hands. Minimal typing is ok, or just tell Siri what you want to type or text.

Finish up the day’s last email responsibilities and then switch over to Netflix, YouTube, Hulu or Disney+ while you enjoy the remainder of the hot water.