I've really suffered from having to stay in my office this winter. The grey weather in particular hasn’t done much to entice me out. Not only have I found it hard for the first time in five years to be in the same four walls so much, but I've also felt very lonely. The fact that two of my close friends who used to work nearby and who I used to see regularly for lunch/coffee/a nice chat, changed jobs a few months ago hasn’t helped; I hadn't realised that their company, however piecemeal sometimes, made a big difference to me.

However, now that spring has arrived, I've decided to do something about it. A few weeks back, a client who has become a friend told me about office space in Brighton that she rents along with other freelancers. I went to see it this week and really liked it. Apart from being a very nice space, with a 2GB broadband connection, office dog and other people, it’s in my favourite Brighton area (the North Laine). It’s also two minutes from brilliant bars and cafés the amazing new Brighton library, which should really help me in my work. I will be able to start working there in a couple of weeks.

I'm quite nervous, as it's a massive change for me (getting dressed in the morning?? going past my front door??), and I sometimes wonder whether I really should spend money on an office when I have free space at home. However, I think that my quality of life will improve massively; I'll let you know!

Office life

May 19, 2005

So it's been a month since I moved to my new office. I can say without hesitation that it was an inspired decision; my quality of life has improved no end and my work has benefited from it. I thought I'd make a list of the things that have made a real difference to me:

• I really enjoy my half-hour walk to the office. It creates a real break between personal and working life, and the exercice has been excellent for my general well-being.
  
  
• I love having company during the day. Most other people in the office are freelancers too, and it's great to be able to chat about common issues and problems, but also to bounce ideas off each other. The atmosphere is very relaxed and it's brilliant to be able to have a giggle in between looking for that elusive perfect word.
  
  
• I find it easier to do useful things when I haven't got much work; at home, it was so easy to get distracted.
  
  
• I have never found it difficult to stick to my deadlines, but somehow I always used to let my paperwork overwhelm me at home. I suppose it was because there was no real structure to my day, so I could always put off doing boring things, like printing purchase orders, etc., whereas now I know I'll be leaving around 5:30pm (on average), so it gives me an incentive to leave everything in order at the end of the day.