Create the Ultimate Home Office
Working from home has a multitude of advantages but it is not without its challenges. Here are 10 tips on how to create the ultimate home office.
Life Hacks and Advice
Working from home has a multitude of advantages but it is not without its challenges. Here are 10 tips on how to create the ultimate home office.
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Working from home has a multitude of advantages. It’s a flexible work environment, you set the schedule, and best of all there’s no commute which saves on both time and money! While there are a lot of advantages to working from home, one of the biggest challenges is setting up the right environment with the proper tools to help you succeed.
But before you head out to the store and fork over a handful of cash for the newest office equipment, take a moment to consider what you actually need. For example, are you a creative designer, will you be video-conferencing a lot, how much time will you spend in the home office? All these things should go into your planning. Regardless of what you will be doing from your home office, here are some tips that everyone can follow to create the ultimate home office!
Let’s be real. If you don’t set up a dedicated work-space and make a concerted effort to get up in the morning and actually do work, you’re planning to fail. It is best if your work environment is completely separate from the rest of your house. A quiet, well lit room is the perfect sanctuary to get work done. A dedicated work area becomes more important if you share the space with your family or friends so that you can shut out the noise and distractions to focus on the tasks at hand. Make sure to have the office within close proximity to your WiFi router and phone line for optimal connectivity, and close to the front of the house if you’re meeting with clients.
In the same spirit as #1, personal/work boundaries are just as important as having a dedicated space. When you’re on the job, be on the job. At home there is no boss looking over your shoulder and checking up on you to make sure you’re staying on task (unless, perhaps, you still live with your mother!). While a work-from-home setup might seem like the ideal way to mix business and pleasure, this can be the ultimate slippery slope. Instead, remove the temptation and all the distractions. This means shutting off your cell phone, staying off social media, keeping your Xbox in the living room and most importantly, setting dedicated work hours where you actually sit down and focus on your daily priorities.
As in Films as in the office, lighting is everything! In this case, the more the better, and try to include as much natural light as you can. Studies have shown that exposure to natural light improves both physical and mental well-being, which also improves productivity. If big windows and natural sunlight aren’t an option, there are plenty of day-light light-bulbs that can stand in as substitutes. It also pays to invest in a good desk-lamp for days when you’re working late and burning the midnight oil.
A home office just isn’t complete with out a few neat gadgets. Here are some must-haves to make your work-space both functional and enjoyable:
Lost connectivity is lost productivity, which ultimately means you’re losing money! The last thing you want is to be waiting for a big file to download or constantly dropping video-conference calls with an important client. Just bite the bullet and get reliable, high-speed internet (with at least 50 Mbps download, 10 Mbps upload speed). Most cable companies offer business plans. They cost more, but guarantee the connection and have MUCH better support. No more waiting for hours and going in endless circles with a sales rep.
It might be a cost-saver to have a shared line for both your personal and business calls, but those upfront savings will likely lead to lost business down the line. With a dedicated work phone and line you can have a business-facing voicemail that sounds proper and professional. And you’ll avoid picking up the call thinking it is your significant other, when it is a actually a priority client on the other end. If you really want to have everything on just one phone, you can always call-forward to your personal cell.
Standard desks are sooo last year. Adjustable workstations and standing desks are the wave of the future! If you’re working at a desk that is the wrong height it will cause havoc on your health and well-being. Make sure to also have a comfortable, adjustable ergonomic chair to ensure your posture doesn’t suffer. If an adjustable workstation is not an option due to the price, make sure to get a desk that is the correct height from the get-go (test drive it before you buy).
You might be thinking: I’ve got a perfectly good laptop screen, why on earth would I spend money on a monitor? Well, you might have the fanciest laptop on the planet, but after hours, days and weeks of strained work squinting at a tiny screen, you’ll wish you’d invested in a proper monitor. A good monitor is adjustable and will align perfectly to your height. It should also be big enough that you never have to squint. Plus, a bigger screen means you have more real-estate to work with, so you can have multiple applications on the screen at the same time. A nice big wide-screen monitor is a huge productivity-booster.
Stay organized, safe and protected. The last thing you want is to spend hours sorting through piles of paper on your desk, or losing critical documents after an accident or catastrophe. There are a ton of protective filing cabinets available, so pick one that suits your needs. If you’re on the fence about getting one, just think of it like good insurance. You probably won’t need it, but when you do you’ll be eternally grateful. And unlike insurance, this is a one-time expense so the pain on your wallet is fleeting!
We spend 8-10 hours per day (or nearly a quarter of our lives) at work. Make it a place you enjoy spending time. Fill the space with art you enjoy looking at, some personal photos or memorabilia, and some unique furniture! If music helps you focus, play something soft in the background. Here are some fun design ideas for an office that you will actually look forward to spending time in!
Go to your local garden-center and grab a low-maintenance indoor plant. It will 100% help brighten your mood and pump a little bit of extra oxygen into the air. You’ll definitely notice the difference after being cooped up in your office for hours on end.
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We just moved and I acco polished the natural lighting and greenery (in the form of basil plants) finally and yes, makes all the difference!
Fantastic!! It really is amazing how much some natural light and a few plants can improve our work environment.
Thanks so much for reminding me to pay better attention to my workspace.
My pleasure! It is so important, but so overlooked!
Loved the idea of Monitor, I am still straining myself on Laptop 👨💻
That’s brutal! I’d definitely get a monitor ASAP (even a cheap one will do). It will help with posture and eye strain! Biggest regret I have is not taking ergonomics more seriously from the get-go!
Yes I ordered after reading your post 😀, so thanks 😊
I’ve been working from home for several years and I agree on all these points.
If you have any additional bonus tips, I’m sure everyone would love to hear!
These are my tips from a while back, lots of overlap
https://smellysocksandgardenpeas.wordpress.com/2020/03/21/working-from-home-tips/
Great advice on setting up a home office. I’ll implement some of the new ideas you revealed. (My home office space is extremely small so some of your ideas simply do not apply.) Also, thank you for your like on my blog: He Loves Me, He Loves Me Not.
Great organizational suggestions, some I knew but also some new ones. And thanks for the greenery reminder!!
Thank you!! A little greenery definitely goes a long way!
Love these ideas! I wish my family understood the whole “boundaries” thing though. Ha ha!!
I’ll admit, the family + boundaries is a tough one right now. Having “set” workspaces that aren’t in direct proximity can help. Noise canceling headphones can also be a bit of a godsend 😉
If I didn’t have to be a part-time teacher, I would wear them All. Day. Long! I’ve worked from home for quite a while, but oh, how I appreciate teachers, school and alone time! But, I’m definitely going to spruce up my work area and put a plant or two in my office!
Great Advice. Separating your personal and work space is key!