This piece was written by Jennifer Bell
Jennifer Bell is a freelance writer, blogger, dog-enthusiast, and avid beachgoer operating out of Southern New Jersey.
In these COVID times, most companies are slowly transitioning to working from home. While this may come with its challenges, we all have to embrace this new norm to ensure that our output remains the same as when we report to a physical office. It can be easy to make your sofa your new home office comfortably. However, identifying an office spot in your home is necessary to enhance your productivity. Here are some simple upgrades to help you get started with your remote job:
1. Choose a Dedicated Office Spot
Not everyone is lucky to have a vacant room in their home; however, if you’re among the lucky ones, it will be easy to set up your home office in that empty room. You can easily set it up in a vacant bedroom or basement.
However, if you don’t have that extra room, you can identify an unused space in the larger rooms and make it your office. Also, it’s best to consider who frequently uses the area you have decided to set up your office. For example, if you set up your office in your kid’s play zone, that will be more of a distractive place rather than a productive place for you. Therefore, it’s vital to consider this when choosing a space to set up shop.
2. Make Comfort A Priority
We have heard of many situations of people complaining of neck and back problems whenever they shift to remote jobs. This could also affect your productivity in a big way and breed more severe issues. Therefore, to be on the safe side, it would be best to treat yourself to an adjustable and comfy ergonomic chair that will support your back as it should. It should also have an armrest and fit perfectly under your working desk to enhance comfortability.
3. Get A Good Working Desk
The choice of work desk that you choose solely depends on your budget, space, and the type of work you do. You don’t have to look for an expensive work desk, but you must choose a good desk that enhances your productivity. Again, if you can afford it, you can get yourself a modern standing desk since it keeps your health in check and balances your sitting and standing time. However, if your work needs a lot of storage space, you may have to get a traditional desk with storage spaces to prevent cluttering the room and keep your office staff safe.
4. Balance the Lighting and Privacy
It can be hard to balance the two, but it has to be done. A well-lit-up home office space will help reduce eyestrain and enhance productivity. This is why you have to consider the room that you choose to set up your office in. It would be ideal if you chose a spot near a window for natural light and fresh air.
If your home office is set up near the window, you can conveniently install a window with blinds inside the glass. With these, you can easily adjust your window to let in the light you need while enjoying your privacy and fresh air. If the room is a bit dark, you can get yourself some eye-friendly table lamps with shades that focus the light in the places you need it.
5. Add Room Dividers
If you’ve chosen a workspace in a large room with other functions, dividers will come in handy to prevent you from distractions. At least, they will also add the extra privacy that you need to work as required. In these modern times, you will be spoilt for choice on the best partitioning dividers to use for your home, and you won’t strain to get one. The best thing about them is that they can be folded away if you need to enjoy the optimum space of your room, so you don’t need to get worked up about it.
6. Add Some House Plants
Plants are not only suitable room brighteners, but they also are good filters of the air in your home and beneficial to your health. They will boost not only your mood but also your work productivity. Of course, not everyone is good with plants, but this is not an excuse. For starters, you can choose various options from the standard low-maintenance succulent plants that you can easily add to your home office space. Eventually, you may find yourself adding more greenery, which requires more maintenance.
7. Work On Your Storage Options
You must keep in mind that your home must have sufficient floor space. Adding a space to your home can lead to your home getting more clutter than usual. Therefore, depending on your area, type of desk, and work, you need to make a wise decision on how to stash away your office stuff. You can consider putting up floating shelves, safety boxes for sensitive material, or other storage options that will maintain the look of your home.
8. Add Some Color
Some colors have been known to inspire your office productivity. The color red, for example, has been said to keep the mind alert. Again, this also depends on where your home office setup is. Of course, you can’t put clashing colors in a room, so; it’s best to be wise with how you choose to do it.
If repainting does not work due to limited space, you can add anything that keeps you inspired like you usually would with your physical office space. For example, you can hang some art or a family photo- just anything to boost your productivity.
A Custom Office Space setup can be born from any corner of your home. The only trick is not to overdo it and be creative enough to make it as inviting as possible. Don’t let limited space pin you down. As explained above, there are perfect solutions to help you with that.
Last Updated on June 22, 2023 by Lucy Clarke
