More and more people are starting to work from home, as technology advances make it easier to do so. However, working from home can sometimes be a pain, especially if you’re trying to work on a desktop at a small desk in the corner of your living room, or if you’re trying to work from your couch.
Having an official workspace in your home can promote efficiency and help you to feel like you’re being more productive. A home office can also help you to differentiate between “work” and “home,” something that is helpful when your house is both.
- Find a place to set up your office.
Obviously, the best solution would be to already have a designated office space within your home, or to convert an empty room into an office. However, if you don’t have those options, you will have to create your own space.
Your home office can be the corner of another room, but it should be a room that doesn’t get used as often. A room with little through-traffic will help you to focus on your work instead of getting distracted by other things. You might consider the corner of your bedroom, using part of the dining room, or clearing out part of a storage area.
- Set up walls.
If you are working in a room that is shared space, it’s important to create the illusion of privacy. This helps prevent distractions, promotes efficiency, and gives the space more of a work-like feel. You can get room dividers and set them up around your work area, much like a cubicle.
- Get a desk.
Even though you might be able to get work done sitting on a couch or a beanbag chair, desks are more efficient. If you are doing more than 5 hours a week of work at home, you should get a desk. Along with your desk, you will want a comfortable chair. Sitting for long hours at a time in front of screen can hurt your back if you don’t have a chair with good back support.
- Make sure you have adequate lighting.
Nothing is more depressing than trying to work in a dimly lit room. A brightly lit room can help you to feel more energetic, and it will also help reduce the eyestrain that can occur when you’re looking at a bright screen in a dark room.
Decorating your space can also help your home office to feel more inviting. Don’t feel like you have to sit in a blank space in order to work. Find whatever atmosphere helps you to concentrate and be the most efficient.
- Make sure your hardware and software are up to date.
One of the biggest drawbacks to working from home is that usually you have to provide your own computer and software. You can have the greatest home office in the world, but if you’re trying to work off of an old laptop or desktop that has outdated software and takes forever to load, you’re going to have a hard time getting things done and feeling productive. Identify what exactly you will be doing from home and what type of computer and software you will need to meet those needs.
