The number of people working from home is only growing, but not everyone knows how to set up the perfect workspace. It can be difficult to figure out exactly how to use the space you have and what you need for a productive and comfortable workday. To get the most out of your home office, follow our tips below for the perfect workspace.
Find space in your home
The first thing you need to do is find space in your home for your set-up. Depending on the size of your home, this may be a separate room or in an unused space in a room, like the corner of a living room.
Once you’ve found your space, it’s best to designate it as your workspace and avoid using it for other purposes. This can make it difficult to concentrate at your desk when you need to work as you grow to associate it with other activities. It’s also a good way to remind family members or housemates that when you’re in that area, you are working.
Ways you can designate the space, particularly if you can’t use a separate room, is to create physical and visual lines. You can try using a stylish and modern rug to visually distinguish space from other parts of the room or even a screen to physically block it off from the rest of the space.
Lighting
When it comes to lighting, do your best to get as much natural light as possible in your workspace. Natural light can improve your productivity, while making you feel better.
Therefore, ideally, your workspace should be near a window. If this isn’t possible, you set up mirrors strategically to reflect natural light to your space or use electric lights that will not cause eye strain.
Have only what you need
Before you get too far along in setting up your workspace, it’s vital that you identify exactly what you need to do your job. Think about what you would do in a normal day and what equipment you need to get that done.
For example, you may need multiple screens to look at numerous documents at once, or you may only need one screen. Similarly, you may need a web camera to make video calls or a mobile phone may be all you need for audio-only calls.
Keep it tidy
An untidy workspace can distract you and also make you feel more stressed. Make an effort to keep your desk free of clutter and unnecessary items. Set a rule to make sure it is clean every afternoon before you finish up, for instance.
Have organisation and storage solutions
Following this line of thought, it’s an excellent idea to have some organisation and storage solutions handy to avoid your workspace becoming messy. These don’t need to be big or expensive solutions. You may just need a simple file organiser on your desk or a small filing cabinet or bookcase. Whatever you choose, make sure you can keep it neat and it won’t make things messier.
Make sure it’s comfortable and ergonomic
Ensure that you choose furniture that is functional, comfortable and ergonomic. It shouldn’t be painful to work from your home office. Sore muscles and headaches are often the result of a poor-ergonomic set up. Take the time to choose a comfortable chair that supports you as well as making sure your desk, monitor and keyboard are set up in such a way to avoid strain.
Decorate
Once you have the fundamentals of your office sorted, you can start decorating. It’s important to personalise your workspace as it can help you feel more comfortable there and even lead to a reduction in stress. Of course, you need to avoid it becoming cluttered.
Some good ways to personalise your space include hanging pictures, setting up plants, and adding small decorative objects. It can also be helpful to choose functional objects that double as décor, like specialist stationery or even a patterned mouse mat.
Conclusion
Home offices are common nowadays. Whether you are creating one in a studio apartment or a large home, use the guide above to help you create a workspace you will enjoy working from.
