7 Brilliant Home Office Ideas
If you’re feeling like your makeshift office isn’t cutting it anymore, we’ve got 7 ideas to help your home office feel more productive.
For many people, what they thought would be a temporary fix for a global problem in 2020 has turned into a permanent situation. The pandemic may have ended, but many people now work in a hybrid environment. Time is now split between our home and professional offices. And for some, they’ll never return to a typical office environment.
Maybe you’ve spent months perched on a barstool at your kitchen island, but it’s time for a change. It’s time to make your home office more functional, professional, and comfortable. So let’s take a temporary solution and upgrade it to permanent status. Here’s how to make your home office the perfect place for you.
1. Create A Designated Space
Not everyone has a designated office space in their home. Take a deep breath, look at your home with fresh eyes, and choose a spot to designate as your work area. Maybe it’s a corner in your bedroom, game room, living room, or kitchen. You may even use your garage or closet. Wherever the space is that you choose, commit to it. Work there every day, don’t hop from place to place. The main reason you want to go to the same spot each time you work is to create a routine and ritual around your work.
Finding the right place to set up your office is half the battle. Building a space that speaks to you and is yours alone is essential. If you’re constantly moving your workspace to accommodate other people, or to work while you eat, or in front of the TV, you will be less productive and find it difficult to focus. You must take the initiative to provide an environment where you can thrive. Create a space with aspects that encourage concentration, inspiration, and proficiency.
2. Divide A Room For Privacy
A room divider is an effective way to create privacy for you within a larger room. A folding-style partition can easily be picked up and moved at the end of the day. If you want a semi-permanent divider, you can utilize freestanding bookshelves to divide the room while simultaneously creating more storage. Dividers also minimize distractions, block out some background noise, and may even provide a more desirable backdrop for Zoom calls.
3. Go For Layers Of Lighting
Proper lighting is crucial in a home workspace. Lighting affects your productivity, mood, and appearance during online meetings. A single overhead light won’t do; go for an array of lighting. An adjustable desk lamp is excellent for task lighting aimed precisely where you need it. Ambient lighting from a table or floor lamp diffuses light through a shade. This light bounces off ceilings and walls, bathing the room in soft light. Consider investing in a ring light. A ring light is your best friend during conference calls and online meetings. And proper lighting isn’t about vanity; it’s a sign of professionalism.
The ultimate light is natural light; if you’re lucky enough to have it in your home workspace, you are truly blessed. Natural light improves your mood, reduces drowsiness, helps with eye strain, headaches, and improves your circadian rhythm. Natural light also helps with Zoom lighting, but make sure you sit facing the window.
4. Declutter And Organize
Have you ever heard, “The state of your bed is the state of your head”? This statement refers to a messy space’s effect on your outlook. A messy bed, or a messy room, doesn’t inspire and motivate one to do greater things. On the other hand, a clean, organized, well-cared-for space brings peace of mind, clarity, and a desire to improve things. Although this seems obvious, many people don’t recognize the correlation between the two unless it’s pointed out. When did you last tidy up your workspace? Today’s the day. Toss anything you don’t need. Invest in a paper shredder, a filing cabinet or box, and containers for your desk.
Take good care of yourself and your space. Clutter can be a distraction. When leaving your workspace for the day, even at home, clean it up and shut it down. This ensures that when you come in the next day, you’re already set up for success, and you can get straight to work instead of spending time organizing from the day before. Research shows that cluttered spaces negatively affect our stress levels and hinder our ability to focus. Dog-eared papers, piles of books, and dirty coffee cups don’t look good on Zoom either.
5. Use The Right Furniture
Ergonomics is the science of matching the right product with the human body. Make sure you choose ergonomically designed items that work for you. Investing in ergonomic furniture allows for maximum comfort and reduced stress on the body. Ergonomically designed products can prevent muscle strain, carpal tunnel syndrome, and lower back problems.
If you’ve been sitting on the sofa, hunched over your laptop, you’re not only compromising your ability to do good work. You’re compromising your body. Choose a desk with the right height for your frame and a chair supporting your back. Try a standing desk if you don’t enjoy sitting all day. You can also get a monitor stand to help elevate your screen for comfortable viewing. And you don’t have to break the bank. You can acquire one new piece every other month, or every two months, or scour flea markets or Facebook Marketplace for upcycled furniture. And if you need a DIY solution for monitor height, use a few large hardcover books to raise it.
6. Pick The Right Colors
Colors have a tremendous psychological impact on people. Different colors elicit different physical and emotional responses, so you must choose wisely. Choosing a great color can mean the difference between high productivity and feeling like you want to sleep every time you sit at your desk. In general, light and airy colors uplift a home office. Use neutral colors like earthy blues, greens, off-white, and beige. And if bright colors are your thing, opt for a neutral pallet and add color through pillows, pens, coffee cups, art, and books.
7. Make Your Space Your Own
The best thing about working from home? You’re creating your own space. You don’t need to get approval from your boss or facilities to make the place you work reflect your personality. Hang art that speaks to you. Surround yourself with plants. Put your dog’s bed near your desk, so your best friend can sleep at your feet while you work. Set up a diffuser with your favorite scent, or light a candle. Play music that helps you focus. Create a vision board and include places you want to visit, things that bring you joy, and goals you want to achieve. Whatever makes you calm, happy, and productive, make it part of your work environment. The power lies with you to create exactly what you want, to get exactly where you want to go.
Living Houston Can Help You Find A Better Home Office
Working from home is slowly becoming the norm for many people. Challenges can come with working from home, but a well-designed office will make it easier. Contact Living Houston to guide you through buying and selling if you find yourself in the market for a new home with a better workspace.
