Posted 28 Apr, 2020
Home Office Ideas For A Productive Workspace
Do you have a passion project that you pursue after your day job? Or, maybe you’re considering running your own business from your house or condo. No matter why you work from home, these home office ideas are sure to make your workspace more functional so that you can be more productive.
Before reading through these helpful tips, analyze your work habits and the requirements of your profession. Keep in mind anything that might make your space more comfortable.
For example, if your job requires you to sit for long periods of time, consider choosing a desk that allows you to switch it up during the day. Sitting for too long can be bad for your health, so a multi-level desk may help with back and posture problems.
How to maximize your home office layout.
When positioning your desk, notice the sun’s location when you work most. If you perform tasks at night, it might not make as big a difference to you. However, if you work during the afternoon, intense glare might make it harder for you to concentrate.
Have a small space? Avoid pushing all of your furniture up against one wall, especially if there is a window in the room. You will hate staring at a blank wall after one day. If you must face a wall, consider adding artwork, a framed picture, or an inspiration board where your eyes can rest during screen time breaks.
Use both sides of your desk by pulling it away from the wall and adding another chair on the opposite side for a visitor or an assistant. Make sure that you have a view of the window and open it for at least 15 minutes a day for fresh air.
Do you snack often but hate leaving your workspace to grab something to eat? Incorporate a place for food in your home office. Having a designated area for treats will save you from hiding granola bars in your top desk drawer and taking up precious real estate.
Try assigning a plastic container that fits easily into the last drawer of your file cabinet or sits on your bookshelf as a place for snacks. Now you won’t have to leave the room and interrupt your flow when your tummy rumbles.
Home office ideas to manage paper and declutter your workspace.
Bills, cards, letters, receipts and all other forms of paper tend to collect and become messy. Manage your paper by getting rid of non-essential documents. And, by getting rid of them, we mean store them digitally.
Scan or take a picture of any papers that you need to save and use an external hard drive or cloud storage to organize them. You can even go a step further and sign up for electronic billing to cut paper delivery off at the source.
Go through your reading materials and organize your books. Donate what you can to local libraries and keep the ones that mean the most to you. Once you have decided which books are staying, incorporate them into your décor. Try ordering your collection by spine colour to create a fun rainbow pattern that brightens your bookshelf.
Choose beautiful and functional décor.
Don’t be afraid to give your space personality. When you work from home, you’re not tied to a stiff corporate culture. Instead, you can be free to express yourself through lovely décor, paint, and furniture.
When choosing office accessories, select items that are multi-use. For example, lighting plays an important role in your workspace and the right lamp can heighten your focus and concentration. Select a task lighting fixture with a built-in outlet or charging pad for your mobile device and have two uses for one lamp.
Shopping for a comfortable home office chair should be as important as shopping for your mattress. After all, you spend 8 hours a day sitting and 8 hours a night sleeping, you might as well do both with ease. Ergonomic furniture improves your performance and helps you put in extra hours without feeling the pain.
Don’t forget to add objects and plants that infuse pops of colour and positivity into your workspace. You might think that you need to get rid of everything when you’re decluttering, but it’s worth it to keep a few small items that spark happy memories. Plants are a great idea because they clean the air and offer something beautiful to look at, especially during flowering.
We hope that these home office ideas help you to create your ideal workspace. Remember, every career is different and, therefore, every office will have distinctive qualities. Take pride in what makes your job unique and thoroughly express your passion in an office that you love when you work from home.