You’re working from home now. Whether it’s because your employer made that decision due to the pandemic, or because you’ve started your own home-based business. You should be aware, though, that there can be as many pitfalls as advantages to having a home office, so make sure you know what to do to make your workspace work for you.
Let’s follow some tips from the experts on how to work from home successfully and productively.
Your New Office Space
- Are you in a small apartment or studio?: There are ways to make a functional workspace even in the smallest of areas. If there is no room for a proper desk, you can install a shelf to serve as one. If you’ve got some corner space, two shelves placed at right angles can give additional space for a printer or second monitor. It’s important to have a good ergonomically constructed chair, but even those don’t have to be the big, executive types. You can find more compact office chairs that still give your back the support it needs.
- Lighting is important: Just like you need a proper chair for your back, you also need proper lighting for your eyes. Fluorescent lighting is a trigger for migraines and dim lighting is bad for your eyes and also causes headaches. Always go for natural light when possible. Even if you don’t have a window in the room, you can use special bulbs that mimic real sunlight. Many people DIY them with translucent pictures of the outdoors to cover them, giving them the illusion of real windows. Studies have shown that having natural lighting in the office boosts productivity and reduces the effects of seasonal disorder.
- Make a dedicated workspace: In order to feel like you’re not working around the clock or on the flip side, letting home duties interfere with your workday, you need a separate dedicated workspace. If it means renovating a room in order to do that, it could be to your advantage later in reselling your home, since many people are taking a home office into account when house hunting. In any case, be sure your office space is as separate from your living space as possible. If you don’t have a spare room you can use, try getting a free-standing divider wall. Just make sure you don’t make the space so small you feel hemmed in and claustrophobic. Even in a tiny space, having a window to look out of means having the whole world before you.
- Add some comfort touches: Just like the rest of your home, your office should have some personal touches to make you feel more comfortable being there. Plants, family photos, cool office gadgets, and even some games like mini basketball or desktop tetherball can be great stress-relievers. A small goldfish tank is relaxing and since fish rarely gossip, they make the perfect office companion.
Set Some Ground Rules
- Working hours: Make a work schedule and stick to it. Also, let everyone else in the household know what hours you’re working and what hours you’re “home,” and available. It’s too easy to get sucked into working too many hours when your workspace is only steps away from your home space, so adhering to a strict schedule makes your life and the lives of your family members feel more normal. Even if you live alone, let family and friends know when you’re available for phone calls and visits. Keeping your workspace visibly separate helps too, so close the door or pull a curtain but let your “off work” hours be, “out of sight, out of mind” If not, you can get burned out quickly. Having said that though, allow yourself some flex time too. If you’re feeling cooped up and that’s affecting your work, go outside and take a walk, even if that’s not on the schedule.
- Privacy: If your office is close enough in the house that others are within earshot of your conference calls, invest in noise-canceling headphones to keep your meetings private and to be courteous to anyone else in the room.
- Turning the Work Off: It’s important that you be available to your children and spouse when you’re “off the clock.” Don’t be tempted to answer emails or check phone messages when you’re helping your kids with their homework or having dinner with your spouse. It’s possible for work to overshadow the rest of your life when you work from home, so make a concerted effort to let it go at the end of the business day.
As working from home becomes more the norm, we will all adjust to it like we do any other changes in our lives. Follow these steps to get into a good work rhythm and routine at the start, and before you know it, you won’t remember a time when the office wasn’t a few short steps commute from home.
We hope you enjoyed this special guest column from the TidyHome Blog. Visit TidyHome.info for more great tips on organization, cleaning, and more.
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