Whether you’re working from home or have after-hour duties, having a home office can make all the difference.
However, creating one takes more than just putting a desk into a room. This place will be the central command post for your business and as such, it needs to offer comfort and inspire productivity.
How to create a perfect home office? How to transform a room into a place that facilitates hard work and concentration? These practical ideas will help you out with creating your own at-home office that actually works.
Choose a Dedicated Area
In an ideal kind of situation, a home office needs to be in an area that’s quiet. This place should provide privacy and be without any distractions. This is particularly vital if you share the house with other people.
If you frequently use the phone while working, choose a spare room away from the noise coming from the rest of the house. If you’re often meeting with clients, choose a room that’s close to the front entrance. For those with a lot of tech equipment, a dedicated studio works best.
A good solution to these issues is having a log cabin in your garden. In such a place, the distractions will be minimal. Moreover, you’ll be free to create a workspace that suits your schedule, style, and needs.
Get the Necessary Equipment
When working from home, speed and efficiency are vital. For that matter, it’s important to decide which equipment is necessary and which is not. Do you really need that large copier? Don’t take up space with hardware or furniture that you’ll never use.
A good idea would be to invest in a wireless hub for your at-home office. With it, you’ll be able to use your laptop anywhere, at both sitting and standing heights. It’s a simple solution that greatly enhances one’s creative thinking and problem-solving ability.
Moreover, you’ll need a separate phone line for your at-home office. Sharing a phone line (and voicemail) between your home and business can sound unprofessional to clients. A shared landline puts you at risk of other family members, like children, answering your phone calls.
Acquire High-Speed Internet Access
A slow internet connection isn’t just frustrating but also hinders one’s productivity. While you’re waiting for pages to load, files to upload, or attachments to download, you could be getting work done.
Not only does laggy internet slow remote workers down, but it also provides them with an opportunity to get distracted by other things. You don’t want to find yourself in a situation where your brain works faster than the pages are loading.
For that matter, consider looking at options offered by the Internet service providers in your area. Learn which option is fast enough for you and select the corresponding internet package. Faster Internet can make a huge difference in your productivity.
Light it Right
If you’re thinking about starting a home business, you’ll also have to consider the lighting. As the most evenly balanced source of white light, natural daylight is still the best. Having as much of it as possible in your home office works wonders for productivity.
Is daylight not available in your situation? If so, try to combine general and task lighting. Keep in mind that cold light (like daylight) improves alertness and productivity, while the warm one promotes relaxation.
An important thing to mention here is that screen glare causes eyestrain and headaches. For that matter, avoid putting your laptop in front of the light source or placing overhead lighting above your screens.
Invest in a Good Chair
You don’t have to use a regular dining chair just because you’re working from home. After all, nobody sits on such a chair for too long – only while eating. A chair for working, on the other hand, needs to be ergonomically designed.
Sitting doesn’t require as much effort as standing, but it still puts stress on your back. Over time, your sedentary lifestyle will lead to health problems. Spare no money when buying a chair for your home office – your health depends on it.
Fortunately, the chair industry has made some significant improvements when it comes to comfort and adjustability. Take your time and find an ergonomically designed model that suits your needs. Make sure it’s comfortable and supportive.
Manage the Cables
Most of the people who work from home are using a lot of electronic devices. These usually have cables, and cables tend to tangle. Nobody likes cable management, but it has to be done. A clutter of tangled cables at every corner can be very frustrating and affect your productivity.
First of all, you’ll have to identify all of your cables. Label each of them with a ribbon. With clearly defined cables, connecting and disconnecting various devices is much easier.
Secondly, make sure to route the cables in a way that prevents them from getting mixed up. Let each cable have a clear path from one place to another. Do it in a way that makes sense in your workspace.
Go Green
To put it simply, greenery brings the outside indoors. When you’re looking at your computer screen for hours on end, it’s nice to have some greenery around to rest your eyes on. Moreover, the plants will also purify your air and help you feel more connected to nature.
Remote working allows you to choose which plants you will put inside your home office, and where. Go for low-maintenance houseplants that purify the air. With these, you won’t have to worry about watering so much, and they’ll keep your office fresh and beautiful.
With a home office that’s free of distractions, comfortable, tidy, and well-lit, working from home becomes much easier and more productive.
While it’s important to make this place feel like your own, the focus should be on functionality rather than on personality. With all of the necessary equipment at reach and no distractions to break your concentration, your home office will become a place you will gladly spend time in.
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