Many companies have embraced the shift to remote work, with reasons ranging from reducing stress from long commutes to saving money on office equipment, utilities and rent. Entrepreneurs and independent contractors predominantly work from home. Whatever reason you have for working remotely, the goal is to maintain or improve your productivity in a home office environment.
1. Identify a Suitable Office Space
First, find a place in your home where you can work all day without interruptions. To preserve your work-life balance, you should separate your home office from the rooms where you socialize and spend after-hours alone time. In other words, ignore your bedroom or the living room as a working space and pick another spacious area, preferably with a window, where your productive juices will thrive.
Consider a spare bedroom, loft or even a sunroom as a decent alternative. Ensure you can close the door to maintain privacy and your concentration. Then, look around the room — is it quiet and presentable? Though your colleagues understand you work from home, you should still maintain your professional image. After all, you can’t keep blurring your background in online meetings without people wondering why.
Also, consider your mental health when making your office space decision, especially if you’re new to remote work. Working from home may not be conducive to your mental health. For example, remote work could make you feel lonely and unmotivated if you are an extrovert who thrives with face-to-face social interactions and workplace camaraderie. Additionally, a poorly equipped or distracting home setup can frustrate you and put you in a bad mood.
2. Choose Your Office Furniture
The ideal office furniture strikes a balance between form and function. Your lounge chair might seem comfortable initially, but you’ll soon figure out it’s not conducive to a full day of work.
Chair
People with desk jobs need chairs that encourage good posture and prevent slouching. Do yourself a favor and invest in an ergonomic chair with high ratings — you can adjust it to an optimal desk height and have the musculoskeletal support you need to sit properly throughout the working day. You’ll reduce your chances of experiencing back and shoulder pain and tension.
Desk
Choose an office desk with enough room underneath to move your legs and feet — and avoid storing anything in your leg space. Your desk must be at a sensible height for your posture, though having an ergonomic chair somewhat remedies that problem. Getting a footrest will minimize potential leg swelling through poor circulation from sitting too long. You’ll need access to electricity, so position your desk close to an outlet or install an extra one nearby.
If your desk has sharp edges, think about padding them or using a wrist rest to prevent contact stress, which can happen if your arms or wrists make contact with hard edges for long periods. All these factors can hinder your future productivity, so do what you can to avoid health problems that cause work absences.
On a lighter note, ensure your desk has enough space to accommodate your laptop, monitor, keyboard, mouse and side lamp. You’ll also want extra room for your coffee cup, water bottle and anything else you might need close by while working.
3. Technology
The type and positioning of your computer, monitors, inverter and Wi-Fi router are primary contributors to productivity in a home office space.
Computer
You need a desktop or laptop with the processing power for your job requirements and compatibility with corporate systems and software. It should have a solid-state drive for quick boot times and enough RAM for smooth multitasking. All these qualities will increase your productivity. Position the computer terminal for easy access away from your leg space — it’s frustrating to have to crawl under your desk to reconnect a keyboard or LAN cable when working on a tight deadline.
Monitors
Include a large screen monitor — preferably dual monitors — with excellent resolution and ergonomic features so you have ample screen space for multiple applications and can see the screen without straining your eyes. You should be able to easily adjust heights and angles to promote your posture and avoid excessive blue light. Position your monitors so the top of the screen is slightly below eye level and about 20 inches from your eyes to encourage good posture.
Inverter
An inverter or battery can be a lifesaver when your home’s area loses power, especially over prolonged periods. You’ll crush your to-do list instead of experiencing the frustration of being unable to work. Find an inverter that powers your computer equipment, Wi-Fi router and desk lamp for at least eight hours. Use it exclusively for your work needs. Merely knowing it’s there when you need it can reduce stress, especially if you live in an area that’s prone to power outages.
Wi-Fi Router and Connection
You want to be online permanently to create a seamless and productive home office space. Ensure your Wi-Fi connection is fast, with download speeds upward of 50Mbps. You’ll be well-positioned for maximum productivity if you have a LAN connection with these speeds and a reliable internet provider. Place your router for optimal connectivity if you’re on a Wi-Fi connection — consider a Wi-Fi extender to boost things otherwise.
Other office equipment, like your keyboard and mouse, webcam, headset, speakers and printer, are equally essential for maintaining productivity. Be prepared to spend slightly more initially to own reliable equipment that efficiently caters to your remote working needs. You’ll be happier and get more done in the long run.
4. Lighting
Natural light in your office space is the ultimate productivity hack. While exposure to sunlight can help you wake up in the morning, it also maintains your alertness throughout the day. Especially if you start work early, having a window near your desk can improve your mood.
Natural and artificial light during the day keep you more awake and alert, so consider including bright, adjustable and energy-efficient LED lighting in your home office space to boost your attention span. Also, get a desk lamp for overcast days when you need extra light for energy.
5. Make the Space Yours
You’ll be more focused in a space where you feel comfortable, so do everything you need to do to personalize your home office. Remember, unlike some office environments, this space is solely yours, so treat it as such. You can cover your office walls with music posters, banners of your favorite sports teams, family photos or motivational quotes to lift your spirits and create a welcoming room.
Personalize your space with rugs, lamps, a bookshelf or even a cozy couch or chair for quick breaks when you want a change from your office chair and desk. Give your space a fresh coat of paint in a color that inspires or calms you. Mirrors create an illusion of spaciousness, making them ideal for smaller office setups.
Even if you don’t have a green thumb, try including a few low-maintenance plants in your new space. The health and aesthetic benefits that plants afford an indoor space are numerous.
- Improve indoor air quality: Plants are natural purifiers that remove toxins in the air and release additional oxygen.
- Regulate humidity: Plants control a room’s humidity levels through transpiration — which is essential when running your HVAC equipment.
- Reduce stress: Plants in your office space enhance feelings of well-being that lower stress levels. Their natural visual appeal reduces fatigue and improves focus.
- Enhance room aesthetics: Plants soften the harsh look of some office furniture and align with the innate human need to feel close to nature. Plants also allow you to customize your decor according to their color, size, shape and position.
The fun part of working at home is having carte blanche to experiment in ways that suit you when designing your office space. You can be contemporary or rustic or include a theme based on time-tested historical architectural designs, like neo-classical or Art Deco. The only limit is your imagination.
A Better Working Space Improves Productivity
You’ll appreciate your home office space and equip yourself to achieve optimal productivity in the appropriate setting and working environment. Plan your space to include items that make your workdays smooth and functional while considering factors that benefit your health and longevity. Let the sunshine in and enjoy working in your new home office space.
