When you work from home, you can sometimes struggle to put the office in home office. You need to enter work mode without entering a traditional office, and it’s hard to make the mental switch. To set the tone for maximum productivity, you can’t roll out of bed in the morning, grab your laptop and tuck yourself back between the covers while you type away. You need to give yourself a space where you can trick your mind into entering its most productive state.
Designating a part of your house as your work-from-home space helps you focus and get more done without ever leaving your home. If you already have an office area, but feel like you aren’t achieving maximum productivity, it’s time to analyze your current space to see where your office could use an upgrade.
8 Ways to Improve Your Work-From-Home Office Setup
If you have not already, it’s time to pick a spot in your house as your designated workspace. Ideally, you reserve this spot exclusively for work activities.
Your work spot should have relative quiet, space for an organized desk and good lighting. The best work-from-home desk setup will be in an area relatively free from distractions.
For example, if you’ve got kids, try to pick a spot far from their usual play areas, so sounds of roughhousing don’t make their way into your office while you’re on a business call. If your partner is a performer, choose somewhere far from their rehearsal space.
Once you’ve settled on a location, it’s time to learn how to set up a work-from-home space where you feel confident and productive.
1. Assess the Space
So you’ve selected a place. Now it’s time to take stock of what you have and what you need. First, take a look at the space itself. What part of the room could stand some improvement? Here are some questions to consider:
- Does it need renovations?
- What type of renovations?
- Is there enough storage?
- Do you have enough light?
- Do you have all the furniture you need?
- Do you get a good enough internet connection?
Set two budgets — one for renovations and one for furniture and various objects to spruce up the space. Keep reading for more ideas on where you could start your upgrades.
2. Upgrade Your Flooring
When you think about ways to improve the functionality of a space, you may not consider looking down at your feet. However, your current floor could be causing problems you haven’t yet noticed.
When entering a space, you want to feel inspired, calm and comforted. An old, warped or outdated floor will do none of these things. If you have allergies, an old carpet could trap allergens and aggravate your symptoms. If you have a weak floor, it could get scratched and ruined with a rolling desk chair.
Even the most updated room looks shabby with a bad floor.
Getting new carpeting could add an element of comfort to the space. Hardwood could add a sense of elegance. Whatever mood you want to cultivate in your office space, make sure your flooring matches your vision.
3. Maximize Your Lighting
Lighting plays an essential role in your productivity. Sunlight helps regulate your circadian rhythm — your biological clock — while blue light from screens interrupts your cycle if you work too late. Getting a good night’s sleep and staying focused during the day rely on you getting:
- The right amount of light
- The right kind of light
- During the right times
Sunlight helps your brain produce serotonin during the day, which reduces rates of depression and helps you maintain a state of wakefulness. Face your desk towards a window to maximize your daily sunlight intake.
If your space doesn’t have a window, bring as much light in as possible. Add desk lamps and overhead lights and buy bulbs with a daylight setting.
4. Find a Desk You Love
Your desk is the canvas where the magic happens. No matter what your profession, your desk is your office’s home base. Even if you’re a photographer who goes out on-site to work, you return to your office to edit, contact clients, run social media and update your website.
Since your desk plays such an important role in your work and acts as the focal point to your office, you’ll want to find one you love. Luckily, you can find a desk to fit any style. From executive desks or writing desks to corner desks or standing desks, you can easily find something that works for you.
5. Invest in a Comfortable, Durable Chair
If your desk is the command center of your office, your chair plays an equally important role. You need to pick a chair with comfort and support, so you don’t run into back problems in the future.
Since scientists have determined that sitting is the new smoking, you want a chair that will mitigate those risks. Get a chair that helps you maintain good posture, and don’t forget to take intermittent walking breaks.
6. Take the Time to Organize
Too many desks fall prey to the notorious clutter takeover. It’s hard to keep your head straight when your desk always ends up looking like a mess.
Make sure you have at least a small filing cabinet with dividing folders to keep important documents all in one place. Get a container to hold your small office supplies. Even an unused mug will do in a pinch as a makeshift pen holder.
Having a small bookshelf to hold extra supplies always helps for larger equipment. If everything you need has a home in the office, your desk will not become a catchall for odds and ends.
7. Play With Color
Once you have your office set up and organized, it’s time to think about aesthetics.
Scientifically, color can play a role in determining your mood. Blue promotes creativity, red focuses your attention on details, and green sparks imagination.
You don’t have to paint the whole office to see results. Pops of color can make a big impact while keeping your place bright, chic and clean. Consider a blue bookshelf against white walls or a bright piece of art, so you don’t need to invest the time in painting the whole room.
For a pop of green, add a planter to your office and a succulent to your desk.
8. Make Sure Your Tech Is up to Par
Once you’ve established your haven of productivity, make sure you’ve got equipment that can keep up with you. Analyze your tech needs by assessing the quality of your current setup.
Make sure you have each of these bases covered:
- A strong Wi-Fi connection
- Enough memory on your computer to store your files and run your programs
- A functioning printer
- Antivirus software to protect your computer
Schedule an Appointment With 50Floor Today
Improve your work-from-home space from the ground up. Learn what options 50Floor offers and set up your in-home consultation by reaching out to us today.
