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Over the past two years, since the pandemic has taken over our lives, employees globally have made the change from going into the office to working remotely from home. Many enjoy it and find they are more productive at home, but others find it a task to stay focused on work without a dedicated workspace. To ensure that you work efficiently when you move to remote working, consider the following six ways to build a comfortable and functional work from home space:
1. Incorporate Appropriate Work Furniture
When at the physical office, you would have been provided with office furniture to ensure maximum productivity is met. Two of the basic furniture pieces required for an office set up are the office chair, preferably an ergonomic one for maximum comfort, and a desk with storage space. The storage allows ample space for the organization of documents, files, and folders.
These two furniture pieces should be both functional and comfortable. The set-up should be such that it offers an ideal seating position to operate your desktop computer or laptop. The best ergonomic chairs can ensure you maintain a good posture and mitigate back problems arising from improper posture. To recreate this set-up in your house, you will need a desk chair that is comfortable enough to allow you consecutive hours of work on your computer. You may not be able to fit a full-sized desk in your house, but a smaller one should work just as well.
Thankfully, there are many options available in the market to choose from. For example, products like the Aeron chair and other similar options may be the perfect choice for your needs. They’re ergonomically designed, which is why they’re perfect for the different types of office work and even every body type.
With these things in mind, there’s no question why having a desk chair can be important in building comfortable and functional work from your home office space. Once you have the appropriate work furniture, try not to clutter your desk for optimum efficiency. Having a functional office set up in your house allows you to separate leisure time from work time. For instance, working on the sofa could be an easy distraction with the television and other items to take away your focus from work.
2. Find a Designated Quiet Space
To create the ideal home office set-up, you need to create a quiet space. There should be minimal distractions from children, pets, and other adults in the house. Phone calls or video conferences can easily be disrupted with unprofessional sounds or scenes within the background.
Ensure you choose a quiet place to set up your office. This could be your guest room, garage, basement, or even a soundproofed office pod. Ensure everyone in your house that this area is off-limits during your working hours. You can add a ‘do not disturb door sign for added effect. Choosing a quiet space where there is a window facing outdoor greenery would be perfect. Always keep a bottle of water next to you and possibly a few snacks to munch on when you get hungry, but do make it a point to also get short breaks for a breather and some exercise from being seated all day long. Ensure your heater or cooler is working well for maximum comfort and productivity.
3. Personalize Your Home Office
While you’re building your home office to be comfortable and functional, do not forget to add your stamp to it for a bit of personalization. This can increase your productivity. You may enjoy putting up a family photo above your desk, decorating with cute wallpapers or adding a few plants around the room.
You may also consider adding functional and personalized accessories to your home office. For example, you may have a customized coffee mug with some of your favorite quotes printed on it to motivate you in the morning. You may also add a customized mousepad with your name on it to show off your character.
Indeed, there are many ways to personalize your home office space. As long as the room decor doesn’t distract you from your work, it works well within your set-up. Your office space at home should inspire you to work optimally.
4. Invest in Essential Office Equipment
While you may not need office-grade equipment in your home office set-up, there are a few items of office equipment that may be necessary to have. These could include a good working condition computer or laptop, phone lines, a stable internet connection, printers, scanners and fax machines. You can also look at investing in an all-in-one device, especially if space is a constraint. You should also stock up on office supplies like stationery, ink, paper clips and copy paper. It will save you from unexpected trips to the store during your workday.
5. Eliminate Distractions
Regardless of where you set up your home office, it should be free of any distractions. For example, setting up within a close distance of your television could pose a temptation to switch it on and watch your favorite shows. As mentioned before, pets and children should be kept away from your home office space. If needed, petcare or childcare services can be resorted to, or you could hire the services of a nanny during your working hours. By doing this, you can concentrate on your work which leads to improved work performance and productivity.
6. Focus on Maximizing Natural Lighting
A dimly lit room is not an ideal work environment. It tends to get bleak and dreary, and with no supervision from a manager, you may even feel sleepy. Lack of adequate lighting could also lead to eyestrain and can reduce your productivity. Opting for space with maximum natural light is ideal. Try to set up your home office near a large window which draws in a lot of sunlight.
Conclusion
Working from the comfort of your home can be a dream come true. However, it can only become one if you maintain a comfortable and functional home office at all times. So, if you haven’t created that kind of home office space yet, keep the information mentioned above in mind to help you get started. That way, you’ll know exactly what to do to ensure a great work environment at home. On the other hand, you can also reach out to us for more information on ways to build a comfortable and functional work-from-home space.
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