Make Sure Your Home Office Is More Office Than Home

Make Sure Your Home Office Is More Office Than Home

RECBL - Real Estate News

Working from home either full- or part-time is for some of us, the transition from brick and mortar to a virtual or home office is seamless. If you want to have the perfect environment when working from home, or if you want to improve your current remote work situation, I highly advise you to establish a home office which is more office than home.

1. A dedicated workspace. First, you need to actually have a dedicated workspace. That doesn’t mean a chair in your living room that you like to use while typing, or the kitchen counter because of its proximity to convenient outlets. Ideally, that means a closed-off room of your house, with a desk, where you can focus on work and only work.

There shouldn’t be many—if any—distractions here, and you should have the ability to physically block other areas of your house (especially if you live with other people). This will help you feel, psychologically, that you’re “going to work,” rather than just going to another room of your house, and can not only make you more productive, but also help you disconnect from work when you sign off for the day and leave that room.

2. A second monitor. You may find some conflicting opinions here, and you may have to factor in the specific requirements of your daily responsibilities, but the overall consensus is that adding a second monitor to your workplace setup is always a good idea. The extra room will allow you to multitask, keeping multiple windows open at the same time, and gives you more room to see the full scope of what you’re working on. Once you start, you won’t want to go back to a single monitor.

3. The right chair (or lack thereof). Don’t underestimate the power of a good chair. The right support, while working, can help you prevent postural problems, like back pain, later on. If you want to be trendy, you can try to use a stability ball, or if you’re interested in avoiding the problems with sitting in general, you can invest in a standing desk. In any case, you need a comfortable, healthy way to work.

4. A sound system. Sure, there’s a chance that you’ll use your sound system as a distraction, but evidence suggests that the right music at the right volume can make you more productive. Put simply, the music you enjoy listening to is the best music to hear—don’t worry about the specific genre—and a moderate volume that’s neither too loud or too soft is ideal. This can also help you feel less lonely.

5. Plants, art, and scents. If you want the full atmosphere of a stimulating office, consider getting some houseplants, investing in art on your walls, and even using incense or essential oils to diffuse scents in your workplace. These stimuli can help you think more creatively and reduce stress.​

6. Tangible notes. Your fancy note-taking app is handy when you’re on the go, but it also pays to have some physical pens and paper around the home office. Writing things down, physically, helps you remember them. Plus, the aesthetics of physical office supplies will make your home office feel less like home and more like an office.

7. Backup. Your home office should also have a few varieties of backup, in case things go wrong. You never know when your place may lose power, so have a backup power source ready, just in case. You’ll also want to make sure all your data is backed up, whether it’s on a local hard drive or in the cloud.

8. A view. Sitting next to a window may seem like an opportunity for distraction, but it can actually increase your alertness. All that natural daylight trickling in will make your mind more awake, and in months of good weather, you can open the window for a breath of fresh air. If you can’t have a window in your workspace, at least stay in a room somewhat close to a window.

9. A printer/scanner. Most businesses can operate completely paperless these days, but it’s still a good idea to have a printer nearby—just in case. Having a built-in scanner is also valuable, especially if you have clients or suppliers who still prefer to use paper for their transactions.

10. A public option. No matter how comfortable you feel working from home, working in isolation can still take a psychological toll on you. When working remotely, have one or two places where you can go to work in public and get out of the house. These may include coffee shops, shared workspaces, or even local parks.

This list isn’t meant to be wholly comprehensive; your personal preferences, your current environment, and the nature of your work may require you to have other additions before you can reach peak productivity. However, these 10 items should give you a head start in your journey. Plus, once you set up a home office, you can start earning that home office tax deduction—and if you’re self-employed, you’ll be especially glad you have it.

Do you have additional tips for our readers to help create a more functional home office? We want to hear from you. Contact us at businessdevelopment@cashbuyerslists.com

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