The perfect home office depends on your personal needs and likes. However, there should be a balance between comfort and work. That is why we compiled a set of tips to consider when you are designing your home office. We called them THE MALLARD 🦆. If you want an effective and productive workspace, continue reading these 10 tips on how to set the perfect home office.
Think about what you need in your workspace.
When designing your workspace, think about what you will be doing there and, consequently, what you need. Be aware of your job role, your space, and your personal preferences. Once you know what you need, the process will become much easier since you can check your budget and avoid forgetting something.
Have a quiet and private home area.
The reason for this is simple. You need to separate your working space from your living space to feel concentrated and productive. Otherwise, distractions will tempt you, and you might find working from home stressful. Therefore, select a peaceful and cozy area of your house; you can build it or have a specific room where you can work.
Establish work storage space.
Not finding something is always stressful. For this reason, we need to follow this golden tip: A place for everything, and everything in its place! Enjoy working from home by having everything you need handy and accessible (if you have a small space, be creative). Establishing a work storage space should keep your home office tidy and efficient!
Make comfort your number one priority.
With this, we do not suggest you buy a recliner. You want to stay focused and awake. For this reason, get an ergonomic chair that provides proper back and arm support. Additionally, we suggest for your well-being that you follow the next set of rules for your posture:
- Your feet should rest firmly on the floor or a footrest.
- Your forearms parallel with the floor.
- The top of the screen should be at eye level or a little below.
Acquire the right equipment.
When working from home, having the accessories you need is a must to enjoy this lifestyle. Therefore, make sure you can rely on your software (tools and programs) and your hardware (physical equipment). Get the options that best suit your needs. Nevertheless, some must-have home office technology could include:
- Personal computer or a laptop
- Keyboard
- Mouse
- Modem
- Surge protector
- Docking station
- Cellphone
- Headset
Light your home office to boost your productivity.
Avoid squinting and headaches by setting good lighting in your home office. It is said that natural light is the best type of lighting (It helps avoid eye problems, is essential for absorption of vitamin D, and improves sleep cycles), but it cannot be your only source of light. Therefore, experiment with the intensity and the light tones that work the best for you. Additionally, remember to take care of your eyes and skin by avoiding reflections and glare-offs or using anti-reflective glasses, and using a photoprotector.
Let your personality shine through.
Make your workspace a place you enjoy gazing at. Decorate it to stay energized, calm, inspired, motivated, or all of the previously mentioned! However, keep in mind that it must be more functional than decorative. So make it the color you prefer and add as many items you would like, as long as they do not interfere with the functions of your home office.
Abstain from using your home office for non-work-related activities.
Doing this helps develop a work-life balance. During work hours, focus on getting your work done. Afterward, forget about your home office and have fun with your loved ones and enjoy your hobbies in another place. By keeping your home office as a dedicated workspace, you avoid distractions, wasting your time; and consequently, you can enjoy your personal life more since you can forget about work after work hours.
Reduce the chances of tripping or dropping something.
Wires are both dangerous and not visually appealing. If you cannot go wireless, keep the wires out of view and out of reach. You can do this with velcro, zip ties, pipes, or just hiding them under the furniture. Take care of your wires and yourself to guarantee a great experience working from home.
Digitalize everything you can.
Technology is amazing. Instead of having drawers or shelves to stock books and important documents, you can have everything at your fingertips in your cloud and your computer (remember, back up everything in the cloud). You don’t have to make a physical effort to find things. Moreover, it helps you save space and save the planet.
What do you think? Will you use THE MALLARD 🦆 technique when designing your own home office? Let us know in the comments! Also, don’t forget to share these “10 Tips On How To Set The Perfect Home Office” with someone who needs them. We hope you find these tips helpful, and if so, it would be awesome if you could tag us in a picture of your workspace on social media once you finish it!
8 Comments
Yes! Thank you, I think these tips are very helpful. I’ll use them to design my new work space. I’ll tag you in a pic once it’s finished. 🙂
We are happy to help, and thank you, Dannie! We would love to see your new workspace once it is done! ????