It’s been a year since the coronavirus pandemic began, and many people continue working from home. However, our team members have always worked home-based! That is why we decided to write a few tips on how to turn your home into a great workspace. If you don’t have a permanent workspace in your house, or maybe you are not quite as organized as you’d like to be, then multiple factors could slow your performance. It is important to organize and adapt a space in your home if you want to bring your professional life up to its full potential, even while working from home.
Location.
If you don’t have an empty room to build your home office, you should think creatively about where to locate your workspace. Take a look at unused corners in rooms with more space, large (but empty) closets, or even under the stairs. There are many spaces at home that can be transformed into an office with a little creativity. Just take into consideration that it should be a quiet space, and it needs to have good lighting because you will need it to be able to work more efficiently. Poor lighting can cause eye strain, leading to headaches and less productivity. Natural light or indirect light may be your best lighting choice.
It is important to avoid working in the same room where you sleep. When you are placing your office in the corner of a room, it can be difficult to separate work from home. Consider adding a privacy divider, or you could hang a curtain from the ceiling or from a bar. Curtains are generally an inexpensive method of “closing the door” to your office.
Ergonomic furniture.
Investing in your home office is investing in you. The goal is to create a professional environment where you will be productive, but also comfortable. You will be working at home, so be sure to consider the quality of the furniture you are going to invest in. It can be tempting to grab a dining room chair when you work from home. But sitting at a desk for long hours without adequate back support is a quick way to develop posture problems. Ergonomic office chairs offer the right support when you are sitting for long hours. On the other hand, consider getting a standing desk instead of a traditional fixed desk. With an ergonomic, height-adjustable desk, you can sit when you want and stretch your legs when you need it with the press of a button. You can also invest in a cable organizer for your chargers, routers, and more, for greater organization.
Make sure you have your monitor in the “perfect” spot. The spine must always remain in a neutral position; the top of the screen should be at or slightly below eye level; the monitor should be at least 20 inches from your eyes, further away if you have a large monitor. Also, your eyes should look slightly down when you look at the center of the screen to help keep your neck in proper alignment. Tilt the monitor back 10 to 20 degrees to make sure you’re looking at the screen at an angle. Most monitors are adjustable, but sometimes that’s not enough. You may need to invest in a screen riser to get the right fit; some books or an old box may also do the work.
Updated and reliable equipment.
Working from home should really feel like you are in an office. You need the same tools. Make sure your computer is updated and reliable. Have it checked every once in a while, and have the necessary antivirus software installed. Also, it’s always good to have a headset in hand and make sure your internet connection is stable. Remember you will be handling your meetings through video conferencing, and neither your pc nor your internet should be slow or having issues.
Lastly, we recommend you think of storage items for your files, documents, stationery, pens, and others. Sometimes there are confidential documents that you can’t leave on display (even at home), so consider investing in a lockable filing cabinet.
Now that you have learned how to turn your home into a great workspace, if you want to work from home, please apply HERE.
