When you are working from home, you have a difficult task ahead: to create an office-like atmosphere in the midst of your home. Sometimes it can easily be achieved by converting a spare bedroom into an office, but what to do when you don’t have the extra space to spare? Luckily, there are several simple home office solutions that can transform practically any room into a functional office.
Functional Storage Ideas
You probably have plenty of paperwork and little trinkets lying around your home – living room, bedroom, and office are probably not exceptions. Looking at your desk right now you probably have plenty of old papers, some scraps and post-its you don’t need any more, dozens of pens, and a stapler taken out of a drawer and never put back in. Make some order, because otherwise you will lose valuable time trying to find the thing you need underneath all the things that have piled up over it. Make simple storage boxes where you will put all your papers, and have a magnet right above your desk which will keep your stapler just where you can easily see and reach it, but where it will not get in the way.
Minor Distractions are Good
You will need a break from time to time, and it is a good thing to have a corner to relax when you feel too overwhelmed to work. Make yourself a cup of tea or coffee, walk around, gaze out the window for a while, and listen to relaxing music. All this will help you blow off steam and cool down when you have been working too hard. Sometimes we all need a five minute break to sit in silence before we get back to answering all those e-mails and worrying about deadlines. If you don’t have where to go in your home office, take some time to go outside for a 10 minute walk, or spend some time playing with your pet.
Make it comfortable
Because you will be spending a lot of time sitting in front of your computer, it is important to make sure your body is in proper position. It is better to get ergonomic office chairs and ensure that your back stay healthy than to save money and use chairs, and desks that are going to be pain in the neck (literally). Chairs should be comfortable and adjustable so you can look at you computer screen without hurting your neck. Desk should be spacious enough for you to rest your elbows on it when you’re tired, and leave a cup of coffee without worrying you’ll knock it over by accident.
Lighting Solutions
Sometimes you cannot choose whether there will be enough natural light for you to work comfortably. Having good light is essential if you want your eyes to stay healthy and convenient lamps attribute to functionality of your office space a lot. Set up high quality LED lights and lamps on your desk and on the walls, and make sure your chandeliers or pendant lamps cast enough light for you to see well even when it’s cloudy or really dark outside.
Having an office in your home can be both convenient and challenging. It is not always easy to separate your private life from your job, and when you are working from home it becomes even more demanding. Always try to have a few hours of your day dedicated to the ones you love, friends and family; that way you will be motivated to do your job better.
