Every day, work becomes more flexible. More people are now working from the comfort of their homes. This allows people to plan their lives just the way they like and lead better lives in the end. The popularity of working from home is directly linked to creating better schedules for nursing mothers. As good as working from home is, it can be very tricky. It requires a lot of discipline and organization to ensure productivity is optimum and privacy is respected.
One of the most important steps you should take to have highly productive hours working from home is the creation of a beautiful and comfortable home office. Comfort is important in any office but it is important that a home office isn’t too comfortable – it must be set up in a way that gets you in work mode immediately when you enter the room. A clear separation must be made between work hours and your daily life in the home. When setting up a home office, certain questions have to lead the way:
· What’s the nature of your work?
· Are you working alone or you are working with people?
· Will clients be visiting the office?
· What type of equipment is needed?
· What level of privacy is required?
· What level of serenity is required? E.g. in the case of calling clients or potential customers.
A home office does not necessarily need to be large but must not be in a heavily trafficked part of the home. Once marked out a space for work, it has to be kept so. All work-related documents go in there – be strict about it to avoid shifting the boundaries necessary for efficiency. The following steps will help you create not just a beautiful and comfortable home office busy also a highly productive one.
Lighting
One of the most important things in a home office is lighting. Good lighting makes significant impacts on keeping you sharp and active throughout the working hours. Natural daylight is always the best because it is the most evenly balanced source of white light. However, it is not always possible to get a room with a window, and even when you have one, the intensity of daylight changes based on several factors. There are several other great lighting options you can use. Combine two or three light sources to lighting the room evenly. A combination of a task light and overhead light is a great option. If you will be working late night shifts, invest in a high-quality task light.
Good lighting also makes your home office look more beautiful. If it’s a small space, good lighting will make it appear larger.
Note: yellow-cast illumination works better for most eyes. Also, ensure your computer screen does not face a light source and neither should your overhead lighting be directly above your computer screen to avoid eye strain and glare.
Privacy
Regardless of your ability to handle chaos, noise and interruptions will surely impact your productivity. Therefore, you must give privacy proper attention. The very first step is to ensure your home office is in an area of the home that sees less traffic. You may also get screens or room dividers to separate the office from household activities. If you don’t have a large space, you can get a bookcase that also serves as a divider for the room. For example, people who have to be on the phone talking to clients and customers have to keep background noise to the minimum.
Another aspect of privacy is to keep all your work documents in the office to avoid another member of the family from tampering with them.
Note: you may also add signage such as “Work Zone” or “Quiet Please”.
Furniture
Another important aspect of a beautiful and comfortable home office is the selection of the right pieces of furniture. Speaking an interview, Abayomi Aje who is a friend this website and blogs for allmodernfurnitureshop.com said “we tend to think we can use any chair in the home as an office chair. This is totally wrong because office chairs are specifically designed to serve such purposes. Sitting for several hours before your desk can force you into awkward postures hence causing pressure to build up in certain body parts such as the lower back”. Ergonomic office chairs are designed to provide adequate support for the body, making them suitable for long hours of sitting. Add an ergonomic office chair to your home office and your productivity will be optimum as well as your health is preserved.
Other pieces of furniture you need include a desk and a shelf. There are different types of desks you can choose from. U-shaped desks appear more professional but need more space. On the other hand, L-shaped desks require less space and allow easier access to stored items.
Note: keep your space well organized by investing in the right pieces of furniture. This is particularly important in cases where the available space is small. Fortunately, there are innovative ways to maximize your space.
Equipment
Achieving a high level of productivity requires that you have all that you need to get your job done as fast and easily as possible. This, however, has to be handled carefully to avoid getting your office cluttered with all kinds of equipment. You need to ask yourself how often you will need some equipment, especially a big one, and decide whether it is better to use your neighborhood office supply instead.
Note: ensure you invest in the most efficient and fastest equipment on the market; it makes a significant difference. You may also have to separate your business lines from your home lines to ensure you are not distracted while working. All office supplies must be available in surplus and close to you to avoid frequent standing or drafting out.
Other Accessories
Your home office also has to look very appealing as this can have a significant impact on the overall productivity. In addition to good lighting and selection of the right furniture, you may also want to add a few artworks. Choose artworks that complement what you already have. If you have a small home office, fewer and larger artworks are better. They will make your space appear less cluttered. You should also run a power strip that keeps all cords neatly plugged. This keeps your space tidy as well as reduces the chances of accidents. You may also want to put a picture that motivates you on your desk. The underlining fact is to keep things simple, ensuring your space truly looks like an office.
Other things you may want to have in your home office include greenery and aquariums. Plants are better because you won’t have to enter your office on weekends.
Conclusion
Loss of definition or separation between work life and family life is one of the biggest challenges of working from home. Once this isn’t done properly, things get disorganized and it becomes difficult to achieve set goals. This can be highly frustrating. Having a beautiful and comfortable home office is a significant step in the right direction of enjoying highly productive hours working from home. Five easy but germane steps for creating a home office that gets the job done are discussed above.
