Setting Up Home Office For Remote Work: The Complete Checklist

Looking forward to setting up your home office? Then there are only two things that you'll think of.

Your Comfort and your Productivity.

And for that, you really need to get your hands on the following things.

a) Right equipment

b) Proper space

c) And Discipline

Well, I’ve discussed a whole long checklist for your brand new home office from getting all the necessary equipment to setting up the most productive office environment, in this article.

Even if you have limited space to set up that office, it’s still totally fine as I’ve discussed a few limited-space cases and hence preferred desk setups for them accordingly at the very end of this article.

So you just don’t need to worry about it.

Let’s just dive into the checklist!

1. Get the basics first!

Obviously, there is a long list of home office basics that we already know about. Those are the very basic equipment or necessities. I’m listing down the expanded version of that list so you don’t miss any of your desk setup basics.

1. A comfortable chair and an adjustable desk.
2. Computers (one or two, depending on the type of your work)
3. Strong internet connection
4. Keyboard
5. Mouse and mouse pad
6. Headphones
7. Mic
8. Webcam and video-call lighting kit
9. Lamp or ring light (if you work at night, or if there is a need)
10. Extension lead and cable organizer
11. Printer if needed (also, printer papers and ink)
12. Notebooks and Diary
13. Planner and To-do list
14. Calendar
15. Office Stationery (stapler, scissors, tape, paper clips, sticky notes, punching machine, calculators)
16. Pen stand
17. Trash can

All these might look really basic, but since you are not supposed to switch between your Home and Office every now and then, you must have all these in place.

Pro tip:

All the necessities may get prioritized by each other according to the type of work or type of service you provide. Graphics designers, for example, will need equipment more from the tech side, whereas a counselor may just focus on his video calling quality or his sitting background.

2. Organize Stuff!

Now when you have everything on your desk, you need some organizers so you don’t end up wasting time organizing stuff every now and then.

Stationary and Notebooks Organizer

Stapler. Scissors. Tape. Paper clips. Sticky notes. Punching machine. Calculator. Notebook. To-do list. Planner. And a lot more…

You definitely need an organizer to sort these things or your desk will remain messed up every time.

Here is a desk organizer with a sliding drawer along with file and pen holders.

There is one more organizer you can hang on the wall around your desk. Honestly, I just fell in love with this organizer.

Action Tip:

The organizer might not be budget-friendly but you can definitely try a DIY version of this organizer using cardboard and paint spray this next coming weekend!

Documents organizer

You may have invoices of your clients, receipts, or files stuffed with important documents. Or maybe you craft your daily plans on A4-size sheets and have huge bundles of papers on your desk.

You definitely need an organizer here as you cannot bear to lose that important stuff.

Here is a simple file organizer for your desk Amazon.com

Moreover, if you own uncountable bundles of files on your desk and looking to get a space like a cabinet, here is an amazing solution.

Books organizer

Whether you are a book-reading enthusiast and want to keep them all on your desk or you just need to use them as decorative pieces to make your desk look great; here is a wooden space-saving shelf to keep books sorted on your desk. Amazon.com

3. Get access to these online Tools

You are planning to do your remote work being at home.

Now obviously you will need a bunch of tools from quick video calls to managing and sourcing all of your tasks and projects.

Here I’m listing all the very basic tools no remote worker should miss at all.

Zoom and Google Meet

• video calling
• screen sharing
• live chats

Trello, Slack, or Asana

• Manage projects
• Communication with team members
• Tasks tracking
• Files and checklists sharing
• Voice or video calling
• Reminders and note-taking

Dropbox or OneDrive

• Data storage (OneDrive: 250GB, dropbox: 2TB)
• Security
• Backing-up
• Data Sharing
• Data accessing from synced devices

Google Calendar

• Schedule meetings
• Set reminders
• Manage deadlines
• Keeping track of all events

4. Get These Health Gadgets

Never ever neglect your health just to get a few more hours of work done.

This can put a long-term negative impact on your physical as well as mental health. You may also possibly end up taking a one-day leave just because you are too exhausted.

Well, there are more chances for our health to get impacted when working from home since there are no official rules or fixed timings. You have to set them yourself.

And this is the point where we usually go wrong and work more than what is required ending up affecting our health badly.

Well, there are a few work-from-home things you should get so you can keep your mind healthy and avoid energy drainage.

Healthy chairs

Get an ergonomic chair to avoid head, shoulders, and body aches. (These aches can possibly result in long-term serious back pain)

No-eye-strain Glasses

Since you are working 45+ hours a week, get anti-glare glasses or blue-light glasses. These blue-light glasses stop the blue light rays from affecting your eyes, whereas anti-glare glasses will help in minimizing the light reflection and preventing the glare, giving you a clearer vision.

Easy-to-drink bottle

Keep a bottle of water on one side of your table. Get sips every now and then as soon as you feel your throat getting dry. You can also get the one with embedded straws if you intake water once every ten minutes.

Smart Timer

To avoid frying your brain when working remotely from home, a simple and easiest solution is the Pomodoro technique. This is personally my favorite one. The technique involves 25min work + 5 min break cycle that keeps us productive and focused especially when there is attention to detail required for some tasks.

Healthy Treats

You may crave a snack during your 5-min break. Make sure you keep healthy snacks like nuts inside your desk drawers so you don’t end up consuming lots of chocolates.

5. Build a Productive workspace

Add Some Creativity

1. Place a colorful rug at your work setup location. It will make you feel motivated and can also be used to mark the area of your home office.
2. Similarly, you can place colorful mats on your desk to boost productivity (avoid dark colors like red or orange).
3. Place artistic pictures or family pictures on your desk. Or write or hang a quote that inspires you to work more. You can also place other unique toys or stuff that you find inspirational or creative.

Keep The Window Open

Lighting plays a crucial role in either making your work environment productive or unproductive.

We all know natural sunlight is good for us and boosts our productivity.

But I think we will pay more attention to the fact that;

“Lamps, led, and other fluorescent lights are popularly known for reducing our productivity and causing lethargy in our bodies”

So make sure you utilize the daytime as much as possible for your work.

Your work timings may include afternoon and evening daylight as well. But keep in mind, the more the light in your office is cooler, the more you will be productive.

Do Feel The Green Vibes

Honestly, green plants just make me feel so positive and happy.

And so it does to everyone else.?

So make sure you get one or two tiny yet fresh green plants for your desk as research says “workspaces with plants increase productivity by 38% and creativity by 45%, and well-being by 47%”

Get some Feng shui plants as they are known for boosting energy. Jade plant is the one that requires minimal care so you can definitely consider getting this one.

Remove Productivity Obstacles

Sometimes there are so many secret distracting obstacles between your work and your productivity that you might not be aware of.

Here I’m mentioning a few. Make sure you track all of your obstacles.

The temperature of your room can be a big obstacle either if it’s too cold or even if it’s too warm. Make sure you choose a moderate temperature for your home office room.

Hang “don’t disturb” sign boards outside your office room if your family members interrupt every now and then. You can also put on noise-cancellation headphones.

The bright rays coming from your computer screen can also be an obstacle as they cause eye strain and severe headaches consequently. As I have already mentioned in this article, make sure to get blue-light glasses if that’s one of your obstacles.

6. Set Home office Rules

Just like your physical office, your home-based office also NEEDS the application of disciplinary rules. There is no exception!

Set Boundaries

Set regular working hours and make sure to be disciplined. Set a specific space for your home office (better if you get a separate room set up for your work). Keep the door closed when you’re at your work. Do hang sign boards if necessary. You may also wear a specific pair of glasses to indicate the start of your focused tasks if your family is around.

Well, set as many rules as possible according to your own weaknesses and strengths.

Be dressed up like you used to be before

If we see logically,

Coming to work in pajamas doesn’t hurt our work at all.

However if we see its psyche,

There is a big impact on our productivity!

Putting on formal dresses gives a sense of seriousness naturally. We are more likely to work attentively feeling a sense of responsibility.

Here you can simply imagine that productive vibe you used to get after dressing up for your physical office.

It’s not actually about how you need to look, it’s about how you feel when you’re dressed up. And you will definitely feel extremely energetic and productive.

Take short Breaks

Short breaks are just so amazing.

They recharge you. Refresh your mind. Give you a boost of energy, positive vibes, and also willingness to work more.

The thing is,

How you spend your break MATTERS a lot.

Your breaks will either boost you up or just end up wasting your time.

Do not keep on wandering or talking randomly to yourself. Or do not just start reminding yourself of sorrows and pain. Instead, try remaining mindful!

Keep breaks sweet, simple, and positive. Go to different locations within your house. Engage with kids. Do short meditations as they are known for boosting creativity. Short meditations resolve issues like anxiety as well.

Recommended Post:

Which of these cases best suits you? Get A laptop table accordingly.

Case1

The room where you set up your home office cannot be your permanent work-from-home office location for some reasons, and you keep on shifting here and there with your all gadgets and stuff within your house.

For that case, get this portable laptop stand with wheels that you can easily move around your house. The height of the stand is adjustable and there is also a tilting tray so you can adjust the position of your laptop as well.

If you still need something proper, here is a portable, yet proper desk setup that you would be able to move occasionally only.

Case 2

You have space to set up your home office, but just for limited office hours. You will need to wind up everything and pack your bag when leaving that home office.

In that case,

Here are two folding desks, A and B, with a slight difference in size and shelves. You can choose one according to your preference and needs.

Case 3

Here you have a serious space issue, much bigger than one can assume.

So here is an uncommon space-saving work setup that you are going to adjust on your wall.

Well, if you don’t have any of the 3 listed issues, you may check out this standard height adjustable standing desk with this budget-friendly office chair for your new work-from-home office setup. Or you may get the one you really loved at your nearby furniture store.

Action Reminder:

Start saving money for your laptop table and whatsoever you loved from the whole long home-office checklist.?