Tips for Setting Up a Home Office

Many people enjoy the perks remote work has brought. Instead of commuting, they can now sleep longer, eat healthier, and save money. Some studies report that remote workers are more productive, which allows them to devote the extra time they’d otherwise spend working to hobbies or family and friends.

However, remote work does come with its own set of drawbacks. Not setting up a home office, for instance, can have an impact on a remote worker’s life, erasing the boundary between private and business time. It can also take a toll on their health and cause a wide range of symptoms and conditions such as back pain, headache, and burnout.

Here are some tips and tricks on how to set up a home office and have a more enjoyable and productive workday.

Create a Separate Space for Work

If you want to separate your personal and professional life in your mind, you have to start with physically separating the two. It may sound odd, but that’s simply how the human brain works. If you get into the habit of doing your job from your sofa or bed, you’ll end up associating these leisure areas with work, which will make it harder to unwind and relax in that same space once the workday is over.

Of course, most people don’t have a whole room in their apartment to turn into a home office, so improvising plays a vital role. The good news is that you don’t need an entire room: A dedicated corner in your living room - a desk and a chair reserved for work, basically - will do just fine.?

Invest in an Ergonomic Office Chair

Those who work from home know how inviting their sofas can be compared to their office chairs. However, sitting like this throughout the workday can be damaging to the spine and cause long-term health problems.

Instead, you should equip your home office with an ergonomic office chair that’ll keep your posture in check and prevent headaches and back pain.

Some of the best office chairs are:

• Height-adjustable
• Fully rotatable?
• Have built-in lumbar support
• Have adjustable armrests

Set Up the Lighting?

Adequate lighting, especially in wintertime, plays a crucial role in a home office since it decreases eye fatigue, sleepiness, and helps prevent headaches caused by strained eyes. This allows remote employees to keep their productivity levels up and be more efficient. Natural lighting is always the best, but just like with space, not everyone has enough of it at their home.

Those who don’t have enough natural light can:

• Opt for indirect light. Instead of working under the direct glare of overhead lights, choose a torchiere floor lamp.
• Incorporate task lighting. It’s important to have a proper light source for the area where you do most of your work. For that purpose, we recommend using adjustable desk lamps.
• Reduce glares and shadows. When setting up a home office, it’s important to consider where the light is coming from. Those who place the light source behind them might be annoyed by the glare lamps will inevitably make on their monitors. The same goes for natural sources of light, so if you can’t place your desk in such a way that you face the windows when sitting at it, make sure to invest in some curtains or blinds.

Build Up Your Software Stack

Remote work means finding new ways to communicate with your colleagues or business associates, as well as keeping up with the schedule and avoiding missing a deadline. This is where various software solutions can help - from communication software to task management and productivity tools. Luckily, most of these tools have a freemium version, so remote workers can use them without burdening their budgets.

Keep Your Work Space Tidy

One of the challenges of working from home is the distractions surrounding us in this environment. That’s why it’s best to declutter your home office and only keep around you (on your desk, in the drawers, on the wall) the things you need for work. Consider buying a filing cabinet or some shelves to store all the things you don’t need beside you constantly.

The same goes for your digital environment: To achieve maximum productivity levels, clean your digital storage systems such as Google Drive and Dropbox and keep your desktop organized and clutter-free.

Get a Plant

Most people know from experience how spending some time in nature can help with mental fatigue and improve concentration. What’s more, research suggests people can reap some benefits of nature without even leaving their homes. Surrounding yourself with some greenery can have a calming effect and make your home office a more pleasant place to spend time in.