As many of us are currently working from home and will be for the foreseeable future, we need a set up that ensures we are happy and productive. We have written about this briefly in the past year, but thought it useful to revisit how to tailor your home office.
The Perfect Office Differs
The ideal set up will be unique to you. We have different needs, work environments and desires. So what do you need to consider when setting up your office? Well, this will depend on your personality and preferences. It may surprise you that an ideal set up may differ according to how extroverted you are. And we all have preferences for what type of chair we desire. For many, health issues will be paramount in setting up your office.
Tailor Your Home Office – Other Considerations
Key of course is what type of job you perform at home. Some will need multiple screens, a phone line, printer and more. Some may just need a chair and a laptop to do their job. My overriding advice, as someone who has worked from home for five years, is to ensure you treat your workspace like a real office.
So this means a proper desk – working on the couch will turn into a disaster, trust me. Dress for work, and try and stay as focused as you would with someone watching over you!
Find Your Space
to work effectively, you must find your own part of the home and have the lack of nose required to do your job. So consider what distractions will affect where you set up office. You need to be away from pets, children, TVs and so on. You need to concentrate on your work, so you are as efficient and error-free as possible. For some, a spare room is perfect. Others may utilise the kitchen, or even a garden shed! I find looking out from a window does help me. I think i would lose patience if staring at a wall all day. You may even, if the set-up seems likely to be long-term wish to think about building a full-featured home office.
Tailor Your Home Office – Equipment
Here’s one of the not-so-obvious work from home tips: the right equipment saves minutes throughout your day. When added up, these savings massively boost your productivity. Whichever office environment suits you best, here are some work from home accessories to keep in mind for your home office computer setup.
Considerations
- A good keyboard. (as a left-hander, i work better with a refined keyboard). Just be comfortable with its layout and you will work efficiently.
- A comfortable mouse. (Wrist problems aren’t fun.) Personally i go mouse-free and use a laptop pad. Be wary of RSI, and if typing and computer use is causing pain in tendons, adjust how you work.
- Extra monitors. (Many jobs get a productivity boost when you can view multiple screens at once.)
- Quality noise-cancelling headphones. If noise is an issue, then this is one way to remove it. We all have to adapt by working from home, especially if not alone.
- A conveniently-located printer. I recently bought one, that came delivered from Argos, with a cartridge, for £28!
Tailor Your Home Office – Thoughts
The key to working well is that you feel comfortable at your work desk. You have everything to hand you need for the day, and nothing is a bind.
