Many people choose to work from home or their offices have been relocated to their homes due to the current global pandemic. Working from home can be challenging at the best of times, and even more difficult when the home is full of kids, activities, and distractions. If you don't have the proper office space, privacy can be surprisingly difficult, especially for those who don't expect to be able to work remotely.
What factors should you consider when planning your ideal home office? When making these considerations, you need to consider spacing, spacing, and furniture. What area will help you be the most productive, with the fewest distractions, and how can you feel comfortable and professional at the same time? Here are 4 easy ways you can prepare for success.
Step 1 – Choosing suitable and comfortable furniture
Depending on the available space, there are countless desk options available to set up your home office. In order to turn a large room into an office, a traditional desk can be an option. However, size and functionality depend on the space available. If you're working in the corner of a common room or maybe in a hallway with limited space, An affordable height-adjustable standing desk can help you give variable positions that serve you throughout the day and help you feel less stagnant. Standing desks can be a great alternative to traditional home office furniture as they reduce back pressure and pain, and allow flexibility in your posture while you work. The type of desk you choose can improve or hinder your ability to work at home depending on your personal needs.
Step 2 – Choosing a suitable work area
While the living room or kitchen area may seem like a great work area as you can be right in the middle of the action, it can also affect your productivity. These areas are the hub of domestic activities and can be incredibly distracting. If you have kids around you or a spouse is watching TV loudly, these distractions can affect your ability to answer calls, attend online meetings, or just focus effectively on your daily work and needs.
Step 3 – Choosing an area that is suitable for video calling and customer care from home
In an office setting, this is generally not a problem, as meetings and sales pitches are often conducted in person. However, things are changing and most meetings and conferences are held over online video calling and zoom meetings. In this regard, it's incredibly important to think about what your co-workers and prospects are seeing behind you in running your day-to-day business. It is a must to ensure that your employees and customers cannot see your living room, bedroom, or children's play areas. Just as these areas can be distracting to work for you, they can also be very active, distracting people in your meetings with you. Conversely, this also offers privacy for your family at home, as they live there and often do not treat the room as a workplace. To avoid unhappy or embarrassing moments for your family, do not put your camera in a hallway showing a bathroom or bedroom. Just as you need privacy to work, you need privacy to live and if you have a home office you need to remember that it is your home too. Avoid embarrassing incidents by making sure your camera is not pointing into public areas.
Step 4: decorate your workspace to increase productivity
Decorating your office like a normal office rather than your home can create a mental disconnection from your living area and prepare you to work more professionally than at home. Ensuring proper decorations can also help keep you mentally stimulated in the office and keep you from feeling trapped, especially during times of lockdown and quarantine. Adding some plants can improve your mood and give you something to look at instead of staring at a wall. If you have a window, you can put your desk in front of it to feel a connection to the outside while maintaining the reasonable and necessary clearance. Decorating your home office like a normal office will make you feel separate and ready when you step into your work area, making your home office a functional place where you can focus and do the best possible work.
