13 Tips to Create a Productive Home Office
Photo by Carl Heyerdahl on Unsplash
In just the past 5 years, remote work has increased by 44%. After COVID-19 hit in March 2020, many jobs were forced to move from the office to the home. Of these jobs, I wouldnβt be surprised to see a large percentage of those that remain remote. But as anyone who works from home can tell you, it isnβt all sunshine and sweatpants. Working from home has its own set of difficulties. Creating a productive home office that promotes an optimal workflow can be tricky when space may be limited and distractions are at every corner.
Whether you are working from home temporarily during the pandemic or more long-term, there are some small and relatively painless steps you can take to make the experience more enjoyable. Itβs best to establish these habits before you begin your journey in remote work, but itβs also never too late to start, especially if you find that your work at home experience has been tough on you.
DESIGNATE A WORK OFFICE
Whether this is a dedicated room in your house or a desk in the corner of your one-bedroom apartment, it is important that you choose a space for work. This is where you go to clock-in at the beginning of the day, and what you leave behind once work is over.
I live in a one-bedroom apartment with my partner, Carson, who also, due to the pandemic, works from home. My current job as an Accountability Coach is a full-time remote position while Carson’s situation is more temporary. Our apartment has a small computer alcove that works well as a home office, but it doesn’t have a door. I’m on the phone for almost the whole workday, so having the ability to close a door and have privacy as I speak to clients is important. Because of this, I decided it would be best if Carson took the computer alcove and I made a home office in the corner of our bedroom.Β
Now, I know this doesn’t sound ideal, and I definitely faced a lot of challenges creating a comfortable workspace in our bedroom, but I now have a home office that works for my needs. I know when I sit down at my corner desk, I’m ready to work.Β
KEEP IT TIDYβ
Since youβre not working in a large office building, youβll need to be your own janitor. I recommend investing in a small office trash bin and a bin of cleaning supplies that you can leave in your work area. Pick one or two days to include cleaning as part of your daily tasks.Β
Beyond cleanliness, itβs important to stay organized. It wasnβt until I had my own space at home that I realized I didnβt have anywhere to store important documents or even my pens and paper! There are some great affordable desk organization supplies at Ikea and Target that can really help keep your place clutter-free so you can spend less time sifting through papers and more time doing what really needs to be done.
GET RID OF DISTRACTIONSβ
There are bound to be more distractions when you work from home than when working from an office building. Distractions can range from your cell phone to your TV to your kids to the noise outside! The truth is, there are so many temptations to procrastinate or distract yourself when all of your favorite things are at an armβs length away.
If you have a TV in your office space, consider moving it. If thatβs not possible, try investing in a time-locked box for your remote if you find yourself particularly tempted. While youβre at it, toss your cell phone in there if you donβt need it for work. Nowadays, we need our cell phones for almost everything so that might not be plausible. There are apps out there like Offtime, Moment, and BreakFree that will temporarily block you from accessing select apps like Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook.
Another possibly tougher distraction is other people. Work can get boring and tedious especially when youβre working alone at home. You might be tempted to slip away to chat with your family or friends. This can be especially tough when your housemates are barging into your workspace and taking your attention away from work. Itβs important to set clear boundaries and expectations about what working from home means. You can try creating an βAt Workβ or βDo Not Disturbβ sign to hang from your door when you absolutely cannot be interrupted.
DRESS FOR SUCCESSβ
It can be very tempting to roll out of bed and go to work in your comfy pajamas, especially on those cold mornings, but I encourage you to wake up 30 minutes early and get ready for work as you would if you were going to a physical office space. Those 30 minutes will give you time to wake up mentally and physically. By changing clothes, doing your hair, or even putting on some makeup, you are telling yourself that you are now entering a professional setting that will help ease you into the workday.Β
INTRODUCE NATURAL LIGHTβ
Just thinking about working under the fluorescent lights of an office building is enough to make me gloomy.Β If youβre lucky enough to have a window by your desk or work area, use it! Letting in natural light can help combat drowsiness and avoid eyestrain that can lead to headaches. When youβre spending most of your day staring at a screen, looking out the window can be a great way to give your eyes a break. Plus, itβs an overall mood booster!
PLANTS HELP!β
There are so many benefits to having plants in your home. There are a lot of houseplants that are great at filtering out pollutants in the air. Plus, their green coloring is soothing. If you find that you need a break from work, you can take some time to water your plants which releases small amounts of dopamine into your brain creating a happier environment. Plus, you can get pots and planters that are aesthetically pleasing to you adding to the decoration in your space.
Photo by vadim kaipov on Unsplash
USE YOUR FAVORITE SCENTSβ
Our sense of smell is tied very closely to things like memory. Lighting your favorite candle or diffusing your favorite essential oil can trigger your memory of last weekβs work spot. I highly recommend these clean, 100% soy wax candles from Bare Candle Co. Some of my favorite scents are teakwood + spice, palo santo + bay leaf, and their seasonal apple cider!Β
Depending on whether youβre preparing for a particularly stressful day, you might opt for a soothing scent like lavender. If youβre struggling with grogginess you might need a sharper scent like peppermint or orange.
INVEST IN A GOOD CHAIRβ
If youβre going to be sitting on your booty for 8 hours a day, 5 days a week, then you should really consider investing in a good office chair that offers back support. It will save you a lot of pain in the long run. If a good office chair is out of your budget, there are some great orthopedic cushions that are much more affordable.
TAKE BREAKSβ
Going off my previous point, itβs a good idea to get up and take some mental and physical breaks. Try going for a short walk to get some fresh air or doing a 15-minute stretching session. Whatever you do, try to change your environment when you do it. Sitting in one space for 8 hours a day can get very monotonous and can lead to lower productivity. It’s important you build a self-care toolbox you can access when work is getting stressful. Remember, you can’t pour from an empty cup, so take care of yourself first!
DRINK PLENTY OF WATERβ
We know staying hydrated is so important for our overall physical and mental health. If you find yourself getting a headache or losing focus, you might be dehydrated. In an office space, you are more likely to bring a water bottle to work and refill at the water coolers. It can be easy to forget to hydrate when youβre working from home so I recommend investing in a reusable water bottle or tumbler and setting a goal to finish a bottle or two during work hours.
HEALTHY BRAIN FOODβ
One of the benefits of working from home is that you donβt have to wait for a scheduled lunch to eat, but it can be really easy to get so engrossed in your daily tasks that eating slips away from you. You can have the opposite problem and find yourself snacking too often since you have a whole kitchen at your disposal.Β
I recommend finding some healthy snacks that you love that are either prepacked to be a serving size or package them yourself. Place these snacks in a bin by your desk or work area – preferably in a drawer that way you know that theyβre there but are out of sight to avoid mindless snacking. You can take it a step further and store only as many snacks as youβre allowed to have for that week so youβll be forced to ration out for when youβre truly in need of some brain food and not just because youβre bored.
SOFT MUSIC OR NOISE-CANCELLING HEADPHONESβ
Itβs important to know the conditions you work best under. I love music as much as the next person, but if Iβm trying to read or write, I need to be in silence or listen to instrumental music with no words. There are other situations where I can listen to more upbeat music with lyrics if Iβm crunching numbers or doing something tedious. For those of you who are working at home with other family members around, it might be a good idea to invest in some noise-canceling headphones. Let your family know that you are busy at work even if youβre only at the kitchen table. Setting those boundaries early on is important to your success and sanity.Β
CLOSE THE DOOR AT THE END OF THE DAYβ
The idea is to physically remove reminders of your workday so you can meaningfully disconnect and come back to work the next day refreshed. If youβre like me and live in a one-bedroom apartment, physically disconnecting might be difficult! There are ways to physically distance yourself from your workspace even if this is the case.Β
Try closing your computer and only using a personal laptop or tablet for the rest of the day. If you have a work laptop, try shutting it off and putting it away in a bin or shelf you don’t regularly see. The act of physically storing your work items in a designated area can be a strong indicator to your mind that the work part of the day is over now.Β
You can take it a step further and silence any work-related notifications on your phone once business hours are over.Β Try changing out of your work clothes at the end of the day or even swapping out the cup youβve been drinking out of all day!Β Even little changes can have a big impact on the transition from a workflow headspace to a home headspace. Essentially, keep your work stuff at work even if space is limited.
I hope that these ideas have sparked some inspiration. If itβs too overwhelming to do all of this at once, implement a new habit once a week. Remember, it takes on average 2 months to make a habit automatic so donβt give up if you have some slip-ups.Β
Let me know if youβre planning on implementing some of these suggestions into your workspace or which ones have worked for you that youβve already had the chance to try out!
As someone who has worked from home for two decades, I can attest that these are all excellent suggestions!
One thing I’d add is that there are apps for reminding you to take breaks and/or hydrate (or you can simply set a timer on your phone). I also find white noise apps or videos (there are quite a few of the latter on Youtube) to be very helpful in blocking out distracting noises.
Oh! If you have any specific app suggestions, please share! I think Carson could probably benefit from hydration reminders. When he’s in the zone, food and water don’t make the to-do list.