If the coronavirus pandemic has forced you to work from home like most employees around the world, then you have probably set up some kind of a home office. However, chances are that workspace isn’t comfortable nor practical. This is a common problem for remote employees. Either they don’t have enough free space for a home office in their homes, or don’t have time to design it with comfort and convenience. If you are interested in improving your home office to make it practical, you’ve come to the right place. Here are 5 things to consider when setting up a comfortable home office.
Available Space
Most employees don’t have designated space in their houses or apartments for home offices. That is because they’re used to go to work every day and use their homes as a place for relaxation after a long day in the office. Therefore, only a small percentage of employees can afford to use a whole room as their workspace.
Before setting up a home office, you have to consider available space. Do you have an unused room? If yes, then you can think about setting up your home office in this room. Working in a separate room can help you focus better since you have privacy. If not, then you should consider setting it up in a corner of some other room. In this case, you will have to get used to sharing that space with other family members. This might distract you from your work, so think carefully about your home office location.
Workspace
A desk is the central component of any office, whether it’s a traditional office or a home office. It’s your workspace because you spend most of the time during the workday working behind it. Also, it’s the place where you keep your laptop, tablet, or any other device you use to complete your work on time or access solutions like these alternatives to Slack. That is why you it is important to choose your desk wisely.
There are a few rules you should follow when selecting a work desk regardless of the available space for your office. Namely, no matter how big your space is, you don’t need a huge work desk. A big desk will only occupy too much unnecessary space. It is to your benefit to invest in a practical desk. For example, if your home office is in a corner, you could benefit from a work desk on wheels. This way you can move it around without having to lift it in order to move it.
Comfortable Chair
One of the most important things you should think about is your chair. Since you’re most likely to spend hours sitting, you need to get a comfortable chair. It’s one of the essential things to set up an ergonomic workspace. Still, contrary to popular belief, choosing a comfortable chair isn’t easy. The wide range of products on the market makes the selection rather difficult.
There are chairs with adjustable seats, wheels, headrest, foot, or without any of these additional features. To make the best decision regarding chair selection, you should think about your needs and find the best way to satisfy them. The right chair could help you avoid lower back pain and other health issues. For this reason, paying extra money for the chair is totally worth it.
Vertical Space
Even if you have room to spare for a home office, you should still make use of all the vertical space you have in the room. This is especially practical for small home offices or those set up in room corners. The best way to use this space is by hanging up some shelves on the wall. These shelves come in different shapes, sizes, and materials.
This means you can express your creativity and make your new home office your own. When you work in such a pleasant work environment, you immediately feel more productive and work seems less difficult and tedious. Moreover, shelves are perfect for keeping everything in its place. If you have trouble staying organized, then shelves can help you resolve this problem once and for all.
Rug on the Floor
Some remote employers don’t want to spend too much time or money decorating their home office. Still, one simple decoration that every home office has to have is a rug. You now may be wondering why rugs are necessary. Well, rugs or carpets are essential because they reduce noise levels and provide an extra layer of warmth to your feet. Apart from these two features, they are also a great decorative piece. Like shelves, they too come in different shapes, sizes, and colors. Hence, you can get creative and incorporate this piece with the rest of your decoration.
For more blogs like this one, read these:
7 Ways to Save on Organizing Your Home Office
Questions You Need to Ask Before Designing a Home Office
Little Budget, Big Plans: How to Create a Home Office Without Spending a Fortune