Working from Home: Tips for the Perfect Home Office
The idea of working from home would fill the majority of us with bliss – Waving goodbye to the frantic front door dash in the morning. But be wary, it may not be all sunshine and roses without close self-control, and flopping onto your sofa with your laptop unfortunately isn’t going to cut it. Here are some tips to getting the most out of your office away from the office…
Lighting in your home office
Location when working at home
The biggest challenge people face while working remotely is finding that boundary between work and leisure. Creating a space to ‘go to work’ allows you to unblur those lines and give you structure which will consequently send your productivity through the roof. If feasible, swerve the social hubs such as the kitchen or living room, you’ll only find yourself going in circles. Ask yourself the following to determine the space you require:
What type of work will you be doing in the space?
Will colleagues or clients ever need to visit the space?
When will you be doing the remainder of your work?
What materials or equipment do you need to work?
Will you ever need to make video or conference calls?
Sitting in the same room all day can be trying, and leave you feeling like you have cabin fever. It’s not all doom and gloom, however, measures can be taken to transform your space into a blissful utopia, and give you a space that you enjoy returning to.
Lighting in your home office
Lighting in your remote office is imperative for various different reasons. Firstly, desk and floor lamps jazz up your space, while also preventing against eyestrain and headaches. Natural light also acts as an instant mood lifter, and situating your desk close to a window will help to keep up positivity and productivity; just as long as you aren’t spending all day gazing vacantly out of it! Natural light also helps to give a rough indication of time of day, subtly letting you know whether you need to pull your socks up or not.
If time management is your Achilles heel, the app Toggl may be your saving grace. The app allows you to break down your work day into tasks, monitoring each one and providing a report to see your progress. In an ever growing digital world, making the most of technology and applications will aid you massively on your mission to work remotely.
Check out some other apps for your home office.
Plants for your home office
If time management is your Achilles heel, the app Toggl may be your saving grace. The app allows you to break down your work day into tasks, monitoring each one and providing a report to see your progress. In an ever growing digital world, making the most of technology and applications will aid you massively on your mission to work remotely.
Check out some other apps for your home office.
Plants for your home office
As humans we have a built-in connection to the earth and nature. Adding plants and greenery to your remote office will ease the harshness of the piles of notes and balls of cables, and allow you to unleash your inner zen. Not only this, but plants have also been proven to decrease drowsiness, headaches and congestion.
The idea of maintenance scares many off in fear of being surrounded by wilted, sad-looking greenery. We however sourced the answer with a selection of largely self-sufficient, soul-soothing shrubs for your office.
The idea of maintenance scares many off in fear of being surrounded by wilted, sad-looking greenery. We however sourced the answer with a selection of largely self-sufficient, soul-soothing shrubs for your office.
Best chair for your home office
Choice of chair may seem like a nitpicky subject; however you’d be surprised the effect this has on your efficiency. If your career revolves largely around office work then poor seating can lead to long health term consequences. Cast aside your stiff kitchen chair and treat yourself to an ergonomic office chair. You will not regret it.
Organising your desk
Now that you’ve vamped up your surroundings, it also pays to have your desk in-check. Below is a simple template to grouping similar items and organising them into drawers:
Routines for working from home
• Writing tools – Pens, pencils, markers and highlighters
• Tools – Stapler, hole puncher, scissors, calculator tip-ex, glue, ruler
• Stickies – Post-its, tabs, labels and stickers
• Mail – Envelopes and stamps
Space can often be tight in a home office, and there are only a certain number of drawers we can fill to the brim. Wonderwall however offers some must-haves for working remotely:
Whiteboards are perfect for mapping out your plan of action, and sticking to it. Ideal for brainstorming, reminders or writing lists. List writing is imperative for working remotely, it will help you keep in sync with what you should be doing and preventing the dreaded ‘drift’.
The range of leaflet dispensers will give order to that impossible stack of paperwork. The wall mounted range will be the perfect addition to your home office, saving on space and adding a fresh and professional touch to your room. They allow you to organise your information, and visually see what you may need before rifling through endless papers.
Routines for working from home
You may find that working at home throws you slightly out of whack. All the routines at work you got used to are suddenly lost in the abyss. At Wonderwall we suggest mirroring the same routine including lunch break and regular trips to the kettle, to give your brain a well deserved time-out.
Another way to integrate breaks into your work day and fuel yourself with motivation is to integrate exercise. Whether that be for a walk, or a full blown run if you dare. Not only will this give you crucial time away from the desk, but also focus your mind and prepare you to get back in the zone and ready to work.
Another way to integrate breaks into your work day and fuel yourself with motivation is to integrate exercise. Whether that be for a walk, or a full blown run if you dare. Not only will this give you crucial time away from the desk, but also focus your mind and prepare you to get back in the zone and ready to work.
Wonderwall top tip for home workers
If you have a furry friend, position their bed next to your desk. Nothing sparks optimism and productivity more than a mans best friend after all…
The bounds for creativity are limitless in your home office. Although it won’t be an overnight transformation, take enjoyment out of experimenting. Use your imagination and create a work-cave you couldn’t live without.