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If you search online for how to create the ideal home office, you’ll find hundreds of tips about lighting, decor, and even architecture.

The problem? Not everyone has the luxury of designing a space from scratch. In fact, you might not even have a dedicated office room inside your house.

But don’t worry, there are still a number of tricks that you can use to be productive, comfortable, and satisfied with your home working environment.

Identify Your Must-Haves

Not all jobs will require the same equipment and tools. A consultant will need cabinets and shelves to file suspension files or lever arch files. A graphic artist will need excellent lighting, a space to draw and visualise projects. Online teachers will need the strongest Wi-Fi signal possible, a whiteboard and ring binders to store lesson plans or loose paperwork.

So, the first step is to make a list of what you absolutely need to complete your daily tasks. You might need to make sacrifices but having a clear idea of the priorities should help you move to the next step, which is to….

Pick a Dedicated Work Area

Living with housemates? Family or children? Here again, your options might be restricted, but ideally, you’d want your home office to be quiet and clutter free. In fact, even creating a partition inside your bedroom could work, as long as you keep it separate for work only. 

The psychology behind the idea is that it’s a lot easier to procrastinate if your space is conductive to it. In short, putting your laptop down right next to the TV might be too tempting. You’ll have to find ways to separate work and play.

Consider the Ergonomics

Ergonomics is the study of productivity and efficiency in a work environment. You’ll find hundreds of tips and tricks online about the optimal chair position, typing angle, and even a handy desk and chair height calculator. But you could add more to the list, including: 

• Lighting: both from natural sources (window and sun), and dedicated desk lamps or overhead lights.

• Temperature: one of the benefits of working from home is that there’s no need to fight over the thermostat. Make sure your environment is as comfortable as possible before you start!

• Acoustics: consider heavy curtains to dampen outside noise, or a simpler and increasingly popular solution: noise-cancelling headphones.

• Colour: colour psychology is a fascinating field of study, and you could borrow some ideas from, say McDonalds (bright reds and yellows can create a sense of vibrancy), or even healthcare (green is said to help relax).

Declutter As Much As Possible

If you’re dividing a space into personal and professional, you could be tempted to only focus on the latter. However, you should really declutter your home office and the spaces around it too. 

This is especially true if you’re working in small spaces and tend to be naturally untidy. Clutter creates a sense of chaos around you, which isn’t ideal for encouraging productivity, focus and clarity. 

First, we’d recommend you start with your desktop organisation. Tidying surfaces around your computer, laptop, or notebooks can feel like a breath of fresh air. The simple act of stapling loose documents, filing old paperwork in folders, ring binders or letter trays can feel like you’re working in a brand-new space, which is one of the goals of decluttering. 

Invest in Home Office Equipment

Hopefully you have been able to create a designated workspace that is comfortable, ergonomic, and conducive to productivity. The last challenge is to keep the ball rolling for a long period of time, which is where investing in the right equipment can go a long way.

And if you’re going to treat yourself to new equipment, do consider getting a whole coordinated set. It can be tough to create an aesthetically pleasing environment when you’re lacking crucial space, so don’t compromise it with mismatched office tools!

In Closing

Working from home does have plenty of advantages, but it can also be challenging for people co-sharing houses, flats, apartments, or those with limited space. Hopefully, this quick guide will help you to take the first steps in becoming better at remote working from the comfort of your own home.