As of March 2020, only about 30% of American workers reported working remotely from home on a somewhat regular basis. But as of right now, that number has jumped all the way up to over 60% as a result of the coronavirus pandemic.
If you’re someone who has been working at home this year, you might already have a home office setup. But if you don’t have one or if you’re not happy with the home office you have now, you should aim to do something about it.
Having a home office will provide you with a place to be productive throughout the workday. You won’t have any issues settling in and getting your work done when you have everything that you need in terms of home office supplies right at your fingertips.
Want to get some great home office ideas that will help you put together the perfect place to get work done each day? Here are some home office productivity tips that will get your space off the ground in no time at all.
Start by Finding the Right Spot for Your Home Office
First things first: Before you begin creating a great home office setup, you need to ask yourself a very simple question. That question? “Where am I going to create my home office space?”
Some people make the mistake of trying to shoehorn their home office into a corner in their living room or dining room. But rather than going this route, you should try to find a space that you can dedicate to your home office and your home office alone.
In a perfect world, you should attempt to convert a spare bedroom or even a garage into a home office. It’ll give you a place to go when you need to limit distractions and focus on the tasks at hand.
Look around in your home to see where you might be able to fit a home office. With a little creativity, you can find the right spot to put your home office in a hurry.
Invest in the Best Desk for Your Home Office
Once you have some space set aside for your home office, the next order of business is going to be buying a desk. The desk that you put into your home office is obviously going to be the centerpiece of it, so you should think long and hard about what you want it to look and feel like.
If you have the space for it, a nice large desk that’s going to fit everything that you could possibly want and need to put into your home office would be ideal. But even if you’re short on space, you should still be able to find something that’ll fit nicely into your home office and give you more than enough room to do your job.
Regardless of how big or small your desk ends up being, it should be sturdy enough to stand the test of time. You want it to be made out of materials that are going to last for as long as you need them to.
Pair Your Desk Up With a Comfortable Office Chair
Back pain is already something that affects a huge percentage of the U.S. population. About 80% of people deal with back pain at some point in their lives.
And that number could potentially go up in the coming years with so many people working from home now. Far too often, those who work at home tend to stay seated for hours on end without getting up to walk around. It can take a huge toll on their backs.
You can combat back pain by purchasing a comfortable office chair to use with the desk that you buy for your home office setup. It should provide you with plenty of support in all the right places when you sit in it and be specifically designed for all-day use in home offices.
Buy a Reliable Laptop for Your Desk
At this point, you should have a desk and a chair for your home office. But those things aren’t going to do you a whole lot of good if you don’t have a laptop to put on your desk.
A laptop is arguably the most important item that you’re going to buy for your home office since you won’t be able to get much work done without it. It’s also going to be one of the most expensive items that you’ll need to buy for your home office.
Fortunately, you can find a lot of great deals on laptops these days so that you don’t have to break the bank on one. Be sure to shop around for the right laptop based on your needs and, of course, your budget.
Make Sure Your Home Office Gets a Great Wi-Fi Signal
One of the things that you’re going to want to keep in mind when searching for the right spot for a home office is the Wi-Fi signal in the space you’re considering. You’re not going to be able to maintain a strong internet connection if you choose a spot that doesn’t get a decent signal.
At least, you won’t be able to if you don’t stick a Wi-Fi booster in the general area of it. A booster can improve your Wi-Fi connectivity in certain areas of your home and ensure you’re able to join Zoom calls and take on other tasks that require a solid internet connection.
Stick Some Standard Home Office Supplies on Your Desk
You might be working from home when you’re in your home office. But that doesn’t mean that you’re not going to need a lot of the same home office supplies that you would use at your desk at work.
After you’ve set up almost everything else in your home office, you should go ahead and buy up a bunch of home office supplies so that you can make your desk feel like the one you have in your real office. Some good supplies to buy for a home office include:
- Computer paper
- Pens and pencils
- Staplers
- Scissors
- Envelopes
You’re going to be the only one using these supplies, so you probably don’t have to buy them in bulk. But you should make sure you have enough supplies on hand at all times so that you’re not ever caught without them.
Purchase a Fan and a Space Heater for Your Home Office
Something that some people are starting to realize now that they’re working from home every day is that their electric bills are skyrocketing. They’re having to use their heating and cooling systems way more often than they do under normal circumstances, which is resulting in them paying an arm and a leg to heat and cool their home offices.
If this is turning out to be the case for you, you should know that you can get around it by purchasing both a fan and a space heater for your home office. You’ll be amazed by how comfortable you can get it in your office space without turning your heating and cooling system on.
You’ll trim your home’s electric bills significantly by putting a fan and space heater to good use. You’ll also allow yourself to stay comfy all day long so that you can focus on your work and not how hot or cold it is in your office space.
Hang Inspirational Quotes and Posters Up Throughout Your Home Office
We’re not going to lie to you: It’s going to be difficult to get yourself to sit down and work in your home office on some days! You’re going to be tempted to blow off work so that you can sit on the couch to watch TV or read a book instead.
One good way to resist this temptation is by filling your home office with lots of inspirational quotes and posters. You’ll be so much more motivated to work when you have these quotes and posters around.
You might even want to devote an entire wall in your home office to nothing but quotes and posters that you update periodically. They’ll make it so much easier for you to focus on what needs to be done throughout the course of a workday and keep your motivation levels so much higher than they would be otherwise.
Begin Creating the Perfect Home Office Setup Today
If you have to work from home, you might as well make the most of it. The best way to do this is by creating a home office setup for yourself that you absolutely love.
You won’t mind heading off to work every morning when you know that you have a terrific home office awaiting you. You’ll have no trouble settling into it and working hard day after day. You just have to put yourself into the best possible position to succeed by setting up your home office today.
Want to get your hands on more tips and tricks for assembling a home office? Find them by browsing around on our blog.
