We’re back again with more quality content from the folks over at ViAGO! This week, Tim Wilson discusses how we can setup our ideal home office space!
A lot of people who used to work in an office are now working from home. Even in places where offices have reopened, people have received an object lesson in the value of working remotely, and many managers are starting to see the value in having employees work remotely one or more days every week. In previous articles, we’ve discussed the pros and cons both ways, so I won’t go over them again here. Instead, let’s assume that you’re seriously considering working from home. Here are four things to keep in mind when you’re setting up your ideal home workspace.
1. Dedicated Space
A lot of people go for convenience over function when setting up a home workspace. Maybe they set up on the kitchen table, or take their laptop to the bedroom. This is a mistake, though. Having a dedicated workspace is important: it allows you to avoid distractions, have ready access to the things you need, and get organised. It also helps you to keep that psychological distinction between being at work and being at home, which in turn is good for both productivity and your work-life balance.
2. Comfort
The second mistake people make when working from home is ignoring the importance of comfort. News-flash: it is very difficult to do good work if you’re twisted into the shape of a pretzel! Have a chair that is comfortable and supportive; have a table that’s a good height for you; have enough room to set out the things you’ll need to work. When we feel better, we work better – don’t feel guilty about being comfortable when you’re doing your job!
3. Lighting
Having a good light makes a huge difference to practically all tasks, so don’t hide in a dark corner when you’re working. Ideally, you’ll have good natural lighting in your dedicated workspace, because spending all day under artificial lights causes fatigue surprisingly fast. If you can’t arrange that, though, then at least make sure you have a good lamp or two. Your eyes will thank you.
4. Organisation
You may not be at the office, but that doesn’t mean things have to turn to chaos! Here at ViAGO, we specialise in turning chaos to calm, and it’s surprising how often people overlook the value of getting organised. If you have reference materials, make sure it’s easy to access them and find what you’re looking for. Keep your workspace free from clutter, and tidy away the spaghetti of cables and wires from any electronics. There’s psychological value in doing this – it puts us in the mindset of “clearing the decks for action” – and it’ll make your work easier and more productive too.
Working from home has lots of advantages. Apart from flexibility, studies have indicated that we’re actually more productive in that environment, so it makes sense to arrange your environment to take advantage of that. Don’t be afraid to change things up as you get better ideas about how to organise your ideal home workspace!
If you’re curious about other ways to turn chaos into calm, take a look at our website for productivity improvement skills or get in touch with one of our team.
Tim Wilson joined ViAGO International in 2018, and quickly found a home for his skills in logic and language. He uses these skills and ViAGO’s processes to analyse business and design solutions for them, taking them “from Chaos to Calm”.