A lot of people today are working as freelancers or remote workers. This is a great way to lead your life, but working from home can have its drawbacks, especially if you do not treat your home as a place of work. That is why you should dedicate a part of your home to your work and make that space look professional. This will help you be more productive at home and will also bring your freelancing to the next level. Here’s some advice on how to do it.
Separate the Home From the Office
You will want to keep all the perks of working from home and remove as many disadvantages as possible. If you are not able to shut the outside world out and focus on your craft, your work might suffer. That is why, unless you are completely distraction-proof, you should choose a room where the traffic flow will be the lowest. This way you will ensure that you are not disturbed during your work hours, but also keep the rest of your living space work-free.
Natural vs. Task Lighting
Unless you are working at night, you will want a room with as much natural daylight as possible, since it will positively affect your performance. But you do not want those pesky sun rays pointed at your screen, as it will lower the visibility and cause you eyestrain. Position your desk optimally, so that it is close to the windows, but there is no glare on your screen. If you are working at night, a high-quality task light is crucial to sustain your productivity high and keep you from becoming sleepy.
Desk Choice
Most common mistake people make when creating their home office is that they try and copy the corporate environment of most offices. Avoid this and customize your environment to best suit your needs. We recommend a large desk, where you will have space for anything you might need during your shift, but also anything you do not need at all, but love having within arm’s reach. Just try to keep things tidy and organized, as this will not only increase your efficiency, but also help keep stress at bay.
Taking Care of Your Health
No employer will ever care about your health as much as you should. Get one of those ergonomic chairs, because you will be doing quite a lot of sitting. Your monitor should be set in such a way that you are looking slightly down on it so that your eyes get a chance to moisten once they reach the bottom of your screen. Push your keyboard away, so that your forearms can be parallel to the floor, resting while you are doing the hard work.
Choosing the Right Accessories
Desk accessories will make your life easier, as they will help you stay organized while keeping your desk clean and tidy. Take a look at some of our suggestions:
- It is the digital age, but everyone still needs a pen from time to time. Fill your pen holder with your favorite pens and keep it on your desk.
- If you are dealing with a lot of paperwork, sticker markers will save you a ton of your time, thus making you more productive.
- Consider getting iPad stands, especially if you often make while working.
- A designated place for your coffee mug is a good way to save some space. Get a desk cup holder and you will never again spill coffee all over your important documents.
Plants are Your new Best Friends
Pets are great, really, but they tend to move out of sight or can be a distraction at times. Plants are the way to go if you want to put some of that beautiful nature within your office. They also require little to no attention, while providing you with fresh oxygen and helping you maintain a healthy environment. If you are working at night, however, scratch all this and get a fish tank, as the plants will be doing just the opposite and consume all of your oxygen.
Customizing the Rest of Your Room
Your work desk is the most important thing in your room, but you will want to have a place within your home office where you can relax for a few minutes, read something, or just rest your eyes for a bit. Get a comfy chair or a couch and place it on the total opposite from where your desk is. Throw some pillows on it and put a table for your coffee right next to it.
Personalize Your Space
All in all, personalize your home office to suit your needs. Be selfish about your space, as you will be the one spending most of the time in it. The more your office is enjoyable to you, the more it will positively affect the work you do, as well as your psychological and physical health. It’s important to note that you can pimp your home office as you go along – it does not have to be ideal from the get go. Do the work and take it slow, as this is the best way to actually figure out your needs.
