If you work from home, you’ll know it can sometimes be a challenge to create an effective workspace. This guest post has lots of tips to help you get it right.
When it comes to advising people about their home environment, there is no one ideal working space that will suit everyone. Finding the perfect working from home environment depends on your living conditions, personal preferences, and the type of job you do. Here are some ideas that will help you create a home working environment that’s ideal for you.
Finding A Suitable Working Space
Allocating space to set up a home office can be the most difficult aspect of working from home. Spare rooms are obviously the ideal solution, but not everyone has the luxury of a spare room or attic in which to build a home office.
If you have a young family, but are short on space, finding a quiet corner where you will not be distracted is a real dilemma. You may need several work spaces depending on the time of day and the task you are performing.
For example, a study found that productivity increases when people are surrounded by ambient sounds. At home this could be the radio or a baby cooing in the cot next to you, or even children playing quietly.
On the other hand, when people are focusing on reports, studying data, and generally trying to think, peace and quiet is the best environment. Therefore, consider having your own separate space for concentrating.
Putting a ‘thinking chair’ in your bedroom might work, and arranging for the children to play separately in their own rooms upstairs whilst you work in the living room or kitchen downstairs could minimise noise levels.
Comfortable Work Station
A work station needs to be designed to improve efficiency and comfort. Investing in an ergonomic office chair and desk is a good starting point.
Your work station should be designed in a way that helps you achieve optimal performance; a super-speedy broadband connection is a priority if you work online, together with a healthy computer, printer, whiteboard any other equipment that makes your job easier.
When arranging your workspace, think about how you can enhance the flexibility through innovative design. Ideally, you need to create an agile working environment by using the space that you have to its best potential. Professional design consultants like Office Principles can help you with this.
A Room With A View
The view you allow yourself will largely depend on the layout of your house, and where it is feasible for you to set up a work station. You also need to consider your own personality. If you’re easily distracted by activities outside, you will probably be less productive if you have a street view where lots of people are hanging out. If you have a view of your back garden, a field or other natural landscape, this can be calming and increase your productivity.
Otherwise, you should be looking to position yourself away from distracting views. A blank wall doesn’t have distractions, but it can make you feel claustrophobic. Allow yourself some space and put up pictures that inspire you.
It is estimated that half the UK workforce will work from home by 2020, but how many will fulfil their productivity targets set by their employers? Creating the perfect environment for working from home will certainly help you there – and hopefully the ideas outlined above give you the inspiration to get your home office in order.
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