Are you looking for a better work-life balance?
Are you ready to start your own business?
Working from home has many benefits – which is why over 56% of the workforce has chosen remote work.
But working from home also has its fair share of challenges. Some of the top challenges remote workers are facing are:
- Managing your time
- Staying distraction-free
- Not having supervision
- Communicating with other remote workers
- Separating your work from personal life
Here are five tips for creating a perfect home office environment to help you focus, free you from distractions, and spark your creativity.
1. Find a Distraction-Free Area
Distractions are a top challenge for remote workers. From laundry to your kids – the distractions are endless!
If you want to focus on your work, you need to find an environment that will keep you away from distractions and noise.
If you have space, set up your office in the basement, spare bedroom, or garage.
If you don’t have space, create a quiet environment by turning off extra appliances, adding rugs to muffle sound, and keeping the area clean.
Some office space options for small homes are a walk-in closet, a corner of a bedroom, part of your landing, or the side of your living room.
2. Look for a Strong Internet Connection
Before going to the extreme with finding a distraction-free location – remember you still need to stay connected.
Test out the internet and phone connection of your office location before committing. If you’re not getting a strong signal, consider moving your internet router into the office so you can plug directly into the router.
You’ll also want plenty of sockets. From your phone to your computer – those outlets will fill up quickly. Adding a multi-outlet surge protector can add a few extra spots as well.
3. Purchase Comfortable Furniture
What type of business is your job? The aesthetics of the room will be a direct reflection of your business goals.
Do you work long hours?
Add in comfortable seating with cushions and back support. Consider adding a few comfort items like a mini-fridge and coffee maker so that you can get snacks without the distraction of leaving the office.
If you’re in your office for over 8 hours each day, you might consider adding a treadmill or other workout equipment so you can get a workout in during the day.
Are you working on strict deadlines?
If you have a high-energy job or work short but productive hours, make your office space as simple as possible. Take out all distractions – goodbye coffee maker!
You might want to skip that reclining office chair and go for something a little less comfortable so you stay alert and focused.
Do you have a creative business?
Perhaps you have your own business. Do you blog, craft, or write?
If you need an office space that fuels the imagination, then you can have a little more fun with the room. Add pictures, colors, and comfortable furniture. Make the room aesthetically pleasing without adding TVs or other distraction devices.
4. Make the Most of Storage
One of the best ways to separate your work-life from your home-life is to keep them both physically separated.
You don’t want to run across your business calendar while watching Netflix with your family. You also don’t want to be flipping through personal mail to find important documents.
One way to separate your office from your home is to design an area that maximizes storage. Use closets, drawers in your desk, and wall shelving to organize your files and office supplies within your office space.
Keep all the basic office supplies in your office to limit the number of times you need to leave the office during your workday.
5. Consider an Alternate Business Address
When you work from home, you should also consider your privacy. You don’t want to have business calls coming through your home phone or customers showing up at your front door.
Using your home information for business not only invades your personal life – but can also be a security risk for your family.
Not only should you have a separate business phone, but also a separate business address.
Use an online virtual address for your home office so you can have a physical address separate from where you live – protecting your privacy and security.
Make Time for Yourself
Working from home can cause burnout. You feel like you’re always going. While creating an ideal office space helps with separating work from home – you should also separate your time.
Always find moments to yourself to focus on self-care and relaxation.
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