21 Tips for Building the Perfect Home Office (2024)

Asmore andmore teams shift toremote orflexible work from home (WFH) tocombat thespread ofCOVID-19, arecent study from FlexJobs reports that 65% ofrespondents surveyed said they were actually more productive working remotely than inatraditional office space. That’s because, inmany cases, WFH means fewer distractions, less commute stress, less overall noise, amore personal space, and— most importantly— more comfortable clothes. PJs all day!

PJs, aside, there are several strategies tostay productive when working from home, starting with how tobest set upyour home office.

That’s why we’ve put together alist oftips andideas tohelp you choose aperfect place andproper equipment forremote work. Ifyou want tobuild amore comfortable home office space, check out theblog post now, oradd ittoyour bookmarks toread itlater.

Inthis post:

• How toChoose theRight Equipment forYour Home Office
• How toSet UpaHome Office Space
• How toDeal with Distractions

How toChoose theRight Equipment forYour Home Office

The first step inbuilding acomfortable office isgetting comfortable equipment. You’ll spend long hours atyour desk andyour computer; theright equipment can make thedifference inimproving productivity andcomfort.

Here are afew life hacks forchoosing home office equipment.

1.Invest inacomfortable chair

Acomfortable chair istheheart ofaproductive home office. You’ll spend nearly half your day onit. Investing inagood one will make anotable difference toyour work life.

Selecting theright chair can beachallenge. Prices can range from abasic chair priced around $50toahigh-end Aeron chair setting you back atleast $1,000.

Tofind theright fit, pay attention toback, thigh andarm support. Also consider thematerial options andwarranties offered, ifany.

2.Use asecond monitor

Asecond monitor istheclosest you can get toaproductivity superpower. Anadditional screen makes somany tasks easier— coding, designing, writing andresearching. Italso makes multi-tasking more approachable.

Ifyou don’t like juggling windows, asecond monitor should atthetop ofyour wish list. For best results, buy thesame model asyour current setup soyou have thesame screen fidelity andexperience.

3.Don’t forget mice andkeyboards

The humble mouse andkeyboard are often ignored forlarger, flashier equipment. Yet, they play acrucial part inimproving productivity andcomfort.

For keyboards, try using mechanical keyboards. These have mechanical, clicky keys that give alot offeedback. While they might benoisy, they offer unparalleled typing comfort. Writers andcoders will especially love them.

For mice, choose something larger that fits your hand comfortably. Gaming mice are particularly comfortable andaccurate, though they dotend tobeonthepricier side. Avoid small travel mice— they’re uncomfortable forextended use.

4.Consider buying astanding desk

There isagrowing body ofresearch that show that sitting forextended periods oftime isbad foryour health. This explains why thenew generation ofworkers are embracing standing desks.

Astanding desk isexactly what you think: atall desk where you work standing up. Most ofthese desks are height adjustable (i.e. you can lower/raise theheight asneeded). Some more expensive versions can even beconverted into conventional sit-down desks onthefly.

Astanding desk won’t magically transform your health, but itwill improve productivity, focus andheart health.

Ifyou think your house has enough furniture oryou’re not inclined to tobuy astanding desk, consider trying astanding desk extender. These desk extenders can also beadjusted byheight andare often cheaper. They also allow you toturn anysurface into astanding desk. It’s quite convenient when creating ahome office forthefirst time: you can try different places tofind theone that works best foryou.

5.Follow ergonomic rules

Minimize thedamage sitting forlong hours causes toyour body byfollowing ergonomic rules. Set upyour home workspace insuch away that your back andneck are straight andyour arms are parallel tothefloor. Avoid slouching orkeeping your arms atodd angles.

Use theergotron workspace planner tohelp you set upyour workspace. This tool will tell you exactly where tokeep your monitor, keyboard, chair anddesk based onyour height.

For example, this istherecommended layout fora6’0” person.

6.Add some green plants

Afew green plants will not only add adash ofcolor toyour office space but also increase happiness andreduce stress. Infact, even afew plants can increase productivity byasmuch as15%, according toone study.

Instead ofchoosing just anygreen plants, pick something that iseasy tomaintain andhelps improve air quality. The spider plant, dracaena, ficus andBoston fern are particularly well known fortheir air filtering qualities.

7.Wire management goes along way

You wouldn’t really want tocome towork inanoffice that’s covered injumbled cables andcords.

Basic wire management can goalong way towards improving your office aesthetic. It’s also fairly cost efficient aswell— you’ll just need afew clamps andzip ties tomanage messy wires. Here’s agreat article from Lifehacker onmanaging wires with some cheap tools.

8.Make sure you have high-speed internet

Running anonline store makes itimperative you have asolid home internet connection. Ifyour service issubpar, consider changing toanalternative internet provider orbuying andinstalling aWi-Fi router before setting upahome office. It’s easy toget distracted when slow internet connection disrupts your workflow all thetime.

For better WiFi signal strength, place your router high off theground andinthecenter ofyour house. Make sure there isnoclutter around it, aswell asanydevices orappliances that can cause signal disruption. For example, microwaves orhome phone sets.

Check your internet speed with specialized services like Speedtest, Fast.com, orSpeedOf.Me. For more accurate results, domultiple tests anddothem when noone inyour home network isdownloading orsharing files ordoing video streaming andvideo chats.

It’s okay iftheresults are about 5-10Mbps off than promised byyour provider. Iftheresults are way lower than advertised, connect your provider andcheck your network forunauthorized devices. Here’s how you can find out ifsomeone isstealing your Wi-Fi andwhat you should doabout it.

How toSet UpaHome Office Space

Your office space ismore than theequipment init; it’s acombination ofthedecor, lighting andoverall aesthetic.

1.Choose workspace according toyour needs

When choosing aplace foryour home office, think about how you’re going touse it. Will you make conference calls? Will clients come over toyour place? Doyou need tokeep kids orpets away from your workspace? Doyou need aplace forstorage?

Keep inmind that working out oftwo orthree places ofyour house can beway less productive than working from one place. (It doesn’t apply ifyou need, say, thegarage forstorage.)

Appropriate temperature control andfresh air are also important toconsider when you set uphome office. It’s impossible toconcentrate when working inastuffy room, somake sure your working space iswell-ventilated.

The EPA recommends keeping indoor humidity between 30and50%. While theWorld Health Organization’s recommendation fortemperature is64°F(18°C) forhealthy adults who are appropriately dressed. For people with respiratory concerns orallergies itshould benoless than 61°F(16°C).For thesick, disabled, very old orvery young, aminimum of68°F(20°C).

2.Get natural light

The first rule ofbuilding acomfortable office istoget plenty ofnatural light.

Why natural light? Arecent study found that adults who get natural light sleep better (46minutes more than those who don’t get natural light). Another study found that 40% ofworkplaces with natural light experience 3%-40% improvements inproductivity.

Plus, natural light just feels better! So, make sure toposition your desk andchair inawell-lit room.

3.Install ambient lights

Natural light isgood, but what ifyou like working after dark orlive inanarea with limited natural light?

Here iswhere ambient lighting comes in.

Try placing afew cheap rope LED lights around your workspace. Affix them such that they follow theedges ofyour desk, bathing itinsoft light. Refer tothis article tolearn more about these rope lights.

Additionally, place ahigh-quality desk/floor lamp near your workspace. Buy something with adash ofdesign flair (say, abrass lamp) toadd some warmth andpersonality tothespace.

4.Install F.lux onall computers

Atnormal brightness, acomputer screen has adominant blue light component (i.e. “cold light”). This isthesame asnatural sunlight. Which iswhy abright screen feels welcoming inthemorning.

Asthesun fades over theday, theamount ofblue light itemits decreases. Late evening sunlight has apredominantly red light component (i.e. “warm light”).

However, when you keep thesame level ofscreen brightness after dark, you fool your body’s circadian rhythm into thinking that it’s still daylight, thanks totheblue light component. This causes eye strain, stress andsleep disorders.

The solution istouse afree tool like F.lux.

F.lux automatically changes thecolor temperature ofyour screen over theday. Itmakes thescreen “cold” inthemorning and“warm” intheevening. For example, this istherecommended screen color foraThinkpad laptop through theday:

This ensures that your circadian rhythm doesn’t get disrupted andyour eyes adjust better tothechange indaylight over time.

5.Keep space andequipment forbrainstorming

Your best ideas will often come away from thedesk. Maintaining space inside your office forbrainstorming isagood way toget thecreative juices flowing.

How you create this space isapersonal preference. Some might prefer arelaxing couch while others might want asimple standing desk andawhiteboard.

Atthevery least, try tohave aplace tokeep ideas (such asapinboard) andeasy access topens, notebooks, etc.

6.Add some personality andwarmth with decor

One ofthebest parts about ahome office isthat you can totally dictate its decor per your tastes. Good decor won’t just make your office space feel more inviting, it’ll also improve productivity.

Even science supports this idea! Awarm, welcoming environment improves productivity. Another employee survey found that 83% ofrespondents said artwork was “important” totheir work environment.

When choosing colors, follow color psychology andpick anenergy inducing color, such asshades ofyellow, orange andred. Avoid dark, dull colors— they can make you feel less energetic.

7.Clean your home office regularly

When you create ahome office, you have tokeep lots ofthings inmind: equipment, office hours, tasks andcalls, balancing your work andfamily time. It’s easy toforget about cleaning, especially when you’re used totraditional office space being cleaned foryou.

Schedule some time fortidying upandregularly clean your office equipment andtheroom itself. Don’t forget toclean all surfaces anduse special solutions like wipes, sprays, andsanitizers.

How toDeal with Distractions

One ofthebiggest challenges ofworking from home ismaintaining focus andenergy. It’s easy toslack off when there isnoone tosupervise you.

There are afew hacks you can use tomake dealing with distractions easier.

1.Segregate work andliving areas

The idea ofworking inyour PJs from your bed sounds great onpaper. Inreality, doing sowill impact your productivity negatively.

The brain tends toassociate certain spaces with certain tasks. Think ofhow you automatically feel like working out when you’re atthegym, orhow you feel relaxed andatease inyour living room.

This iswhy it’s important tokeep your work andliving areas physically separate. Your office should beinaroom asfar away aspossible from theplace where you sleep. This will help your brain associate theoffice area with work andproductivity.

2.Use aseparate computer forwork

Two reasons why you should buy separate computers forwork andpersonal use:

• You can claim your work computer asabusiness expense inyour taxes
• You can customize thework computer andeliminate distracting apps andsoftware

It’s hard toget work done when you’re using thesame computer forcreating spreadsheets asyou doforplaying video games orwatching Netflix.

This isthesame principle asseparating work andoffice areas. Your brain associates your work computer with “work”, improving productivity. The lack ofdistracting software anddocuments helps aswell.

3.Maintain office hours

While working from home gives you thefreedom towork anytime you want, you’ll still want tomaintain regular office hours ifyou want tomaximize productivity.

Working forafixed period oftime every day helps give your day routine andstructure. You automatically shift into “work mode” when you’re within your “office hours”.

Besides improving productivity, it’s good foryour work-life balance aswell. Being ane-commerce entrepreneur isstressful. Being able toswitch off after your office hours will help you relax. This also means that you get time tospend with your family orpursuing ahobby.

Figure out thebest way totrack time inyour home office. For some people aclock onthewall isenough, others prefer Pomodoro timers oruse alarms ontheir phones. Whatever method you choose, itshould help you stay focused, aswell asmake time forresting.

4.Come toanagreement with family members

Ifyour family members aren’t used toyou working athome, ask them not todisturb you. You can put some sign onyour door tolet your family know when you’re onanimportant task orcall. Also, avoid working inthesitting room andsimilar areas tominimize distractions.

Incase your spouse orpartner also works from home, alternate care forkids, elders andpets with them. Ifeach ofyou creates ahome office forthefirst time, itmight beagood idea toinform your clients and/or colleagues that you need some time tobalance family andwork time andget used tonew conditions.

Make themost ofyour kids’ naps: basically, it’s anhour ortwo ofuninterrupted focus foryou. Schedule calls ortasks that require your full attention while your children are napping.

Sometimes children can’t help stopping byyour working space. Inthis case, ask them tohelp you with some easy tasks, forexample, with packaging.

5.Keep your office ina“ready” state

Keeping your office ina“ready” state essentially means that you have all thenecessary equipment toget towork when you walk into theoffice each morning.

Some ways tokeep this “ready” state are:

• Create ato-do list thenight before. This way, you know exactly what todothemoment you walk into theoffice.
• Keep aclean work environment, soyou don’t waste time de-cluttering before getting down towork. Use drawers, baskets, orshelf organizers tokeep your workspace clean.
• Keep everything you need within arms’ reach. This way, you minimize distractions andkeep yourself focused onwork.
• Have aswitched oncomputer, soyou don’t have towait forthestartup process

Understand that you’re atyour most productive when you first start work. Ifyou waste this time onmundane tasks— cleaning theoffice area, figuring out your to-do list— you’ll waste this prime productivity.

6.Use special apps

Building ahome office space requires not only equipment andgadgets, but some apps too. Here are some oftheapp that can help you stay productive:

• Serene toavoid distracting websites andapps andsilence your phone
• TomatoTimer fortime management
• Daywise tocontrol phone notifications
• Zapier toautomate repetitive tasks
• Trello toorganize to-dos andprojects
• Eye Care 202020 tolook after your eyes when working onacomputer
• StretchClock toprovide relief from constant sitting

Time toBuild aHome Office

Being able towork from home isone ofthebest things about running ane-commerce business. Not only doyou get todecide your own work hours, but you can also design your office space exactly asper your needs.

There are afew simple tricks you can use tobuild amore comfortable andproductive home office. Choosing theright decor, installing ambient lighting andmaintaining aclean office environment will help you get more done.

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