7 Expert Tips for Building a Home Office
For some people, having a home office is the dream. Imagine not only working from home but also in a specific room designed to be your private office.
Especially in this day and age where people are actively working remotely to achieve the balance between work and life. Being able to work in the comfort of your own home is not only a dream but also a reality.
In this article, I want to help you to improve your home office so that you can work in the best condition possible. And you’ll find that, I don’t suggest making big changes to your work home office. Because I believe that small changes are not only easy to make but can potentially make the home office looks much better.
Keep it ergonomic
Let’s start with your desk and computer. Have you ever heard of ergonomic rules? There is a reason why there are rules in the first place.
To keep it ergonomic, make sure that your computer screen is at eye level. If the screen is lower you can put something underneath, if higher maybe you can raise your chair a little bit. You can also change your table to the correct height.
Next is your elbows. It’s recommended to keep your elbows rested while sitting. Use an ergonomic chair with armrests, position your forearms parallel to the floor, and feet flat on the floor.
Use wireless devices
Many people hate wires, they ruin the aesthetic of your home office and difficult to organize. This is why going wireless is very popular nowadays.
Many devices have a wireless version that you can get to make things easier. No more wires, no more headaches trying to keep everything tucked in and not visible.
But of course, not everything can be wireless. The best thing you can do for now is to use cables as less as possible. You’d be surprised at the difference between cables and no cables.
Fix your light
A good home office has to be bright enough so you can stay awake and see everything easily. And natural light is the best kind of light for your home office. First, look for a window. Then, put your table so that it faces the window. This way you can get as much natural light as possible, and enjoy the scenery outside the window.
At night, you can use a warm and bright lamp to brighten your home office. Pick the best lamp depending on the size of your home office. Ambient lights could also help you stay focus. The easiest one to set up is a cheap LED light on top of your computer screen.
Add some greens
A few plants in the home office could change a lot. Especially the pollutant levels in the room.
Place a few plants in your home office, and you’ll feel happier and calmer. Putting a few plants in the room has been proven to increase productivity by up to 15%.
I am not talking about fake plastic plants. You need some real plants in your home office. The key is to pick ones that you like, easy to maintain, and help improve air quality inside the room. Some recommendations are dracaena, Boston fern, spider plant, and ficus.
High-speed internet
This should obvious. Not only your home office relies on the internet connection, but your entire house could also benefit from it.
If your internet connection is already good and stable enough for you, then you don’t have to do anything. But if not, you should look at other ISP alternatives to the one you already have.
It helps to read reviews online, especially from those who live in the area where you live. Next, choose the best package for you. One that is not too expensive and still gives you the internet speed that you need.
Now for the Wi-Fi signal, it depends on how your house is. Generally, it’s best to put your router somewhere in the center of your house. Better if there are no walls or anything that can cause signal disruption.
Proper storage
After working for some time, you might notice that storing things can be tedious. It’s not uncommon for someone to be lazy after cleaning up their home office so many times. Especially when the home office is small.
Then, organizing your stuff could be quite challenging. Invest in bookshelves or storage cabinets, ones that can fit nicely in the home office. If you have some extra space, you can put decorations as well.
Second monitor, standing table, and anything else
Now if you want to invest in something extra, I have some ideas for you. First is a second monitor. A second monitor could help you multitasking by a lot. No more changing between programs and tabs, you can easily look to your side and see everything you need.
The second is a standing table. It’s not really common, but people who have bought it said that they’re happy with it. A standing table could help you diversify the way you work. After sitting down for hours, you will appreciate being able to work while standing up.
Other things that you can get are a great chair, and a better computer or keyboard or mouse. Of course, you don’t have to get everything. Look at the equipment that you already have and pick some that really need an upgrade.