Guest Article by Carleen Moore
If you’re one of the millions of remote workers in the U.S., you need a headquarters dedicated to your job or company. Sure, you can work “from anywhere,” but you must have somewhere you can rely on. Your home office should help you feel at ease and motivate you to concentrate on your work for hours on end.
Clean and Organize the Space
Your first step will be to declutter and clean your home office. The fastest way to add stress and lower productivity is to have a bunch of stuff scattered all over your workspace. Dedicate a couple of hours to sorting which items you will keep and get rid of, and find a home for everything you need to keep.
Then, scrub every surface of your office, including the ceiling, walls, floors, furnishings, and equipment. Then, develop a routine for keeping your office clean and tidy day in and day out.
Also, think of ways to organize your devices, gear, and supplies more efficiently. There are plenty of attractive storage solutions designed specifically for home-based workers.
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Apply Wallpaper
If your walls are lame, it can throw off the entire vibe of your office. To prevent that from happening, show your walls a bit of TLC. A popular option these days is to put up wallpaper. Products today are better in many ways than they used to be.
Now, you can get wallpaper that easily adheres to the wall, and you can also remove or reposition it without harming the drywall. Once more, this peel & stick wallpaper comes in many different elegant designs, and you can even create a custom design for on-demand printing.
Or, you could go the traditional route and put a vibrant or calming shade of paint on your walls. Unless you want to incorporate decor, which would leave a neutral shade as the better option.
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Make a Vision Board
Hanging a whiteboard or blackboard in your office is one of the most practical ways to stay motivated and keep your priorities in line. Plus, it only consumes vertical space!
Use a board to cast your vision and track the progress you're making toward your goals. Throw in a few motivational quotes and images, keep a small calendar in the corner, and leave room to jot down notes on a whim.
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Boost Your Comfort
You spend a lot of time in your home office — don't you think it should be comfortable? Making your workspace more comfortable will help you stay healthy, well, and productive when the hours get long and you are tempted to give up. And you don't have to spend a lot of money to boost comfort.
Consider buying a small pillow to keep behind your back, and raise your computer with a stack of books to create a standing desk. Moreover, make sure your monitor and webcam are at eye level and at least 20 inches away from your face. You might also benefit from modifying the settings on your computer to ensure the text size and screen brightness are not causing eye strain.
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Now is the time to make your home office the space you need to optimize your health and productivity. Fortunately, you don't have to break the bank to do it. Follow the tips above, and keep looking for other ways to transform your workspace and position yourself for long-term WFH success. You’ll notice yourself working more efficiently in no time!