8 Tips for Designing a Functional Home Office
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Over the past few years, many on-site companies have transitioned to a hybrid or fully remote schedule. The benefits of such a schedule are noteworthy: Several studies have shown that working from home can ease employee stress, improve attrition rates, and boost productivity. But if you do work from home, it's important to have a dedicated space from which to work. As for what that space looks like, it's up to you-however, there are a few things you'll want to consider when setting up a home office. Here, we'll show you how to design a home office that allows you to work efficiently-without feeling like you're stuck in a cubicle.
Find the Right Spot
You don't need a full room for your home office if you don't have the space, but you do need a designated workspace. Having an area that's reserved just for work helps separate "work" activities from "home" activities. When creating your home office, we recommend opting for a spot with plenty of natural light and enough room to set up a desk, chair, and some storage. You'll also want to make sure your setup is equipped with plenty of outlets to plug in essential tools like your router, laptop, and printer.
Get a Desk With Storage
Pens, sticky notes, chargers, calendars-all of these work essentials can make your desk feel cluttered pretty quickly. To help keep your home office feeling tidy, opt for a desk with storage where you can stash things when they're not in use. With less clutter to worry about, you'll be better able to focus on the tasks at hand.
Invest In a Comfortable Chair
Unless you opted for a standing desk, chances are, you're going to spend most of your working hours sitting. It goes without saying that you'll want to make sure whatever you're sitting on is comfortable. We suggest investing in an ergonomic office chair that offers plenty of support for your seat and spine. Keep in mind that office chairs typically have wheels, so if you live in an apartment with downstairs neighbors or are concerned about scuffing up your floor, you may want to lay down a rug down beneath your desk and office chair.
Consider Lighting
Purchase a small table lamp that you can position next to your computer for additional lighting that doesn't take up much space. Aside from helping to add to your home office's visual appeal, adequate lighting can help to prevent eye strain and headaches from staring at a screen all day.
Keep It Organized
Organizing and cleaning may not be the most exciting chores, but they are important-especially where your workspace is concerned. Clutter, research suggests, has a negative impact on both focus and productivity. It can also lead to feelings of stress and anxiety, further roadblocks to a productive workday. Keep your workspace clean and well-organized by investing in storage solutions, such as bookcases, bins, or baskets. You'll feel better knowing that everything has its place-and your clean workspace will make a much better impression in virtual meetings than a messy one.
Eliminate Distractions
Working from home has many advantages (the 10-second commute being one of the most notable), but there are a few drawbacks, too. The biggest: distractions. Aim to set up your home office in a quiet part of your home, away from TVs, children's playrooms, or the laundry area. If that's not feasible, consider investing in a pair of noise-canceling headphones to muffle any loud noises that could distract you from your work.
Add Personal Touches
You'll be spending a lot of time in your home office. One of our best home office tips is to do what you can to make it a space you enjoy being in. Decorate with colorful rugs, framed photos of loved ones, or artwork that gets your creative juices flowing. A few houseplants can also help give your space a warm, cozy touch.
Choose The Right Internet Plan
Spotty Internet isn't just frustrating-it can make getting your work done next to impossible. When you're ready to start working out of your home office, ensure that you have the right Internet plan to support your needs. Optimum offers a range of affordable Internet plans with 99.9% reliability, low latency, and speeds of up to 8 Gig.* Plus, we offer 24/7 support-so if an issue does arise midway through your workday, we can get started on addressing it right away. Whether you work fully remotely or adhere to a hybrid schedule, a plan with Optimum Internet can help ensure you’re well-equipped to get your work done any day of the week.
*8 Gig Fiber Internet is currently available in portions of NY, NJ & CT. Fiber Internet is not available in all areas. In some areas, Internet is delivered over cable network with different speeds. Enter your address or call today to see availability in your area. Reliability claim excludes outages caused by external events and scheduled maintenance.
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