The Coronavirus pandemic has in a very short period of time profoundly impacted our lives, changing the very way we live, work, and socialize. These days, many employees are trying to adjust to working from home – sometimes without a proper workspace available – and being productive in the midst of it all can be a real challenge. However, of all the challenges that come with this transition, setting up an accommodating home office is one of the easiest to fix.

This article presents some tips to help you set up a working space that will make you stay productive and enjoy working from home.

Having a designated workspace IS important

Working from home might not be what many of us had imagined prior to the pandemic – sitting in pajamas on the couch with our laptop and a box of our favorite pizza 🙂 While this might work for a while, it’s not sustainable in the long-term. 

Having a place designated only for work will help you separate personal from professional – a very blurry line during these days.  A home office should be comfortable, a space that allows you to focus on your work and to be productive. 

Choose the best spot

Pandemic’s motto “Stay at home” is a new reality we need to adapt to. Social distancing and isolation are flaring us up with anxiety, stress, and depression, making it difficult to focus on work and keep being productive. 

While some people already have a whole room dedicated to a home office, others need to improvise. Organizing a pleasant, comfortable working space could help improve your performance and boost your mood. So even if you have just a room corner to spare, you should try to make the most out of it.

Pick a sunny corner to place your desk, preferably close to a window. Natural lighting and fresh air will help improve your mood and push back against depression and anxiety.

Start with the basics

Designing your perfect working space should start with the two key elements: an ergonomic chair and a neatly organized desk. 

If you are just now purchasing the furniture, you may want to go for a desk with built-in storage. It will be easier keeping it tidy, Furthermore, having everything you need within the reach of your hand will prevent some of the small interruptions that often affect work productivity. 

If you are not into the traditional desk and chair type of office, other options to consider are a standing desk or replacing the classic chair with a stability ball. These can do wonders for those who are not used to sitting at the desk all day long. 

Take into account that you might work from home for the foreseeable future, so it would be beneficial for you to create the best possible working space, adapted to your long-term needs. 

Bring nature to you 

Since going out as much as you previously did is not doable right now, nothing stops you from bringing nature to you.

Working from home could be a lot more agreeable if our working space is green and fresh. Not only are house plants wonderful to look at, but research has shown that they are our allies in reducing anxiety and stress. 

Get online and order your favorite flower or pot plant to become your personal source of fresh oxygen. With so many different colors, shapes, and textures to choose from, you could transform your working and living space into an oasis of herbal comfort. 

Keep it tidy

No one likes clutter, but it inevitably piles up on everyone’s desk, especially while working from home. Compared to working in an office environment, at home you won’t use your desk for work alone – even if you try. Chances are that you’ll bring snacks here at least once a day so a bag of popcorn, a jar of Nutella, or a can of soda are likely cluttering your desk at any given time. Add to that an agenda, the phone, a tablet, some files, post-its, the bills you were going to pay online, and probably your keyboard is an island surrounded by a sea of clutter. 

The downside of a messy desk is that it not only disrupts productivity and wasting time trying to find what you need, but it also adds to the stress and creates a negative mood. According to the Harvard Business Review, our surroundings have a strong influence on our behavior, cognition, emotions, decision-making, and even our relationship with others. 

Therefore, you see why it’s crucial to keep it tidy, so get a trash can under your desk and make sure you don’t let stuff pile up. 

Use a cork board

This might seem like strange advice in the age of apps and reminders, but even for most millennials, post-its never really went away. The best place to hang a cork board is the wall behind the screen of your computer. That’s where your eyes are most likely to wander each time you’re taking even the shortest thinking break.

Make sure to hang your to-do list and your most important ideas on it every day. Having those out in the open will serve as a constant reminder that will help you stay on track and accomplish your tasks.

Make it yours

Working remotely has its perks but also its challenges. If you just started working from home and you miss your office days, keeping yourself motivated is a big challenge. Having a well-organized working space with a design that you enjoy could help you thrive. Waking up every day to go to your new office would be so much better if your office would match your personality and needs.

Besides furniture and big decorations which could be difficult to switch up, try experimenting with accessories such as interesting shelves, motivational posters and affirmations, colorful notebooks and office supplies, notice boards, photos, and objects that are meaningful to you. 

Hopefully, these tips will help you make the most of your home office. Share your thoughts in the comment section below and let us know how you organized your home workspace. Also, don’t forget you can use Hubgets to share your desk pictures and decorating ideas with your whole team! Just give it a try 😉