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Whether you’ve been forced to work from home (WFH) because of COVID-19, or you’ve been riding the work-from-home train for years, it’s important to find ways to make your home office comfortable, practical, and motivating.
With these simple tips, learn how to transform your space from a spare room to a private office.
The Executive Chair
If you’re sitting on a bar stool you dragged in from the kitchen, you probably aren’t doing your best work (and your spouse is probably mad that one of the bar stools is missing).
Get yourself a comfortable (but not too comfortable) office chair that offers support, both physically and emotionally. By feeling like you’re in the office, your productivity will remain consistent; because, yes, your boss can probably tell if you wrote those progress reports from the couch. Better yet, ensure that it’s perfectly ergonomic. With adjustable features for optimal posture, a chair that is both comfortable and supportive creates an optimal environment for productivity. If your body is lacking, your work will too.
Why WFH is Better #1: You can pick your own chair.
A Desk Organizer
It can be difficult to stay organized in the comfort of your own home. The cleanliness that you keep up at the office can begin to deteriorate without the pressure of your coworkers looking over your shoulder. Combat these urges by using a cheap desk organizer. This simple trick is cheap, easy, and looks great in any home office.
Plus, your workflow will be much smoother if your desk isn’t covered in loose pens.
Why WFH is Better #2: No messy coworkers with cluttered desks (the same coworkers who heat up fish for lunch).
Personalized Office Decor
Working from home is the perfect opportunity to add personal style to your workspace. While your coworkers at the office may hate your “hang in there” poster, working from home allows you to fill the space with whatever makes you feel happy and motivated. People do their best work when they feel as though they’re free to be themselves, so embrace your personality with customized office partition screens or some wall art.
Cheap canvas prints of photos or art pieces are a great way to personalize any room, without damaging the walls or breaking the bank.
Why WFH is Better #3: No restrictions on decorations—because seeing a canvas print of your family is more motivational than a cubicle wall.
A Small Filing Cabinet
This one may seem a little outdated with the modern workplace becoming so tech-based and paperless—but this isn’t for the workplace! This is for your home office. Think about all the documents you have at home that require a paper copy—birth certificates, contracts, tax information. All of these documents are necessary to both your work and personal life, and many of them can’t be transferred to a digital format. A personal filing cabinet is a compact way to keep track of all these documents. A sleek model looks great in every home office, as well.
Why WFH is Better #4: You never arrive at work only to realize you forgot something important at home.
Calendar
Keeping a calendar in your work area serves as a reminder for deadlines and helps keep you on track for projects. Yes, you may have a calendar in your phone, but hanging a physical calendar above your desk keeps the information in front of your face.
As an added bonus, you can choose whatever theme you like.
Why WFH is Better #5: Nobody is around to judge your “12 Months of Pugs in Hats” calendar.
Something Fun
Have you ever noticed the coolest offices always have something fun to keep morale up? Millennial startup offices are always in some cool, Brooklyn loft with a pool table in the kitchen, and then they actually become successful. Why? Because all work and no play is no longer the strategy for a successful business.
Offices that promote fun in the workplace often report:
- More communication among coworkers
- Better team building
- Lower numbers of employee absences
Maybe your roommates won’t be thrilled if they come home to a commercial-sized pool table in the 100 square foot apartment kitchen—but that doesn’t mean you can’t add something a little fun to your home office.
Hanging a mini basketball hoop on your door is a small way to add a little flair to your workspace. Whether you’re brainstorming ideas, or simply taking a minute to recharge, shooting a few hoops during work can help prevent burnout. If you’re going to be your own boss, it doesn’t hurt to be a fun one!
Why WFH is Better #6: You won’t accidentally hit your coworker in the face with a basketball—causing your boss to call a meeting about horseplay in the office.
To Sum It All Up
Working from home can be a challenging transition. By incorporating these easy changes into your workspace, you may feel more equipped to do your best work from home. Create a space where your mind and body can work together comfortably, and make sure the items you choose are motivational and promote your best work.
With a balance of style, functionality, and a little bit of fun, these simple pieces will help make any home office CEO worthy—because you may not be the CEO of the company, but you can be the CEO of your home.
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