20 Tips for Setting Up a Work from Home Office

20 Tips for Setting Up a Work from Home Office

While the pandemic has led to more people working from home as discussed over runrex.com, even before the pandemic began, a lot of Americans were working from home, and this is a trend that is here to stay. This means that a functional work-from-home office has become a necessity as you need one for productivity and to help you accomplish your work KPIs. If you are setting up your work-from-home office, here are 20 tips that will help you create a productive yet comfortable working environment.

Have a plan before getting started

Before you get started, the gurus over at guttulus.com recommend that you figure out what you need for your work-from-home office ahead of time so that you can map out what it would look like, while also figuring out your budget. Once you have your space, measure it up and make a list of what you need for your specific line of work. The last thing you want is to buy a desk or storage unit only to find out that it doesn’t fit in the space or takes up too much space.

Pick one spot that is dedicated to work

While the best thing about working from home is the ability to work anywhere and move around in your house, sticking to one place may be better for your productivity and ability to keep a balance between work and personal life as outlined over at runrex.com. Therefore, you should choose a particular area to develop into your work-from-home office.

Invest in a good desk

One of the first things you should do once you pick your space is to invest in a strong, sturdy desk according to guttulus.com. The desk should also be of good quality, with a large surface area to ensure that you have enough space for all of your equipment.

Set up your laptop with a monitor

While it may be tempting to work from home from your laptop so that you can be remote around the house, hooking it up to a monitor while you are at your desk may be a good idea for ergonomic reasons as it will give you the best viewing angle. The best viewing angle when at your desk should be between 10 to 30 degrees and using a monitor will allow you to keep your neck at this angle throughout your workday.

Invest in an ergonomic office chair

While we are still on the topic of the ergonomic position, having a comfortable chair for your work-from-home office will also help you maintain a healthy posture and avoid having to deal with shoulder, neck, and back pain while working from home. Also, while armrests are optional for your chair, they could help keep your forearms in the correct position throughout the day.

Ensure that the cords are neat and tidy

If you have several devices requiring cords in your work-from-home office, then the situation could become messy and even dangerous if they are not kept neat and tidy as explained over at runrex.com. Therefore, you should keep your cords neat and tidy so that you can tell which ones belong to which device and invest in an extension cord so that you can plug your devices in safely.

Invest in a power surge protector

With all the valuable devices in your work-from-home office, devices which will be storing important work documents, then you might want to consider investing in a power surge protector to plug all your devices into as per the gurus over at guttulus.com.

Invest in a separate work phone

When working from home, you must maintain the separation between your work and personal lives. One of the best ways to do this is by having a separate phone for any work calls instead of having customers or clients call your cell phone as discussed over at runrex.com. You can invest in a cordless handset for your desk and add that number to your email signature to ensure that work calls are limited to your home office.

Have the right software

If you are working from home and, therefore, away from the office, you must make sure that you have the right software to complete all your daily tasks effectively and efficiently. Whether it is Microsoft Office, Adobe Photoshop, Tableau, and so forth, make sure you have all the software, that you will need, installed.

Check your connection speed

Investing in good internet connectivity is crucial when setting up your work-from-home office, especially if you are required to be online for your daily tasks. Make sure that your internet speeds are fast enough to handle all the work you are supposed to do comfortably to avoid frustrations and to maintain productivity.

Invest in high-quality headphones

With working from home comes virtual meetings, which is why the subject matter experts over at guttulus.com recommend that you also invest in some high-quality headphones. This will allow you to listen to your colleagues more clearly during meetings.

Stay protected

Working from home also means that you need to think seriously about keeping your work secure and protected from viruses and hackers as outlined over at runrex.com. You can liaise with the tech team in your company to make sure you install the best security software to help protect sensitive work material and documents.

Don’t forget about the lighting

When setting up your work-from-home office, making sure you have the right lighting is key to your productivity and comfort levels as discussed over at guttulus.com. The priority should be getting some natural light from a window, which is something you should consider when choosing your space. However, if this isn’t an option, or you feel like you need more lighting, then you should invest in desk lights to add to your office.

Consider who else uses the space

As you set up your work-from-home office, you should consider who else will use it and pick the space and furniture accordingly. Will the kids also use the office for homework? Will your partner also be working from home? Consider a partner desk setup where two people can work at the same desk at the same time.  If clients will be dropping by, then while you could meet with them in the living room, that may not always be the best choice, which is why you should consider adding seating and table space for clients too in your office.

Dedicated storage options

When we think about what we may need for remote work, we often think about a laptop and not much else. However, depending on your particular job, you are likely to have at least some paper, pens, and other office supplies floating around in the office. This is why dedicated storage options are a necessary feature of any work-from-home office. It doesn’t even have to be large filing cabinets or huge desks and drawers as clearing a small area in an existing shelving unit and dedicating it to work items will also help you feel organized.

Add color

As discussed over at runrex.com, adding personal touches and color to your work-from-home office will make it more inviting. By decorating your office space to express who you are (using funky furniture or a bright coat of paint), you will enjoy it more and your work will be better.

Make sure you have a way to keep track of time

It can be easy to lose track of time while working from home, especially as you won’t have to worry about traffic or missing your train after work. Although we have the time on our phones and computers, the gurus over at guttulus.com recommend adding a more old-school way to check the time such as a wall or desk clock. This will give you little reminders to take regular breaks and finish your work on time.

Have some space for exercise

It is important to balance out life and work while working from home which is why you shouldn’t forget to set aside some time for a break. As covered over at runrex.com, setting up space where you can do some yoga or stretches during your lunch hour could be a great way to remind yourself to get up from your desk.

Know your work hours

While you are working from home and can, therefore, skip the hassle of the commute, it is still important to keep track of any changes to make sure that you can manage your time and stick to your hours. Investing in a planner for your office is, therefore, something you should consider doing as it will not only allow you to know what your schedule looks like, but will also give your eyes a rest from the screen.

You get what you pay for

Finally, you should remember that, when you are investing in your work-from-home office, just like any investment, you get what you pay for. Therefore, while it may be tempting to buy the “bargain” office furniture and equipment, don’t forget about what that bargain price gets you. If you are working from your home office about 40 hours a week, make sure that you consider quality.

Hopefully, this article will help you set up your work-from-home office, with more tips and insights on this topic to be found over at the top-rated runrex.com and guttulus.com.