Home office: Work from home in comfort

Creating your home office may seem like a daunting task, but it can serve as an excellent way to boost your remote work productivity. It’s one of the few work-designated spaces that you can completely design, since it’s nestled comfortably within your home.

Whether you’re searching for equipment, trying to host the perfect video meetings or simply illuminate your home office, work is about to get a little more comfortable with these home office design tips:

Create dedicated space

Having a dedicated space is important when you work remotely. That space could be a normal part of your home life, such as a kitchen table or a desk in a bedroom, or it could be a room that you’ve repurposed for your remote work life. Regardless, you’ll want to have some form of dedicated space to help keep you and your home organized.

Make sure the space can be closed off to other household members for meetings and focus time. If the space is shared, try using a room divider or purchase noise-canceling headphones to help keep other distractions to a minimum.

Set good lighting

All offices should have some form of light. However, the type of light you use can have a significant impact on the office atmosphere you’re trying to create.

Try keeping yourself close to natural light to help keep you attuned to your work schedule. Likewise, basic lighting layering, such as using task lighting for meetings to ensure video quality, can bring a significant ease of use to your workspace.

Keep soft lighting to a minimum, though. Adding too much ambiance can have some impact on your alertness or may cause stress while tending to your daily work activities.

Keep a comfortable work height

Maintaining proper work height is tantamount to having a productive and comfortable workday. While there’s no set height for working, some standard setups are fond of placing keyboards and other workspace tools at a height that allows your shoulders to rest comfortably. This height often favors elbows bent at a near 90-degree angle.

Likewise, for those who may want a more customized working height, try an adjustable height desk, monitor stand, laptop stand and other supporting office equipment. You’ll also want to ensure you can comfortably maintain average workday positions, to help eliminate added strain.

Creating a comfortable work environment is a great start to increased productivity and an ergonomically efficient work from home career. Follow these tips to get started and watch your home office slide into one of your favorite household places.