5 home office tips for the perfect home workspace

If you’re working from home, setting up the right space to work in can make all the difference. It’s where you’re going to be spending a large part of your working day, so you want to make sure you’re going to be productive.

However, what works for other people might not work for you. Get the perfect set-up with these five tried-and-tested home office ideas.

1. The right equipment

If you thrive in a more traditional workspace, consider investing in a proper desk and an adjustable chair. This will be the heart of your home office after all, and it’s where you’ll be spending most of your time.

Depending on your work, a laptop is usually more practical than a desktop computer, and it gives you the freedom to work from other spots around the house. A second monitor is also useful if you need to spend a lot of time cross-referencing spreadsheets or researching.

2. Lighting

Natural light is often touted as a way to improve productivity and concentration. If you tend to work later on in the day or you can’t set up your home office by a window, consider getting a daylight lamp.

If you decide a daylight lamp isn’t for you, make sure you adjust your lighting at home so that it isn’t so dark as to make you drowsy and cause strain on your eyes, but also not so bright that it’s off-putting and likely to give you a headache.

3. Move around

When most people think of an office at home, they imagine a desk in a small room — but that sort of home office setup isn’t for everyone all of the time.

It’s a good idea to have a space where you can keep important work-related documents – but you don’t have to spend all your time at a desk. It’s equally possible to work well from your dining table, your sofa, or even the garden if the weather is nice enough. The important thing is to make sure you’re comfortable and that you can concentrate on what you’re doing.

4. Avoid distractions

If you’ve ever worked from home before, you’ll know how easy it is to get distracted. There’s always laundry that needs doing, a dog that needs walking or something else niggling at you when you’re trying to work.

If you’re lucky enough to have your home office in a separate room, then it’s easy to close the door and focus on your work. It’s much more difficult if you tend to wander around or like to sit on a sofa.

Calming music can help if you have pets, children or even a partner who might prove distracting otherwise. If you know which room you’re going to be working in, see if you can tidy it ahead of your working day - that way, you won’t start doing it when you’re faced with an inbox full of unopened emails.

5. Separate work from home life

When you’re working at home, this can be a tricky one to master. If you’re able to dedicate a separate space to work, then compartmentalising work becomes much easier to do. But if you’re tight on space, there are still plenty of other things you can try.

Establish a daily routine — ideally one where you start and end your day with exercise. Even if it’s just a 15 minute walk around the block, it means you’re creating a buffer between your work and your life at home. It can be easy to get sucked into a never-ending pile of paperwork, so schedule in regular breaks and eat lunch at a normal time. Not only will you keep your energy levels up, but you’ll feel more productive afterwards.

Do you have any tips for home office perfection? Let us know in the comments.