Creating Your Dream Home Office: Essential Tips for Remote Workers

Since the Covid-19 pandemic, I think we can all agree that where and how we work has undergone a massive shift. Mums all over Australia now have the opportunity to work from home or even start a home business.

As a work from home mum, my biggest challenge was navigating the boundaries between professional and personal spaces around the home. Also, the significance in cultivating a conducive and inspiring home office environment to avoid distractions and be productive. Building your ideal home office needs thoughtful attention to a range of design elements.

In this article, I delve into essential strategies tailored for work at home mums to create a workspace that not only develops efficiency but also nurtures creativity and well-being.

 

Designing Your Dream Home Office

Step 1: Choosing the Right Location

The first step in creating your dream home office is to select the ideal location within your home.

Sounds obvious right? But you need to consider a space that offers natural light, good ventilation, and has minimal distractions. So, this rules out any ideas about a Harry Potter office under a staircase!

Ideally, your home office should be in a room or quiet space away from high-traffic areas such as the kitchen or living area to minimise interruptions.

If you’re a bit of a clean freak like me, you might also consider a space where you can just close the door when you have to walk away from your desk without giving it a proper tidy.

 

Step 2: Create a Comfortable Environment To Work From

You have the unique opportunity to create a space that you love and an office that inspires you.

In the workplace, you might be used to a cubicle or concrete walls. Use this opportunity to personalise the space with inspiring decor, plants, and artwork. Ensure you have proper lighting, music and heating and cooling to manage your comfort and productivity.

 

Step 3: Selecting Ergonomic Furniture

One of the best pieces of advice I can offer is to invest in ergonomic office furniture to avoid strains and injury.

Like most, I made the mistake of choosing desks and chairs based on decor. Wrong! I now choose my office furniture to support my posture and body.

The best purchase I’ve made for my home office is an electric stand-up desk. It allows me to shift from a seated position to a standing position at the press of a button. Along with a great monitor stand to adjust the height of my screen and ergonomic keyboard and mouse, I no longer experience strains and aches from my workspace.

And for all the design and decor gurus, you can build an ergonomic workspace that looks amazing as well 🙂

 

Step 4: Consider Your Security and Privacy

I’m going to change pace for a moment. And I want you to consider the security and privacy of your home office. Working from home for most mums, usually means working alone. Installing quality fencing is important to provide security, privacy but most importantly, to avoid interruptions, particularly from door-to-door salesman. No. We don’t need a set of encyclopaedias, we have the Internet now!

Additionally, fencing helps block out noise from outside traffic, creating a quieter environment for concentration and productivity.

 

Step 5: Blocking Out Noise in your Workspace

 Like me, you may live in a busy urban area or near a main road. Noise pollution can significantly impact productivity and focus. Consider soundproofing measures such as double-glazed windows, heavy curtains, or acoustic panels to minimise distractions from noisy activities. Music can also be a good distraction from a noisy area. As mentioned above, a good fence can also help block out some road noise.

 

Step 6: Plan For Renovations Around the Home

To build your dream workspace, you may need to consider renovating an area of your home if you don’t already have an office or spare bedroom.

Before you consider any modifications to your home, particularly if your home is older, it’s worthwhile planning ahead by scheduling an experienced building and pest inspection to identify any structural issues, dangerous materials, moisture damage, or pest infestations that may affect your renovation plans or workspace’s safety and functionality.

 

How To Maximise Your Productivity When Working From Home

So, now we’ve got an amazing work from home space! Here’s my top 2 productivity tips to help make your work day even easier:

Tip 1: Organise Your Workspace

One of the best ways to boost productivity is to maintain an organised and clutter-free home office.

1. One way to organise your space is to invest in storage solutions such as shelves, cabinets, and desk organisers to maintain a tidy workspace.
2. If you’re a visual person, a whiteboard is valuable to help manage your to-do lists, deadlines, or notes.
3. Consider a filing cabinet for your documents and office supplies to avoid mountains of paperwork all over your desk.

 

Tip 2: Implementing Time Management Techniques

I wasn’t sure whether I should include this section because everyone knows that effective time management is essential for any worker to stay on task and be productive.

But I don’t think we can hear this enough, and I’d like to offer some time management strategies I personally use to remain on task when working from home.

Create a daily schedule, set realistic goals, and prioritise tasks based on their urgency and importance.

If it takes 5 or 10 seconds to write a task, don’t just write it down – do it!

Avoid distractions from your phone by setting your device to silent and one of the most important tips is to take regular breaks from your desk to recharge and avoid burnout.

 

Prioritising Comfort and Health

Looking for even more ways to make the most of your busy workday in your home office? Here’s my final two thoughts that really made the different for me:

1./ Incorporating Natural Light

 Choosing a workspace with natural light has so many benefits for your mood, productivity, and overall well-being.

Position your desk near a window to get some of the wonderful sunlight. You’ll need to find a suitable space where you’re getting natural light without glare on your screen.

Depending on how your home is positioned, consider installing adjustable blinds or curtains to regulate brightness and glare as the sun moves throughout the day.

 

2./ Promoting Movement Throughout the Day

Even with ergonomic furniture, sitting or standing for long periods is not good for your mental wellbeing or physical health. I know we can get busy during the day, but you must build in opportunities to move.

Take short breaks to stretch your body or exercise for 2 or 3 minutes at a time. Checking the mailbox, hanging out the washing or cleaning the floor don’t sound like fun, but they can be a good distraction and exercise from working at your desk.

 

It’s Time to Create your Dream Home Office!

Creating your dream home office requires careful planning and consideration of various factors, including design, security, productivity, and well-being. By implementing some or all the essential tips outlined in this article, work from home mums can create a conducive and inspiring workspace that promotes efficiency, creativity, and overall satisfaction.