Tips for Designing a Home Office

If you work from home, you’ve probably found that it can sometimes be difficult to find the motivation to actually do your work and not lie on the couch watching Netflix all day. In fact, procrastination is one of the biggest challenges that those of us who work for ourselves face.

You can conquer this challenge by ensuring that you have a comfortable, productive workspace that makes you feel like you’re actually “at work” instead of just working at the kitchen table, the couch, or your bed, where you’re much less likely to get stuff done.

Here are some tips for designing a home office:

Dedicate a Space

One of the hardest things about working at home is deciding where to work. Your home is usually where you spend the most time relaxing, and so having to work here can make it difficult to switch into either work or relaxation mode.

If you have a spare room, you’re a lucky duck and you can easily make this your office. Even if you have a bed in the room for guests, there’s no reason why you can’t push it to the side, move a desk into the space and begin building yourself a dedicated work space.

If you don’t have a spare room it can be a little trickier but not impossible. Find a corner in your living room, shift out any furniture that you’re not using and move in a desk and comfortable work chair.

Get rid of the TV

Having a TV in your office is a bad idea. If you work online, you probably already have to contend with constant distractions from Buzzfeed, social media and news sites, and having a TV in front of you can be a huge temptation- especially on those days where you really don’t want to work.

Design your space

Now the fun begins. Choose some of your favourite colours, quotes that motivate and excite you, cute stationary, and anything else that will encourage you to actually sit down and get the work done. It’s important to be comfortable and prevent yourself from getting injured while sitting down all day, so make sure your desk is at the best height so that you’re not straining your neck while looking at your computer all day and get an ergonomic chair that will give your back the support it needs.

Buy your furniture

A good desk and chair are crucial if you want to make your home office a place where you actually enjoy working. However there are a few other things you may want to buy. Consider buy sofa bed so you can chill out and meditate or take a nap when you need to take a break, or some filing cabinets to keep key pieces of paper that you don’t want to lose.

Commit to Using it

It may feel a bit strange working in your new home office, but it should also help you feel motivated and excited to work. Commit to spending your days working here instead of on your couch and watch your productivity increase.