As more and more of us work from home part-time or full time, home office has become more of a necessity rather than a convenience. If you are anything like me, your folder system on your computer is spotless, however organization of your home office might need some work. In order to be as productive as possible, the same standards that apply to any company’s office should apply to your office at home.
Organizing your workspace isn’t an impossible task though it may seem as such. All you have to do is direct the organizational skills you use daily into organizing your home office. By setting aside some time and effort to declutter your place of business, you will make your job easier but also more enjoyable.
Act out your day
It would be easier to say, rearrange your furniture and get rid of all things you don’t need, but we know that it isn’t that simple. This is why acting out your day, or rather yet your daily and weekly tasks, might come in handy. Go through your typical day and write down all necessities like, check email – desk, chair, computer etc. If possible, write also where your problems arise, perhaps you can’t reach your phone or your Wi-Fi router, maybe your cables get entangled in your chair.
When you have all of this information about your needs and requirements, it is time to set out a plan. There is nothing worse than figuring out that an idea you had isn’t really manageable halfway through. Do your decluttering in stages so as to avoid boredom but also fatigue.
Rearrange your furniture
After coming up with your plan, set a layout for your new home office. Start with the biggest and most important pieces of furniture in your office, like desk or workstation, chairs, bookcases, cabinets. Find the best place to set up your desk, so that you can get some much needed natural light but also avoid those household noises. In relation to your desk, arrange the rest of the furniture. All pieces that have lost their use should be thrown away or placed somewhere else. Having enough space will help you to move around more easily but also you will be less likely to feel overwhelmed.
Cable management
Cable management is an annoying but a very easy task to perform. As you have placed your desk, now put where your computer, phone, printer and any other devices should stand. Instead of taping your cables, you can make the situation more permanent with the use of plastic rain gutters. Drill a few holes, set up your cables and your entangling problems will be the thing of the past.
Let there be light
Hopefully, you have placed your desk in the best place to get as much natural light as possible, but there are some other light problems to consider. Having a great source of natural light isn’t enough, as we also tend to work in the evenings and at night. Also, some home offices have little to no access to natural light, and thus light management is a must. Instead of squinting under the direct light of your light bulb overhead, find ways to use defused light with desk lamps. Great thing about lamps is that it is easy to place them and focus them on spots where they are mostly needed, for example your keyboard, phone or printer. It’s an important task to tackle, as good light sources will increase both your mood and your productivity.
Quiet please
Having a home office has its perks, but homebound noise seems to be one of the inconveniences. As clutter doesn’t only apply to things but also sounds, having a quiet place to work is necessary. We need quiet both for the sake of professionalism but also to concentrate more easily. If you aren’t interested in soundproofing your walls, try placing the desk away from your door. We have mentioned that in the part about placing your larger furniture. Moving your desk from your door will reduce the noises coming in from your household. Desk’s new position in your home office might not seem too appealing but it might save you from some inconvenient situations.
Keep, store, give away, throw away
After organizing all of the heavy stuff, it is time for the smaller ones. Just like with the larger furniture, you should evaluate and label whether an item should be kept, stored, given away/donated or thrown away. Don’t keep things you haven’t used in so long, they will just take up space and make your search for relevant items harder. In case you don’t have enough room for your temporarily unneeded items, there are many companies like Supereasy Geelong which can store your items for you.
Bring in some decor
All of the decluttering is done and it is time to bring in a few well chosen pieces of decor. Decorations may seem unnecessary and a way to clutter your office anew, but they will also give a personal feeling to it and brighten up those long hours at your desk. It can be something personal like a picture of your family or a pencil holder your child made, or rather something artistic like some brightly colored drapes or a stunning painting. Just remember to keep your decorations to a minimum, so that your workspace isn’t cluttered with each week’s art projects.
It comes down to this, in order to declutter your home office think about what you want and need. Remove all unnecessary things out of it, let it be the old filing system or household noises. Plan it all out and do it in sections. Start with a new layout of your furniture and move to smaller items taking up your office space. Don’t forget to manage your lighting, cables and soundproofing. After purging your office, spice it up with a few decorations. And now you can enjoy your reclaimed home office.
featured image: https://deathtothestockphoto.com/
Helen Bradford is a literature enthusiast who constantly seeks new ideas to write about. She is a marketing consultant at Supereasy Storage company in Geelong and likes to spend her spare time doing fitness and traveling.
